WINTER PLAY DAY
Explore, discover, learn, and embrace winter at the future River Learning Center site.
📅 Saturday, Jan 25, 10am – 2pm
📍 Crosby Farm Regional Park (Pavilion / South Parking Lot)
(2595 Crosby Farm Rd, Saint Paul)
🎟️ Free and open to the public. No ticket is required.
Soak up the beauty of winter at the first annual Winter Play Day! Join us on Saturday, January 25, at Crosby Farm Regional Park for a day filled with family-friendly outdoor winter activities like fat tire biking, guided hikes, outdoor photography, a winter sound garden, birding, s’mores, special appearance by Smokey Bear, and more. Representatives from local organizations will be there to provide equipment, guide activities, and share tips.
The event is open house-style and runs from 10am to 2pm. Come and go as you please, and stay as long as you like! Birding, photography, and naturalist-led hikes will start at specific times – see the list below for details.
Activities:
❄️ Guided hikes with the National Park Service (11:15am and 12:45pm – 1hr)
❄️ Outdoor photography sessions with the National Park Service (10:15am and 12:15pm – 1.5 hrs)
❄️ Birding with Urban Bird Collective (10:45am and 11:45am – 45 min)
❄️ Winter Sound Garden hosted by Wavelets Creative (11am – 2pm)
❄️ Fat Tire Biking with Melanin in Motion
❄️ S’mores along the Mississippi River
❄️ Special appearance by Smokey Bear and the USDA Forest Service
❄️ Traditional winter activities with Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi
❄️ Learn about the River Learning Center from the design team
❄️ Explore incredible outdoor adventure trips with Wilderness Inquiry
*The event will take place with or without snow. Available activities will depend on weather, snow, and ice conditions.
This new Winter Carnival event is hosted by Great River Passage Conservancy, City of Saint Paul, USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, and Mississippi Park Connection, in partnership with local outdoor recreation partners.
Parking/Transportation: Free parking is available in the South Parking lot (limited), Watergate Marina lot, and along one side of Crosby Farm Road. Paid parking is available in the Shepard Airport Parking Lot. Or take bus 54 to 7th St W and Maynard (+.9 mile walk) or 87 to Davern St & Norfolk Ave / Shepard Rd. (.5 mile walk)
Weather: The event will take place regardless of weather. The event is entirely outdoors, and a few fire pits will be available for warmth.
Questions? Reach us at [email protected].
Interested in helping out at the event? Volunteers are needed to support the event. Shifts are two hours – allowing plenty of time to enjoy the event before or after a shift. No special skills are required. Register with Mississippi Park Connection.
About Crosby Farm and the Mississippi River Learning Center
Crosby Farm Regional Park in Saint Paul will soon become home to the Mississippi River Learning Center — a national hub for Mississippi River-focused recreation, education, and environmental stewardship. The first annual Winter Play Day will highlight the site’s potential, showcase seasonal activities for the future, and create an inviting space for everyone to enjoy.
