Host a workshop at The Great Northern Winter Festival

We’re inviting educators, artists, makers, nonprofits, community groups, outdoor leaders, and local businesses to propose interactive events, workshops, demonstrations, and hands-on activities for The Great Northern Winter Festival.

The theme of The Great Northern’s 10th annual festival is Winter is A Verb: Celebrating a Decade of Cold. Our audience includes seasoned winter adventurers, eco-engaged enthusiasts, downtown employees, Twin Cities residents, tourists, and more. Each year, the festival reaches 10,000–20,000 attendees.

Workshops must be at least 2 hours and no more than 6 hours in length. Longer 6-hour workshops are preferred.

Dates and times available for workshops (TBD)

Saturday, January 30th, 2027: 12–6 p.m.
Sunday, January 31st, 2027: 12–6 p.m.
Selected facilitators will be provided:

Dedicated space within the festival footprint
Marketing and promotional support
Access to an engaged audience

Examples include:

• Visible mending and textile repair
• Food waste reduction and composting demonstrations
• Winter seed sowing
• Climate career exploration and skill-building
• Guided neighborhood or business tours
• Lantern making and illuminated art projects
• Puppet making and community art activities
• And more!

Participating vendors receive the opportunity to:

• Connect directly with thousands of festival attendees throughout the weekend
• Be featured on The Great Northern’s website as an official festival participant
• Receive promotion through festival marketing and social media channels
• Explore opportunities for collaborative social media content and cross-promotion
• Reach our growing audience of more than 12,000 email subscribers
• Please note that submission does not guarantee acceptance. Workshops will be selected through a competitive review process based on alignment with The Great Northern’s core values, as well as on overall quality, feasibility, and potential for audience engagement.

Final scheduling and location details will be confirmed in Fall 2026. Material fees are not provided.