The Great Northern Climate Solutions Series

Join us for a weekend full of community discussion, workshops, talks, and live podcasts focused on climate change and climate action.

We’re not just celebrating winter—we’re inviting you to join the conversation about its future.

Join The Great Northern at the American Swedish Institute from January 25-26 for the Climate Solutions Series (CSS), a dynamic series of discussions exploring diverse topics and their connections to the climate crisis.

The weekend will also feature interactive community workshops on mending and sewing techniques.

How to get your tickets: All Climate Solutions Series events are free, but tickets are required. When adding tickets to your cart you can choose to register for an individual session or opt for the Climate Solution Series pass, which grants access to all CSS events throughout the series.

Ask a Meteorologist!

We’re so excited to welcome MPR meteorologists Sven Sundgaard, Mandy Thalhuber, and Paul Huttner to The Great Northern Climate Solution Series. The meteorologists will be manning the “Ask a Meteorologist” booth on the second floor of the American Swedish Institute. They’ll be on-site at various times throughout the day to answer all your weather-related questions.

This is not a ticketed event, we invite our attendees to stop by, say hi, and ask questions in-between sessions.

Special thanks to festival sponsor MPR News!

Climate Solutions Series 2025

Saturday, Jan 25

Featured
Emerging Climate Careers
Jan 25
Emerging Climate Careers

Are you interested in a career focused on climate action, clean energy, or sustainability? Join us for a series of “spark talks”—short presentations by experts in their field—that highlight a wide range of climate-related career options.

Growing Connections: Building Food Hubs to Support Farmers and Feed Communities
Jan 25
Growing Connections: Building Food Hubs to Support Farmers and Feed Communities

This session celebrates the farmers who sustain us year-round, the markets that bring their harvest to life, and the partnerships that build strong, resilient food networks. This session will illuminate the “connective tissue” of resilient food systems—bridging local infrastructure, community partnerships, and a culture of care for the earth.

Mending Workshop: Stitching Together Community and Climate Action (Afternoon Session)
Jan 25
Mending Workshop: Stitching Together Community and Climate Action (Afternoon Session)

This session is sold out. Join our waitlist and get notified if more space becomes available.

Join us for a hands-on mending circle with Curiosity Studio as part of The Great Northern’s Climate Solution Series, where participants will build community, learn climate-resilient skills, and engage in dialogue to develop collective actions rooted in relationships.

Unraveling Textile Waste: Hidden Costs and Solutions
Jan 25
Unraveling Textile Waste: Hidden Costs and Solutions

This session will explore the hidden costs of textile production and disposal, examining environmental and health impacts, innovative recycling initiatives, and the role of waste management systems, with insights from experts on reimagining textiles, enhancing material reuse, and the benefits of second-hand markets.

Britt Wray and Leah Thomas in conversation
Jan 25
Britt Wray and Leah Thomas in conversation

Dr. Britt Wray, Director of CIRCLE at Stanford Psychiatry and author of Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis, joins Leah Thomas, Founder of Intersectional Environmentalist, to discuss navigating climate anxiety by fostering hope through taking action and building meaningful community.

Our Winter Weather Future: Understanding, Preparing For, and Navigating Winter In the Midst of Climate Change
Jan 25
Our Winter Weather Future: Understanding, Preparing For, and Navigating Winter In the Midst of Climate Change

This session is sold out. Standby tickets are available.

Join the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership (MCAP) to learn about what our future winters might look like, drawing from their MN CliMAT tool, and highlighting local efforts of how communities are already adapting to climate change.

Mending Workshop: Stitching Together Community and Climate Action (Morning Session)
Jan 25
Mending Workshop: Stitching Together Community and Climate Action (Morning Session)

This session is sold out. Join our waitlist and get notified if more space becomes available.

Join us for a hands-on mending circle with Curiosity Studio as part of The Great Northern’s Climate Solution Series, where participants will build community, learn climate-resilient skills, and engage in dialogue to develop collective actions rooted in relationships.

Sunday, Jan 26

Featured
Equitable Decarbonization of Buildings in the Midwest
Jan 26
Equitable Decarbonization of Buildings in the Midwest

Join us for an essential panel discussion on the "Equitable Decarbonization of Buildings in the Midwest," where we explore how the Inflation Reduction Act presents unique opportunities to reduce carbon emissions in the region. Presented in partnership with Fresh Energy.

Reclaiming Manoomin / Psin: State-Level Efforts to Establish Legal Rights for Wild Rice
Jan 26
Reclaiming Manoomin / Psin: State-Level Efforts to Establish Legal Rights for Wild Rice

This panel discussion will spotlight a new campaign launching in Minnesota during the 2025 legislative session, focusing on recognition of legal rights for manoomin / psin (wild rice) during the upcoming legislative session. Presented with Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light.

Live Podcast: Vibe Check
Jan 26
Live Podcast: Vibe Check

Vibe Check hosts, Sam Sanders, Saeed Jones, and Zach Stafford, help the audience make sense of the post-election and inauguration moment, exploring its implications for our time and for climate advocacy, action, and future.

Planetary Health
Jan 26
Planetary Health

Explore the five domains of the planetary health framework and how they can help transform all sectors to ensure a future that works for all, especially for those experiencing the first and worst impacts of climate change.

Thu, Jan 30

Support The Great Northern: Help us keep The Climate Solutions Series accessible to all with a $25 donation

If you’d like to support The Great Northern and our work to bring together leading voices to address climate change and environmental concerns, you can make a donation at the time of purchase. Our recommended donation of $25 supports The Great Northern in keeping most of our programming free and accessible for our community.

Magers & Quinn on-site at American Swedish Institute

Visit Magers & Quinn’s pop-up bookstore January 25-26. Featuring books of speakers and a specially curated selection of books on climate change and climate action

Times:

  • Saturday: 10:30am - 3:30pm

  • Sunday: 12pm - 5pm

The Great Northern Climate Solutions Series is funded in part by McKnight Foundation.

The McKnight Foundation, a Minnesota-based family foundation, advances a more just, creative, and abundant future where people and planet thrive. Established in 1953, the McKnight Foundation is deeply committed to advancing climate solutions in the Midwest; building an equitable and inclusive Minnesota; and supporting the arts and culture in Minnesota, neuroscience, and global food systems.

Check out our full festival lineup!

With live music, a pop-up sauna village, outdoor adventures, dining experiences, and more, there’s something for everyone at this year’s Great Northern Festival.