The Great Northern Festival

Get ready for The Great Northern this winter. Ten days of frosty outdoor events, music and performances, public art, and dining experiences.

Chilly days find Minnesotans rosy-cheeked, bundled up, and eager to enjoy the outdoors. Couch dwellers, we are not. With a full line-up of winter events and some serious FOMO (fear of missing out), we make sure to get out there and experience the winter wonderland that encapsulates us for a few months out of the year. We can’t wait for another year of The Great Northern festival, which celebrates the beauty of the North and the excitement of winter.

When: January 25 - February 4, 2024

Where: Various locations

The Great Northern's annual winter festival invites people from Minnesota and beyond to change their perspective on the coldest months of the year. Through its thought-provoking Climate Solutions Series, wildly popular Sauna Village, and brand-new, 100-foot Ice Bar, in addition to more than 50 events that celebrate the arts, the outdoors, and Minneapolis and St. Paul's vibrant food scene, the festival serves as a call to action to protect the season that makes this place unique.

The Great Northern celebrates our cold, creative winters through 10 days of diverse programming that invigorate mind and body. In an era of changing climate that threatens our signature season, festival programming seeks to create community, inspire action, and share the resilient spirit of the North with the world. The 2024 festival features more than 50 performances, art installations, outdoor activations, and solutions-focused climate talks. For a full list of events, take a look at the Great Northern's event calendar. Here are just a few we think you should check out: