Get thrust into the heart of St. Paul cooking at The Great Northern’s St. Paul Chef Experience. The culinary hit of last year is getting the band back together with the return of restaurants Saint Dinette, Revival, and Corner Table, plus the addition of OCTO Fishbar. Enjoy a night of St. Paul eats next to a roaring fire on Jan. 29 in the St. Paul Farmers’ Market outdoor area. An ice bar (with beer in partnership with The Growler), ice sculptures (thanks, MN Pure & Clear Ice), outdoor games and music are par for the course in Minnesota, obviously. Tickets are $45 or $125 for VIP.

VIP tickets get you a pre-reception at Tim McKee’s Market House Collaborative (where OCTO is housed) with a raw bar, cocktails and wine. The VIP distinction also allows you to use the space as a warming house during the event.

As self-explanatory as the event title is, there’s no way to describe the feeling your taste buds will experience as they zing to life around a bite of spit-roasted swordfish in gyros courtesy of McKee and his OCTO Fishbar. McKee’s newest restaurant has hired the talents of Shane Oporto, the last chef of McKee’s famed fine dining restaurant La Belle Vie before it closed its doors. (Even though La Belle Vie closed in 2015, you’d be hard pressed to find a food columnist in the Twin Cities who still doesn’t reference La Belle Vie immediately when they’re trying to talk up a chef’s mastery.)

While we know St. Paul chefs love their sea, the side of me that loves comfort food can’t wait to see what co-owner and chef Thomas Boemer from Revival and Corner Table is bringing. After all, Revival’s fried chicken notoriety also carries over into their barbecue at Revival’s St. Paul location. In Minneapolis, Corner Table’s choose-your-own-adventure tasting menu approach consistently lets creativity flow through their self-described “Low Country cuisine and French techniques.”

As for Saint Dinette, it’s a little harder to guess what they might dish up. Whatever it is, it’ll be made over the fire like the rest of the dishes and probably served savory. The Lowertown restaurant has an eclectic menu bound together by the flow of the water, all the way from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Still, with Tim Niver as the owner and—yes, more La Belle Vie alum—Laurel Elm (general manager) and Adam Eaton (executive chef), the restaurant has made its mark in the past two-plus years.

Similar to last year’s St. Paul Chef Experience, Nick Rancone (Revival/Corner Table co-owner), Elm (the multi-talented wonder woman she is) and Erik Eastman (co-owner of the cocktail consulting company Easy & Company) are on drinks for the night, so pick and choose them a la carte to suit your fancy, stewed or chilled.

If you’re looking for last year’s menu as a hint to what this year will bring, you’ll be hard-pressed to find it. Guess that means you’ll have to find out yourself.

Do you want to build a snowman?

The question, made famous by the Disney movie “Frozen,” is a very real possibility in the state of Minnesota. Building snowmen, an activity dating back to medieval times, costs very little—after all, you really only need one ingredient: snow. We get a lot of snow here in Minnesota, totaling about 36 inches—that’s 3 feet—in the southwest to a mind-boggling 70 inches—the average height of a man—up along the Lake Superior “snow belt.” With this much snowman-making material, the activity has grown well beyond the simple stacking of giant snowballs with a carrot for the nose. The result? A full-fledged snow sculpting competition.

You can witness the Minnesota State Snow Sculpting Competition right here in the Twin Cities. A proud tradition since 1987, the competition is coming up Jan. 26-Jan. 28 at the Vulcan Snow Park, located on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds as part of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival. At this three-day competition, three-member teams from all over the state have the opportunity to turn gigantic blocks of compacted snow—8’x8’x8’ to be exact—into works of art. They use only hand tools: shovels, hatchets, saws and other similar supplies. Spectators are welcome to watch the creation of these intricate snow masterpieces for free throughout the competition as well as attend the award ceremony on the final day. The winning team receives a trophy and $1,000, along with the honor of representing Minnesota at the U.S. National Snow Sculpting Competition in Wisconsin.

Don’t worry if you can’t make it to the competition. All of the sculptures remain on display through the end of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, Feb. 11, and at night, the sculptures are lit up after dark to make sure you can see every detail. You can admire other sculptures on display, too, such as exhibition sculptures done by professional artists, Amateur Snow Sculpting Contest entries (which are created all in one day on Feb. 3) and sculptures constructed by students from the Metro Deaf School.

While you’re wandering among the snow sculptures at Vulcan Snow Park, make sure to check out the tons of other creative activities. There’s a giant snow slide—measuring 16 feet high and over 300 feet long—available for $2 per ride (sled provided), as well as a children’s snow treasure hunt (Jan. 28), Barstool Ski Races (Feb. 9 and 11), Lawn Mower Races on ice (Feb. 10 and 11) and much more. Visit mnsnowpark.com for the full schedule of events at Vulcan Snow Park and further details on the snow sculpting competition.

It’s not too rare to see ice fishing huts dot our Minnesotan lakes, but with one step inside any of the 22 shanties on Lake Harriet (also known as Bde Unma), anyone can see that you’re not just dealing with bait buckets and folding chairs. Every weekend from Jan. 20-Feb. 11, the Art Shanty Projects will be bringing performances and interactive art both inside and outside the shanties.

Hear the song of the lonely whale at a frequency said to be higher than its ocean compatriots can hear and listen to its story at shanty No. 9, or put a wish into physical token form at No. 21. At The Archive, or shanty No. 3, look at real and imagined artifacts from Lake Harriet, and get some old-time bingo fun at the BINGO! Shanty, or shanty No. 4. At Why Not Knit!, shanty No. 20, the artists provide a community space to converse, tell stories, knit, crochet and more thread crafts, and art meets the highest of practicalities at The Notary Shanty where you can get your documents legally notarized and fill out a selection of pledges, contracts and resolutions as well.

Other shanties offer short performances of dance, theater, song and more, and roaming out in the open are more artists sharing their projects. Pair up with a stranger or friend and stroll along the lake while sipping tea and talking about life and energy medicine at Energetic Tea Time, or hunt down hot pink flags with a word and number to call or text to receive a written message in return from local poets and authors through the project Literary Dev(ice). Fire & Ice: A Winter Flamenco Odyssey is part street processional, part performance and part sing along featuring Deborah Elias Danza Española and the Coro Flamenco Street Choir, and make sure to give Leady Bear the Polar Bear Puppet a nose rub when you see her—she’s hard to miss.

For the past 13 years, anything goes at the Art Shanty Project, and that’s what make them so special. The shanties try to blend community, shared space, shared stories and art all in one, and while you might get some shanties more than others, you’ll definitely never find an experience like it. So bundle up and take that first step on the ice—you’ll be amazed by what you find.

Don’t listen to the skeptics. Winter in Minnesota isn’t a frozen tundra with nothing to do—quite the opposite is true. Mother Nature truly shows off during the winter months here: Snowfall blankets the landscape in pristine crystalline fashion, and night skies shine bright with starlight. Minnesotans are veritable pros at donning extra layers and getting outside to truly enjoy, indeed celebrate, nature’s beauty.

Once you are here, it is easy to see why the great outdoors are our greatest asset in the Twin Cities.

In addition to outdoor fun, we have unforgettable experiences and attractions that are unique to Minnesota and that capitalize on Mother Nature’s gifts. Have you ever slid a 40-pound granite stone down a sheet of ice? You can try your hand at the sport of curling at local clubs. How about a pick up game of broomball? Imagine hockey, but replace the sticks with brooms, the puck with a ball, and the skates with shoes. Discover these one-of-a-kind experiences you can have during your Super Bowl visit.

So embrace winter. From ice fishing to craft beer festivals, these attractions will have you wanting to come back for more next year.

Free Ice Skating

Strap on some skates—free pairs available first come, first serve—at Loring Park’s refrigerated outdoor rink half a mile from the Minneapolis Convention Center and NFL Super Bowl Experience. With no cost, daily hours and a warming house, soon you’ll be skating like the next Apolo Ohno, Michelle Kwan or, our Minnesota boy, NHL star Zach Parise. (If you find yourself over in St. Paul sometime during our Super Bowl season, there’s free skating at Landmark Center, too.)

The Great Northern

The Twin Cities’ biggest winter celebration comprises the annual U.S. Pond Hockey Championships on Lake Nokomis, the St. Paul Winter Carnival and the City of Lakes Loppet Ski Festival. See for yourself how beautiful our state is in the winter. Ice castles, snow sculpting contests, cross country skiing by candlelight and more make up more than 10 days of fun.

Beer Dabbler

Sample brews from more than 150 breweries, all chilled to perfection, at the biggest outdoor beer festival in Minnesota. Held at the State Fairgrounds Feb. 24, come and stay hearty with unlimited samples, live music and fun activities.

Minnehaha Falls

This natural wonder is a sight to behold in the winter season. The 53-foot, mighty waterfall plunges over a cliff, creating striking icicles and an icy cave.

Ice Fishing

Non-natives furrow their brows when we tell them that we like to set up small shelters on our frozen lakes, drill holes through the ice and drop fishing lines into the dark waters. Ice fishing has long been a tradition up north, and it deserves a try. The best ice fishing lakes in the metro area are Lake Harriet, Lake Phalen and Lake Minnetonka.

Curling

With its roots in medieval Scotland, curling is a strategy sport nicknamed “chess on ice.” You don’t have to be an Olympian to try your hand at the sport. Check out a curling workshop with Four Seasons Curling Club, which holds practices at The Ice House in Blaine. Wear layers and clean shoes and get ready to check an item off your bucket list.

Skijoring

It sounds like a made-up word, but it’s actually a skiing sport in which the athlete is pulled on cross-country skis by a horse. Here in Minnesota, we switched the animal to a much more common and domesticated one: dogs. See the action as a part of the City of Lakes Loppet Ski Festival.

These iconic people got their start in Minnesota. From Judy Garland to Prince, Minnesota is the homeland of many of America’s household names.

Amy Adams

The actress made her professional debut on the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres’ stage, the largest dinner theater in the country.

Bob Dylan

The iconic singer-songwriter was born in 1941 in the lakeshore town of Duluth.

Chris Pratt

The crowd-pleasing comedian in “Parks and Recreation,” star of “Jurassic World,” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” superhero was born in the iron-range city of Virginia.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Visit F. Scott Fitzgerald’s home on Summit Avenue in St. Paul.

Garrison Keillor

The previous host of Minnesota Public Radio show, “A Prairie Home Companion,” calls Minnesota home, and you can pick up one of his favorite volumes at his Common Good Books in St. Paul.

Josh Hartnett

Everyone’s favorite heartthrob from the early 2000s hails from St. Paul and lived on South Minneapolis’ Lake of the Isles for a brief stint.

Judy Garland

Somewhere over the rainbow Judy Garland was born. No, it was actually Grand Rapids in northern Minnesota.

Laura Ingalls Wilder

While the famous pioneer girl and author of Little House on the Prairie series traveled around the Midwest during her life, Walnut Grove, a small community in southern Minnesota, became the memorable setting of the popular TV show based on her books.

Prince

Shrouded in mystery and a cult-like following, Prince’s impact on Minnesota was immense. Schedule a tour at Paisley Park, Prince’s personal residence and recording facility in Chanhassen, for a glimpse into the late artist’s life.

Sinclair Lewis

The first U.S. writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature was born in Sauk Centre.