Saint Paul offers an abundance of winter activities from the Red Bull Crashed Ice Championship to the Saint Paul Winter Carnival. Don’t let a chilly Minnesota winter intimidate you; check out Saint Paul’s abundance of enjoyable activities and learn how to have fun in the cold.
Red Bull Crashed Ice Championship
This is the fifth year in a row Saint Paul will be hosting a segment of the Red Bull Crashed Ice competitive skating competition; however, this year Minnesota’s capitol will be hosting the Crashed Ice Season Finale. The competition starts in Quebec then travels to Germany and Finland before the final championship in Saint Paul. The Saint Paul course usually entails 500 meters of skating track followed by a 12 story drop in front of the Saint Paul Cathedral. This event brings more than 120,000 fans to the area and runs February 26-27, 2016.
Wells Fargo Winter Skate
This ice rink is completely free of cost and open from November 21, 2015 to February 7, 2016 at the Historic Landmark Center in downtown Saint Paul. Skates are available for rental for $4 or free with your Wells Fargo card. Cub Foods is also sponsoring a new learn to skate event held on December 5, 9, and 19 as well as January 9, 16 and 23 from 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. free of charge. Professional skaters will be available to assist with any skating inquiries you might have.
Rice Park by Excel Energy
Rice Park kicks off the holiday season with an enormous and elaborately-decorated Christmas tree as bright and tall as the famous tree in Rockefeller Center in New York City. The tree will be lit 24 hours a day and 7 days a week curtesy of 15,000 energy-efficient LED lights. The entire park will also be beautifully decorated with lights and holiday décor.
Winter Carnival
The Winter Carnival goes from January 28 to February 7 and features several fun-filled winter activities. Rice Park is the carnival headquarters, which is an excellent backdrop to show off the rich and historic culture of Minnesota’s capitol city. The Beer Dabbler Winter Carnival will also be returning in 2016 as a part of this carnival. This is Minnesota’s largest outdoor beer festival and features Craft Beer from over 120 breweries, gourmet food and live music.
