Skiing, ice-skating, and snowboarding are all famous activities to do in the winter. But, what else is there to do? Minnesota can be really cold during the winter, (understatement of the year?) and it’s normal to think that there’s not much to do other than sit around and read books. So, for those eager to go out and explore snowy Minnesota here’s a compiled list of 5 Winter Activities to do In Minnesota.

1. Visit the Holidazzle Village

Located in Downtown Minneapolis the Holidazzle starts off on November 28th with a parade, fireworks, lights, and a whole lot of singing. Although the parade only happens, to open up the festivities, the celebration continues. Take a stroll down Nicolette Avenue with family and friends, and you will come across the Holidazzle Village. It’s free of charge, and takes place from November 28th to December 21st. We bet we’ll be “dazzled”!

2. Go to Bentleyville,”Tour of Lights”

A successful and annual event in Duluth, MN. Be ready to be really cold!! Due to the Lake Effect Duluth is always a bit chillier than the Twin Cities.

If you decide to go to Bentleyville (which we totally recommend you do), put on extra layers and be ready to have fun! It takes about an hour to go through all the tour. But, people usually take up more time to stop for hot cocoa and cookies served throughout the tour. There is also the option of getting marshmallows, which you can enjoy over a fire with some hot cider. However, don’t take our word for it! Go, and let us know what you think!

3. Snowmobiling

After doing some research on where to do this, we came up that Ely, MN was one of the best places to go snowmobiling in. The trails seem to be famous, and one of them cross over three state forests! There are several options as to how long you can decide to go. For example, the 170 mile Taconite Trail, or the 80 mile Tomahawk Trail, both of them providing amazing scenic routes. There are other several options to choose from, of course, but those two seem to be the most famous ones.

4. Skijoring and Dog Sledding

What is Skijoring you ask? Well, if you’ve ski or dog sled before, you probably already have a good idea. Basically, Skijoring is skiing while you have a dog pull on you. Almost like a mix of dog sledding and skiing, if you will. There are six different parks at which you can do this at. All of them are under the link provided by the Three Rivers Park District. All six of them have different trails, and distances you can choose from.

5. Participate in the Saint Paul Winter Carnaval

This Carnival takes on a little later in the year. Starting off on January 22nd and resuming on February 1st, the Carnival is filled with family-fun, day-to-day activities. Mostly all taking place in Rice Park, you can expect a day with up to 23 different events all going on throughout the day. So, you can pick and choose whichever you want to go to!

The story behind the St. Paul Winter Carnival stars with a New York journalist describing St.Paul as “another Siberia, unfit for human habitation” during winter. Offended by the journalist’s remark, the Saint Paul Chamber of Commerce decided to prove otherwise, thus the Saint Paul Winter Carnival.

So, dear reader that’s where we end our post. Have you done or are thinking about doing any of these activities? Let us know, and until next time!