The Great Northern

The Great Northern is a multi-day winter festival embracing cold weather as a cultural asset, blending art, outdoor gathering, and regional tradition into experiences that turn winter into a season of creativity and connection. With programming across Minneapolis, the festival reframes winter as a season of innovation, sustainability, and collective gathering.

Dates: January 28 – February 1, 2026
Tickets: Required, prices vary

Art Shanty Projects

One of Minneapolis’ most beloved and unconventional winter traditions, brought to life to represent Minnesota’s lake culture by blending contemporary art with the city’s long relationship to frozen lakes and outdoor gathering. Inspired loosely by ice fishing shanties, artists construct temporary structures directly on the frozen surface of Lake Harriet, transforming them into pop-up galleries, performance spaces, sound installations, and interactive experiences. The festival echoes Indigenous and Nordic relationships to winter landscapes as places of gathering rather than isolation.

Visitors wander between shanties on foot, encountering performances, storytelling, music, and participatory art that changes year to year.

Dates: January–February 2026
Tickets: Free (donations encouraged)

Saint Paul Winter Carnival

Founded in 1886, the Saint Paul Winter Carnival is one of the oldest winter festivals in the United States and a cornerstone of Twin Cities seasonal culture. Created to combat negative perceptions of harsh northern winters, the Carnival celebrates cold weather through ice carving competitions, parades, community events, and folklore centered around the mythical King Boreas, ruler of the North Wind. It’s roots reflect Nordic and European winter traditions, turning winter into a point of celebration rather than survival.

Dates: January 22 – February 1, 2026
Tickets: Required, prices vary

Rise & Remember

Following the 2020 murder of George Perry Floyd, Rise & Remember is a community-led, healing-centered commemoration honoring the lives lost to systemic racism. Hosted at George Floyd Square, the weekend-long gathering features art installations, live music, dance, reflection spaces, and community vendors. Organized by the Floyd family alongside grassroots organizations, the event creates space for remembrance, collective healing, and continued reflection on Minneapolis’ role in the ongoing struggle for racial justice.

Dates: May 23-25, 2026
Tickets: Free

Twin Cities Pride Festival

Now in its 54th year, the Twin Cities Pride Festival is Minnesota’s second-largest festival and the largest free Pride celebration in the state. Held in Loring Park, the multi-day event centers LGBTQIA2S+ joy, visibility, and resistance through three entertainment stages, hundreds of vendors, and dedicated community spaces that uplift queer and trans voices across the Twin Cities.
Attendees can expect live music, performances, community resources, and over 650 vendors, many of them LGBTQIA2S+-, BIPOC-, and BIPOC LGBTQ-owned, clearly identified throughout the park to help visitors intentionally support diverse businesses and organizations. The weekend also includes a Youth Night, offering a safe and affirming space for younger community members.

Dates: June 26–28, 2026
Tickets: Free to attend; registration required (opens January 15, 2026)

Minneapolis People’s Pride

Minneapolis People’s Pride offers an alternative Pride celebration rooted in divestment from corporations and policing, and a deep commitment to the safety, care, and joy of queer people in Minneapolis. Designed as a community-centered gathering, the event creates space for queer folks to rest, connect, eat together, trade art, and celebrate outside of commercialized Pride frameworks.

Dates: Late June (during Pride weekend)
Tickets: Free

Somali Day Festival

For over a decade, the days leading up to Somali Independence Day have been marked in Minneapolis by the Somali Day Festival, a vibrant celebration of Somali heritage, resilience, and community pride. Hosted in the heart of one of the largest Somali populations in the United States, the free, family-friendly festival showcases traditional music and dance, fashion, food, and youth performances. The event serves as both a cultural celebration and a gathering space that affirms the visibility and contributions of Somali Minnesotans.

Dates: Late June-Early July
Tickets: Free

MinnesoThai Street Food Festival

Presented by Wat Promwachirayan, the MinnesoThai Street Food Festival is a joyful, two-day celebration of the Thai and Southeast Asian communities who have made Minnesota home. Centered around authentic Thai street food, the festival brings together culture, creativity, and community through live music, traditional and contemporary performances, art and souvenir vendors, and interactive activities like a papaya eating contest.
Beyond the food, MinnesoThai embraces a playful, modern energy with fire dancing, a drag show, and a beer and wine garden featuring local brews, making it welcoming for both longtime community members and first-time visitors. The event is family-friendly, offers ample free parking, and makes food available to-go, inviting attendees to experience Southeast Asian culture in a relaxed, accessible setting.

Dates: two-day event, typically June or July
Tickets: Free

Carifest

Carifest is celebrating their 32nd anniversary this year. A celebration of Caribbean culture, highlighting music, dance, food, and fashion from across the Caribbean diaspora. Featuring live performances, traditional attire, and community vendors, the festival reflects the growing presence and cultural influence of Caribbean communities in the Twin Cities.

Dates: July 25, 2026
Tickets: Required

Black State Fair

Founded by sisters Destinee and Keandrea Shelby, the Black Entrepreneur State Fair was created as a transformative platform to celebrate, empower, and uplift Black-owned businesses in Minnesota. Born out of the aftermath of the 2020 murder of George Floyd, the fair emerged from direct community action.

Recognizing the systemic barriers Black entrepreneurs face, the fair brings together hundreds of Black-owned brands, creatives, and community organizations in one space designed to foster economic opportunity, connection, and healing. The event blends commerce with culture, featuring vendors, music, food, and programming rooted in collective rebuilding and long-term economic empowerment.

Dates: August
Tickets: Required

The Cedar Cultural Center’s Global Roots Festival

Global Roots Festival is an annual celebration of global music traditions, spotlighting artists from across Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and the global diaspora. Hosted by The Cedar Cultural Center, the festival reflects Minneapolis’ deep immigrant roots, particularly in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, and highlights how music functions as a living expression of culture, resistance, and connection.

Dates: September
Tickets: Required

Minneapolis Greek Festival

A longtime tradition celebrates Greek culture through music, dancing, food and hospitality. The 3-day festival offers traditional dishes, dance lessons, cooking demos, folk performances, and tours of the stunning St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church, offering a warm introduction to Greek heritage and community life in Minneapolis.

Dates: September 11-13, 2026
Tickets: Free

Ukrainian Festival of Minnesota

The Ukrainian Festival celebrates Ukrainian heritage through traditional food, music, dance, and cultural demonstrations. In recent years, the festival has taken on added significance as a space for solidarity, cultural preservation, and community support. Highlights include a weekend long beer garden, Ukrainian street food, a pierogi eating contest, performances by Cheremosh Ukrainian Dance Ensemble and a donation drive to shop medical supplies to Ukraine.

Dates: September 18-19, 2026
Tickets: Free

Arab Film Festival

Hosted by MSP Film, the Arab Film Festival takes place in various theaters and studios throughout the Twin Cities. The festival offers a powerful platform for storytelling throughout the diaspora, spotlighting global narratives through independent cinema. It serves as a weekend long celebration of language, memory, migration, and identity.

Date: September
Tickets: Required, price varies

Twin Cities Oktoberfest

Twin Cities Oktoberfest is entering its 16th year of celebration, and has been ranked #4 in the U.S. by Tasting Table. Oktoberfest reflects the city’s German and Central European roots and features a line up of local beers, live music, and traditional fare. Don’t miss out on a giant pretzel! Be sure to check out more Oktoberfest celebrations happening around Minneapolis' local breweries and restaurants.

Dates: September–October
Tickets: Free

Owámni: Falling Water Festival

Owámni is the Dakota name for the area now known as St. Anthony Falls, meaning “whirling” or “falling water” in the Dakota language. The name reflects the site’s Indigenous significance along the Mississippi River, a place of gathering, sustenance, and spiritual importance long before Minneapolis was established.

This free, family-friendly festival celebrates Indigenous Minnesota culture through music, art, food, and hands-on activities. Co-presented by the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board and the St. Anthony Falls Heritage Board, the event centers Native voices while inviting the broader community to engage with the land’s original stories and ongoing cultural presence. Set against the river and historic ruins, Owámni offers a powerful reminder that Minneapolis’ cultural landscape is inseparable from its Indigenous roots.

Dates: October
Tickets: Free

Indigenous Peoples Day Powwow

Held in recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day, the Indigenous Peoples Day Powwow honors Native nations, cultures, and sovereignty through a gathering rooted in tradition, community, and celebration. Hosted by the Minneapolis American Indian Center, the powwow brings together dancers, drummers, elders, and families for a day of cultural exchange and remembrance. Attendees can expect a grand entry, drum groups, traditional and contemporary dance styles, community vendors, and a shared feast - creating space for both celebration and education.

Dates: October 13
Tickets: Free

Día de los Muertos

Día de los Muertos at Midtown Global Market honors the Mexican tradition of remembering loved ones through altars, music, food, and art. Community-built ofrendas line the market, while performances, crafts, and traditional foods invite visitors to engage with the cultural meaning behind the holiday. The celebration reflects Lake Street’s role as a cultural corridor for Latinx communities in Minneapolis.

Dates: Late October–early November
Tickets: Free

Cine Latino Film Festival

Returning for its 13th year, the Cine Latino Film Festival celebrates Latin American, U.S. Latino, and Ibero cinema through five days of Spanish- and Portuguese-language films, special guests, performances, and community gatherings. Held at The Main Cinema, the festival highlights the richness of storytelling across Latinx communities - honoring place, culture, memory, and contemporary life through the power of film.

In addition to screenings, attendees can expect filmmaker talks, fiestas, food trucks, and nightly events that transform the festival into a cultural exchange as much as a cinematic one. Produced by the MSP Film Society, Cine Latino has become a fall staple for audiences eager to engage global perspectives and locally rooted stories alike.

Dates: October 8–12
Tickets: Required

NE/X Festival

NE/X is a week-long gathering of Indigenous artists working across movement, installation, sound, film, and ceremony, offering expansive approaches to contemporary performance rooted in Indigenous worldviews.

Produced by SAROS field/works, NE/X transforms the Northrup King Building into a multi-gallery site for performance and reflection. The festival centers body, land, and imagination, creating space for Indigenous artists and audiences to gather, witness, and reimagine what performance can be.

Dates: November
Tickets: Free / donation-based (registration required)