2023 Events
Loppet Foundation: Luminary Loppet
Walk, ski, or snowshoe through a fun-filled, candlelit night on Lake of the Isles at The Great Northern founding partner Loppet Foundation’s Luminary Loppet.
Moonage Daydream outdoor screening and closing night party
Cap off The Great Northern 2023 at Malcolm Yards Market with a special outdoor screening of David Bowie biopic Moonage Daydream and lively set by DJ Yasmeenah—plus plenty of delectable food and beverage offerings.
Learning from Place: Bdote
Visit and expand your understanding of Twin Cities sites with deep significance to Dakota people through stories and perspectives often left out of our state’s history in this immersive outdoor offering by Minnesota Humanities Center.
Breathwork, Cold Exposure, and Meditation Experience
Join The Point Retreats for an unforgettable, breathwork and heat/cold exposure therapy experience at the beautiful Silverwood Park.
Walk & Talk: Winter Water Works
Join Minneapolis Parks Foundation for a dynamic guided walk throughout Water Works at Mill Ruins Park.
Loppet Foundation: City of Lakes Loppet
The Great Northern founding partner The Loppet Foundation’s City of Lakes Loppet Winter Festival encompasses a variety of unique outdoor activities in and around Theodore Wirth Park and Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis.
Wild Rice Retreat: Wintering Well Series
Wild Rice Retreat’s Wintering Well series, specially curated for The Great Northern, focuses on harnessing the winter months as a time of wellness.
Kara-Lis Coverdale: Music for Sauna
Kara-Lis Coverdale’s singular composition Music for Sauna will take listeners on a sonic journey as they bask in The Great Northern Sauna Village’s largest on-site sauna, Superior Saunas’ Artist Sauna.
Kidarod East
Drawing inspiration from Alaska’s famous dog sled race, YMCA of the North’s Kidarod offers an unforgettable outdoor 2-mile winter adventure experience for kids.
Speaker Series at The Great Northern Sauna Village
Dive deeper into sauna culture by engaging in a series of conversations and live podcasts surrounding The Great Northern Sauna Village on Sat, Jan 28—including topics on sauna-building, health benefits, and more.
The Great Northern Sauna Village
A social and therapeutic experience held this year at Malcolm Yards in Minneapolis, The Great Northern Sauna Village invites visitors to immerse themselves in sauna culture by interacting with thermaculture first-hand during the festival’s run in deep winter.
Saint Paul Winter Carnival
The Great Northern founding partner Saint Paul Winter Carnival has brought family-friendly events and community pride to Saint Paul and the Twin Cities metro area since 1886.
Chill Out: Festival launch party
Join us to kick off The Great Northern with a "festival eve" winter village at Surly Brewing Beer Garden.
Seitu Jones: Ice Fishing and Printing
Saint Paul-based multidisciplinary artist Seitu Jones will invite both experienced and novice ice fishers to ice fish along with him on Silverwood Lake, demonstrating the process of Gyotaku—a Japanese printmaking technique used for documenting catches.
U.S. Pond Hockey Championships
The Great Northern founding partner U.S. Pond Hockey Championships have given hockey enthusiasts a premier opportunity to experience hockey the way nature intended since 2006.