I’m not really a winter person but I do enjoy some annual activities. The Art Shanties on Lake Harriet is one of my favorite winter reasons to put on boots – and thanks to Monica put on yak tracks too. And it’s you’re going to the Shanties, I strongly suggest you get some too.
A couple of my highlights this year? Cozy Trans Disco repurposes an old school shanty and houses a short-wave radio show on 87.9fm. Hot Box Disco Inferno is a small dancefloor with a light-up floor, deejay and dancing. There’s a Gingerbread House with a fun escape hatch. The line was too long and wind too strong to wait but it was cute from the outside.
Another star of the show – the frozen lake. With the limited snow we had early in the winter the lake is clear and lots of air bubbles and swirls to see in the underwater world.
The shanties are “open” weekends (10am to 4pm) until February 9.
The Winter Carnival Ice Sculptures are around Rice Park. They look beautiful, especially in the sun. In theory, they are available throughout the Winter Carnival (so until February 2) in practice, the forecast for Tuesday is 40 degrees. Catching the sculptures when they are melting adding a shimmer to them but sometimes you’ve got to look quick before an arm falls off.
One surprise indoor activity was the St Paul Civic Symphony playing for free at the Landmark Center. What a bonus. They have free events like this pretty regularly on Sunday afternoons.
Mostly Minnesota 