Yes, Minnesota is cold. Yes, Minnesota is snowy. I think we can all agree on those two statements (especially this winter). It’s not just icicles, Siberian temps, and snow emergencies, though.
It’s hot chocolate (and hot toddies for the adults!), sledding, snowmobiling, building snowmen, ice skating, skiing, snowshoeing, playing pond hockey, ice fishing contests, warming up by cozy fireplaces, attending the always entertaining (and delicious) Minnesota Monthly Food and Wine Experience, and going to really fun winter festivals, like Polar Fest in Detroit Lakes, happening from now through February 16.
Polar Fest is a celebration of winter, organized by volunteers who think “living in northwestern Minnesota is a ball … well, a snowball!” The groundhog saw his shadow, and we may as well make the most of the remainder of winter!
Some Polar Fest events have already happened, but many are scheduled for this coming weekend. On Valentine’s Day, Zorbaz is hosting the Ice Tee Golf Tourney at 1 p.m. and then, at 7:30 p.m., guests can see “He Said, She Said: A Valentine’s Night of Comedy” at the Historic Holmes Theatre. (Sure to be a memorable Valentine’s Day activity, hosted by comedienne Karen Morgan and Pat Hazell, former Seinfeld and Tonight Show writer.)
On Saturday, February 15, there’s a full lineup of Polar Fest events, including a pancake breakfast and French toast feed, vintage snowmobile rally/swap meet, Freeze Your Buns 5K Run/Walk, Family Snow Games, youth ice fishing derby, Plunge Party at the Pavilion, 18th Annual Polar Fest Plunge, bean bag tournament, tailgating on the lake, fireworks display, and dance. The festival concludes on Sunday, February 16 with ice skating, a choir concert, a themed Italian dinner, and live music at The Lodge on Lake Detroit.
For more information about Polar Fest, visit polarfestdl.com.
*Many lodges in the Detroit Lakes area are offering discounts and deals during Polar Fest weekend, the perfect winter getaway to check out the beauty of the Detroit Lakes area.
