Celebrate Black History with the Parks
There's a number of great programs scheduled to celebrate Black History Month. Read on for upcoming events!
Black to Nature: Joy to the NATURAL World
Black to Nature events are curated by artists Amoke Kubat, Phyllis Chatham, Beverly Cottman and Jayanthi Rajasa, based on their vision for Black people establishing healthy relationships with natural environments.
Sunday, February 26, 4 to 6pm
FREE family fun with Northside artists and Minneapolis park naturalists
Join us and our Loppet Foundation partners, indoors and outside, at the Trailhead in Theodore Wirth Regional Park!
- Go sledding and tubing
- Listen to African and African-American cultural stories and songs about mysteries of the natural world and its nighttime creatures
- Get creative with Northside artists: Owl art, HeArt & Soul Cards, balloon twisting and more
- Hoo-hoo-hooray for owls! Learn about night hunting and winter nesting, dissect an owl pellet, get neighborhood owl-watching tips
All ages, FREE, no registration required.
Black History Cooking and History of Food
Pershing Park
Thursday, Feb. 16
Ages 13-19 | 5 – 7pm
More information
Minnesota Black Baseball
Wednesday, Feb. 22
Powderhorn Park | 7 – 8pm | FREE | All ages
Frank White, author of “They Played for the Love of the Game” will cover the history of Minnesota black baseball players by sharing stories and photos passed through generations. The stories tell of denial, hardship and segregation, yet highlight those who persevered and were united by their love of the sport.
Black History Month Celebration
Friday, Feb. 24
North Commons Park | 4:30 – 7pm | FREE | All ages
Celebrate Black History Month in style as The Link and North Commons Park join forces to bring you an unforgettable event! Enjoy delicious food, non-stop entertainment and special activities. Prepare to be mesmerized by the talents of local artists who will take the stage and showcase their abilities. There will be an exciting raffle prize that you will want to take advantage of!
Black History Month Celebration
Harrison Park
Thursday, Feb. 23
Ages 5-12 | 6:30 – 8:30pm
Activities include arts and crafts, cookie making, treats to go and much more.
BHM: Making History
East Phillips Park
Tuesdays and Thursdays in February
Ages 10-17 | 6- 7:30pm
Bring your friends to play chess, create poetry, complete science projects, practice dance moves, and enjoy music and culinary cuisine inspired by Black history.
More information
Minnesota African American History Museum
Friday, Feb. 17
Ages 13-19 | 3:30 – 5pm
Transportation begins and ends at Bottineau Park
More information
Tuesday, Feb. 21
Ages 10-17| 1 – 4:30pm
Transportation begins and ends at Powderhorn Park
More information
Youth Summer Program Registration
Opens Wednesday
Registration for all summer youth programs opens next Wednesday, February 22, 2023 at 12 pm! If you know a child or teen looking for fun, interesting, and productive summer activities, we have something for them.
We offer hundreds of summer camps, sports leagues, art, music or theater classes, outdoor adventures, gardening, gaming, biking, skateboarding and more!
Some activities fill fast, so get ready by going to our online registration page: https://apm.activecommunities.com/minneapolisparks/home and making sure you have an ActiveNet account. It's free to sign up.
At that registration page, you can start browsing opportunities by searching keywords or using the filters to search by age, location, or category. Add activities to your Wish List to easily find them when registration opens!
If you don't like registering online, you can also sign up for activities at any recreation center. Just walk in and ask the front desk staff for assistance or call the number listed on your local recreation center page. Our recreation center directory is here: https://www.minneapolisparks.org/parks-destinations/recreation_centers_program_facilities/
Ice Rink Status & Lake Ice Conditions + Winter Operations
All ice rinks built on land are open for use until February 25th, weather permitting. Check rink status
here.
Lake ice is never 100% safe. Please familiarize yourself with
ice safety before venturing out on the lakes.
All outdoor ice rinks at Minneapolis Parks are free to use, open to the public and lit until at least 9 pm.
Every park with a rink has a warming room with an assortment of free loaner skates to borrow. Warming room hours are Monday-Friday 5-9 pm, Saturdays and School Release Days 12-9 pm, Sundays 1-5 pm.
Seasonal shared trail signage is up, please yield to pedestrians. Lakeside trails are not cleared or treated with de-icing materials to protect water quality. Please use caution if you choose to use these uncleared trails as conditions can be very icy. Using a cleared trail and notice it has areas in need of attention? You can report those needs
here.
Bringing your pets along on your park outing? Please follow park ordinances and keep them leashed when outside of designated
off leash dog park areas and yes, this
includes the lakes.
Cross Country skiiers,
trail conditions and
ski passes are available through our winter recreation partner, The Loppet Foundation.