The Great Northern Winter Festival 2026 Tickets

The Climate Solutions Series brings our community together to face the realities of the climate crisis and to image real-world solutions for a more equitable and sustainable future. The Climate Pass – AM Sessions provides guaranteed seating for all morning sessions and all-day access to the Climate Action Fair. The Climate Solutions Series will be taking place at the Main Cinema, Saturday, Jan 31. AM Sessions include: *The Great Progression: AI & Clean Energy with Peter Leyden *How to Survive the End of the World with adrienne maree brown & Autumn Brown *Water, Land, & Relatives: Land Reclamation, Conservation, and Climate *Climate Action Fair Holders of a Climate AM Pass are guaranteed entry to all AM sessions; seating is general admission and not assigned.

The Climate Solutions Series brings our community together to face the realities of the climate crisis and to image real-world solutions for a more equitable and sustainable future. The Climate Pass – PM Sessions provides guaranteed seating for all afternoon sessions and all-day access to the Climate Action Fair. The Climate Solutions Series will be taking place at the Main Cinema, Saturday, Jan 31. Sessions include: *Insights on Midwest Decarbonization: Spark Talks *The Nature of Northern Adventure *What if We Got it Right, Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson *Climate Action Fair Holders of a Climate PM Pass are guaranteed entry to all PM sessions; seating is general admission and not assigned.

Join us on our festival grounds Saturday and explore indoor and outdoor music stages, hands-on winter activities, workshops, vendor villages, chef demos, and more! Includes: *Access to all live music performances on the Warming Grounds Stage and Aster Café Stage *Entry to Vendor Villages, including the art market and vintage market *General admission access to all Climate Solutions Series sessions *Workshops led by featured artists and community partners *1 drink ticket

This Sauna + Saturday All Access Pass gives any guest premium access to the festival on Saturday, Jan 31 This pass includes: *Access to all live music performances on the Warming Grounds Stage and Aster Café Stage *Entry to Vendor Villages, including the art market and vintage market *General admission access to all Climate Solutions Series sessions *Workshops led by featured artists and community partners *1 Sauna Village ticket (Open Steam Session) * VIP Lounge access at Cabana Club *1 drink ticket This pass includes 1 ticket for The Great Northern Sauna Village, redeemable Jan 28th-Feb 1. Purchase by January 15 to reserve your sauna session in advance. Those who purchase after January 15 can pick up a Sauna Village voucher on the festival grounds. Sessions will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Celebrate in style while supporting the festival you love! Enjoy 2 drink tickets, 2 Sauna Village tickets, festival merch, and an annual membership to our organization — plus VIP Lounge Access at Cabana Club. Includes: *Festival ground access Sat + Sun *VIP Lounge access at Cabana Club *Priority seating at The Climate Solutions Series *2 Sauna Village Tickets (Open Steam Sessions) *Festival tote *1 Year membership - The Great Northern

Enjoy a full day of family fun on the festival grounds! Explore the Youth Innovation Lab, try snowshoeing, get creative with puppet-making and art workshops, enjoy family-friendly music, and browse our Winter Farmers Market. While Family Day is free and open to our community, we do ask that you please RSVP for everyone in your party by adding a separate ticket for each expected guest. Your RSVP helps ensure that we provide you with the best possible experience. All Sunday activities are included with your pass, access to The Great Northern Sauna Village and the Climate Film Series require separate tickets.

The Great Northern invites you to join beloved cookbook author and food writer Beth Dooley for a specially curated night of food and music at Aster House. A special prix-fixe dinner menu — curated in collaboration with Beth Dooley and Chef Josh Jones —will showcase the best of our region’s winter harvest, thoughtfully sourced through The Good Acre. As the meal unfolds, immerse yourself in a special live performance by MMYYKK, who will be joined on stage by renowned trumpet player Omar Abdulkarim. A visionary multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and producer based in Minneapolis, MMYYKK’s lush, soulful performance is a perfect pairing for this winter meal. Come for the food, stay for the music, and leave with your spirit nourished.

Following the day-to-day lives of two Minnesota farmers, this original documentary short offers an intimate look at small-scale agriculture in the Upper Midwest. The film invites viewers to witness the challenges and achievements of those growing food close to home. Rooted: Stories from Minnesota’s Farming Future is a love letter to land stewardship and climate resilience, reminding us that local solutions can help us respond to global crises, and in doing so, model a better food future for all. The film will be followed by a conversation with Director Liz Tracy.

Join us for a special screening of Tracing Sacred Steps. Tracing Sacred Steps is an experimental on-ice performance film inspired by Ring Shout, honoring its spiritual and cultural legacy while exploring pathways to release, restoration, and resilience in sacred Black spaces. This special screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring featured skaters and performers Joey Millet and Thomasina Petrus, and moderated by Sandra Richardson. Entry to this screening requires a separate, paid ticket. A festival pass is not required to attend this film. However, festival passholders must also purchase a separate ticket for entry — festival passes do not include admission to this event.

Join The Great Northern and Trust for Public Land for a special showing of the documentary short Harvest. Firearms always made this middle-aged Black woman nervous. She never imagined herself game hunting, let alone in the backwoods of Minnesota. In fact, the remote forests of Minnesota felt like the least safe place for her. But when she was invited to participate in a mentored hunting trip focused on diversifying and changing the narrative about the hunting community, her spirit told her to go. Confronted with internal conflict and questioning her motives, she embraced the experience and shared the journey. Harvest is a beautifully filmed documentary that walks viewers through the weekend transformation from reluctance to celebration and growth. This special screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Nick Bancks, Keng Yang, and Ronda Lee Chapman Entry to this screening requires a separate, paid ticket. A festival pass is not required to attend this film. However, festival passholders must also purchase a separate ticket for entry — festival passes do not include admission to this event.

Join us for a special screening of A Life Illuminated at The Main Cinema. Marine biologist Dr. Edie Widder has spent a lifetime exploring the ocean depths, which contain endless secrets. She made headlines for devising the camera system that captured the first footage of a giant squid in its natural habitat. But her greatest passion is studying the occurrence of bioluminescence — the awe-inspiring phenomenon of underwater organisms that produce their own light. Filmmaker Tasha Van Zandt tells that backstory while following Widder on a contemporary expedition that she hopes can be a breakthrough for bioluminescence research. She teams with OceanX to use the latest technology of submersible vessels with the goal of capturing bioluminescence on camera like it’s never been documented before. Entry to this screening requires a separate, paid ticket. A festival pass is not required to attend this film. However, festival passholders must also purchase a separate ticket for entry — festival passes do not include admission to this event.

Join us for a special screening of Bring Them Home at The Main Cinema. A hundred and fifty years ago, the Blackfoot people witnessed the near-extinction of bison, one of the most important links to their identity, culture and spirituality – an act that nearly destroyed the tribe. Since then, the Blackfoot have endured a century long campaign of oppression and persecution from the United States government – a brutal and violent experience that they are only now healing from. Bring Them Home follows a small group of Blackfoot who are working to right these historic wrongs by returning wild bison to their lands – an act that would heal people, re-enliven traditional culture and bring economic opportunity to their community. Entry to this screening requires a separate, paid ticket. A festival pass is not required to attend this film. However, festival passholders must also purchase a separate ticket for entry — festival passes do not include admission to this event.

Join us for a special screening of Future Council at The Main Cinema during The Great Northern's Family Day. Millions of children around the world are frustrated by the dire lack of action to protect the planet and their future. Until now, their only avenue to express these concerns has been protesting on the streets. Director Damon Gameau (2040, THAT SUGAR FILM) invites eight children on an epic adventure across Europe in a school bus powered by biofuel. Their mission is to better understand the planet’s predicament, explore solutions and, most importantly, take the conversation from the streets, into the boardrooms of some of the world’s largest polluters and influential companies. This inspiring and rollicking journey results in the children forming a ‘Future Council’ to advise and influence the world’s most powerful companies on their decisions that impact nature. It is a coming-of-age journey that dares to imagine a brighter future.

Join us for a special screening of Lowland Kids at The Main Cinema during The Great Northern's Family Day. LOWLAND KIDS follows the story of the last two teenagers living on the once thriving Isle de Jean Charles, LA, their strikingly beautiful ancestral home that is now being swallowed by the sea. Surrounded by lush, crumbling landscapes, Howard & Juliette along with their Uncle Chris, navigate the emotional journey of growing up in a place that is soon to be lost forever. Entry to this screening requires a separate, paid ticket. A festival pass is not required to attend this film. However, festival passholders must also purchase a separate ticket for entry — festival passes do not include admission to this event.

Doors open at 3:15 P.M. | Performance at 3:30 P.M. | Skate Party at 4:00 P.M. Join Brownbody for an afternoon of powerful artistry and skating at the beautiful TRIA Rink in downtown St. Paul. Rooted in liberating Black artistry, Brownbody’s work radiates richness, nuance, complexity, and healing. Audiences are invited to witness and reflect on a unique blend of dance, theater, and figure skating. This performance will feature a solo and a duet by Brownbody’s apprentices, showcasing their growing voices through movement. Building on these voices, Brownbody will then share an excerpt from its evening‑length work, Tracing Sacred Steps. Performed by our professional skating movement artists, this excerpt comes from the third section, Sanctuary, a space of liberation, resilience, reverence, and affirmation where Black artistry on ice becomes both healing and transformative. Immediately following the performance, we invite you to join Brownbody and The Great Northern for a Skate Party at Tria Rink! Skate Party Information: Lace up your skates and get ready for fun, music, and games on the Ice! Brownbody's talented team of instructors will be on hand to offer mini-lessons and skating tips for everyone - first timers and experienced skaters alike! What to know: • Open to all ages and skill levels — everyone is welcome! • Helmets are required for all skaters (bring your own or borrow one of ours). • Free skate rentals will be available Sponsored by Mairs and Power and Securian Financial

Kick off The Great Northern 2026 with an electrifying outdoor dance party at The Warming Grounds at Father Hennepin Bluff Park. Groove to the beats of DJ Sophia Eris and DJ RUCA, while experiencing dynamic dance performances choreographed by Hothouse, a premier dance studio in Minneapolis known for its inclusive and expressive movement culture. Enjoy food trucks, warming stations, and a vibrant community atmosphere. This event is free and open to all.

Light up the night on a Glow Roll! The Great Northern and Melanin in Motion invite you to join this fun, illuminated bike ride that starts and ends at the festival grounds. Bring your bike, add some lights, and roll with us through the city. This ride will be accompanied by a DJ to keep the groove going from start to finish. We invite you to deck out your bike with lights, streamers, and glow gear, some decorations available on site while supplies last.

Join us for a free community celebration kicking off Light on Lake, a four-night public art experience transforming the Midtown Global Exchange building into an outdoor gallery of light and color. Meet the artists behind the work, get a first look at their large-scale projection installations, and enjoy an evening of art, music, and community. This event is free and open to all. Your RSVP helps ensure we provide you the best possible experience.

Lace up your shoes and join us for a winter celebration! The Great Northern invites you to a Winter Fun Run on Saturday, January 31 at 9:00 AM. This event welcomes runners and walkers of all ages and abilities. The race begins and ends at The Great Northern Warming Grounds, located in Father Hennepin Bluff Park. After crossing the finish line, stick around to warm up and enjoy a lively festival atmosphere. Professional runner Nadir Yusuf and ultra-runner & coach Wendy Krause will lead the run, offering guidance and encouragement to everyone—from seasoned athletes to families and first-time participants.Don’t miss out on this fun and inclusive winter event!