February is here and we get an extra day this year! Looking for family friendly events in the Twin Cities? There’s plenty to do this month outside and inside. From the Winter Beer Dabbler at the MN State Fairgrounds to the Doggie Depot downtown, there’s something for everyone. Check out all the events in the Twin Cities this February 2024!
Events in the Twin Cities this February 2024
Saint Paul Winter Carnival
When: Now through February 4th, 2024
Where: Various location in Saint Paul
Join us for the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, the “Coolest Celebration on Earth” since 1886. It is the oldest winter festival in the United States!
The Winter Carnival continues to bring family-friendly events and community pride to Saint Paul and the Twin Cities metro area.
Dozens of free events, both traditional favorites and new attractions, will entertain those of all ages. Most events take place in downtown Saint Paul, in and around Rice Park and Landmark Center, as well as at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds.
The Great Northern
When: Now through February 4th, 2024
Where: Various locations in the Twin Cities
Embrace winter at its wintry finest! At The Great Northern, a celebration across Minneapolis and Saint Paul, visitors and locals alike will find amazing winter sports to spectate like pond hockey, skijoring, and fat-tire bike racing along with ice and snow sculpture competitions. Not to mention food-focused events featuring our thriving culinary community, outdoor concerts, and more.
This annual celebration brings together legacy festivals, including the City of Lakes Loppet Ski Festival, where cross-country skiing competitions excite and ice luminaries delight, the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, where kings and snow queens add to the magic of the season, and the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships (opens in new window), where locals and players around the world show off their skills on Lake Nokomis.
These legacy events along with original, uniquely North programming are largely free to attend. So bundle up, get outside, and leave the hibernating to the bears!
Ice Castles
When: Now through February 18th, 2024
Where: 12500 82nd Ave N
Maple Grove, MN
Don’t miss your moment. Your moment of imagination, exploration, and magic awaits at Ice Castles. Escape into a world of ice caves, frozen waterfalls, and glaciers formed into archways, caverns, and tunnels.
Time is limited, but memories last forever. Make them magical. Freeze Time.
Art Shanty Projects On-Ice Program
When: Saturdays in February
Where: Lake Harriet
4135 W Lake Harriet Parkway
Minneapolis, MN
Get your snowsuits ready.
Art Shanty Projects is a four-weekend winter art festival on a frozen lake in the Twin Cities. Artists create temporary structures and interactive, engaging art experiences and performances, turning a barren, frozen lake into a vibrant, colorful winter village.
Due to the rapidly deteriorating ice on Bdé Umáŋ / Lake Harriet, Art Shanty Projects’ annual program will be presented as “Plan Beach” this year instead of “On-Ice”.
Doggie Depot
When: February 3rd, 2024
Where:Union Depot
214 4th Street E.
Saint Paul, MN
Activities, vendors, and shopping galore! If your pooch only puts one thing on their social agendog this winter, make it Doggie Depot 2024.
On Saturday, February 3, from 10 AM to 3 PM, Union Depot will be transformed into Doggie Depot, the bark of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival.
There will be pet-friendly vendors for shopping, rescues for adopting, the crowning of the St. Paul Winter Carnival’s Canine King Boreas and Canine Queen of Snows at 11 AM and tons more fun!
Doggie Depot 2024 is FREE and open to the public, and there’s plenty of on-site parking. No tickets are required, so leash up your pup and join us for this furbulous event inside the Waiting Room at Union Depot!
Kites On Ice Kite Festival
When: February 10th, 2024
Where: Buffalo Lake
505 2nd Ave S
Buffalo MN
Come see some incredible displays of giant show kites of every size, shape, and color. See experienced show kite flyers from Minnesota and the Midwest will demonstrate their skills with kites of all colors, shapes, and sizes. It’s a sight to behold! ALL on Buffalo Lake and Sturges Park.
Taste and Learn: Chocolate Indulgence
When: February 10th, 2024
Where: Dodge Nature Center
8946 70th Street S
Cottage Grove, MN
Rich and creamy or bittersweet and dark, chocolate is a pleasure to indulge on its own or in decadent desserts. Join Dodge naturalists inside the new Education Center at Shepard Farm to learn about the cacao plant and how it becomes so many different types of chocolate and its sweet association with Valentine’s Day. You’ll sample varieties of chocolates and make some indulgent treats to take home. Learning was never so delicious!
February Art Fair
When: February 17th and 18th, 2024
Where: Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
3675 Arboretum Drive
Chaska, MN
Stroll through the Spring Flower Show and browse beautiful, creative works featuring botanically themed products from local artisans. The February Art Fair (opens in new window) is a great place to find a gift for your favorite Valentine or pick up something special just for yourself.
Gustaf’s Sweetheart Dinner
When: February 15th, 2024
Where: Gustaf’s Eatery
13045 Lake Blvd
Lindstrom, MN
Come celebrate your Sweetheart in the historic Swedish Gustaf Anderson home. Enjoy the ambiance of this 1879 home while enjoying dinner for 2. Full 4 course meal is served at your private table. Chicken Or Salmon. $70 per couple. Plus tax and gratuity. Menu choice is made at reservation. Call for reservations. 651 263 0737 Reservations are final but transferable unless the venue cancels due to inclement weather.
Winter Beer Dabbler
When: February 24th, 2024
Where: MN State Fairgrounds
1265 Snelling Ave N
Saint Paul, MN
We’re beyond excited to welcome you all back to the Mighty Midway to sample great beer from breweries all over the United States, an amazing selection of cider and wine from renowned producers, and the tastiest seltzers on the market—all while enjoying music, food trucks, and other thrilling attractions.
