Minnesota Winter: Experiencing the Magic of Our Snow Season

Experiencing the magic of Minnesota winter is undeniably a one-of-a-kind experience. Topping the list of America’s largest urban centers for cold weather, Minneapolis and its surrounding cities are known for ice, snow and countless winter activities once the cold weather sets in.

Starting in Bloomington, a southern suburb, locals go to Highland Hills Ski Area to ride the slopes. Comprised of 11 downhill runs and two terrain parks, this retreat is perfect for skiers and snowboarders of all levels. It’s common to see young families and school groups learning for the first time. To join in the fun simply rent your gear at the base of the hill and take a chair or rope lift all the way to the top.

If you’d rather stay on the flat ground, why not check out the art shanty project in Minneapolis. Hosted on frozen Lake Harriet every year, local artists build creative structures and host activities to educate and entertain thousands of visitors. With more than 20 exhibits and over 150 artists and performers, it’s a Minnesota must-see.

1. The art shanty projects

“So, I am out here part of our pollinator icehouse shanty and that shanty is part of many shanties here called the art shanty projects and we’re here to invite folks to come out and enjoy our lovely Minnesota winter out here on the ice. Minnesota winter is amazing. We celebrate all the Four Seasons and I love painting in all four seasons because it’s just really fun to do it whether it’s cold or warm or raining it’s all good. You know to survive Minnesota best it’s to go out and make the most of it and thrive in everything that it offers.”

Being the land of 10,000 lakes Minnesotans enjoy their natural resources even when they freeze over. Another popular winter activity is ice Fishing. Heading over to Spring Park, one of the many towns on the coast of Lake Minnetonka, outdoor sports enthusiasts gather in shanties of their own in hopes of catching the big one. We spent the morning with ice fishing warriors, a local company that provides luxury huts and all the gear you need to cast your line.

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2. Winter ice fishing

“Everybody that walks in they’re just like holy smokes you know they’re amazed by the houses amazed by that happens for your outside very friendly people up there they just find it unique to be able to drive on a frozen lake look down a hole see how a holes cut and to be able to get a fish up through the hole. little bastard that we caught a little largemouth bass, so these are actually good eating during the winter.”

Speaking of ice, let’s head over to downtown Saint Paul to check out the Winter Carnival; a week-long event in a rice park filled with food, fun music and ice sculpting. Local teams compete every year to build beautiful crystal sculptures that captivate the imagination. From squirt guns to chainsaws all sorts of tools and tricks are used to carve and connect blocks into everything from motorcycles to spiders.

3. Saint Paul Winter Carnival

“This is part of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival and they have an ice carving competition both multi-block competition and an individual competition; this is part of the multi-block competition of ten blocks per team of four max. It’s actually lovely in the winter. One winter is beautiful. Come on look at that – there’s no such thing as bad weather just bad clothing so buy the appropriate clothing and get out there. There’s all kinds of festivals, fantastic people have really fun things to do.”

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