Many local venues offer entertaiment during winter

    More stories from Maya Aflakpi

    There are so many unique outdoor activities to do and places to go in the winter. Minnesota always seems to have a long winter so students might as well do fun activities all winter long.

    Unique winter activities such as sledding, ice skating and looking at Christmas lights are all over Minnesota. There is so much to do in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Edina and Stillwater. Students can go outside to see the beauty of winter, white snow on the trees, bluffs and historic buildings. Winter is a time of peace, comfort, and a whole lot of fun.

    Almost every year I have gone to Holidazzle Village in Minneapolis and it is one of the most fun experiences. It is also a great place to take pictures.

    — Hanna Anderson

    In Eden Prairie some Stillwater students like to go to Ice Castles. Ice Castles are the must see winter wonderland where fairy tales are brought to life with twinkling lights, magnificent archways and towers, ice-carved tunnels, fountains and slides ready to be explored. In the day time this frozen castle glimmers with glacial blues and after dark the ice formations create a magical glow. This activity is fun for the whole family. Ice Castles, which previously was built in Eden Prairie and at the Mall of America, plans to build the attraction in Lowell Park that will be open from late December to March 2017.

    “Last winter I went to Ice Castles with my family and it was really cool and my family really enjoyed it too. Ice Castles is this amazing shimmering ice creation. It makes me enjoy winter a lot more,” junior Simone Youssef said.

    Snow tubing is always something fun to do with family and friends. On winter days, nothing sounds more fun than the thrill of sledding or tubing down a steep hill. This is classic Minnesota fun. Green Acres in Lake Elmo is such a fun place to sled.

    “I love to sled! It never gets old to me, sledding is one of the reasons why I love winter so much. After my friends and I are done sledding we will always have hot chocolate,” sophomore Tori Lee said.

    In Minneapolis they have Holidazzle Village and Holiday Market. Beyond the shopping, you’ll find even more holiday cheer on Nicollet Mall.

    According to minneapolis.org, “This year, Minneapolis is bringing a new twist to the seasonal spirit with Holidazzle Village and Holiday Market. The Village and Market will run from Nov. 28 through  Dec. 24, and feature ice skating, dog sledding, fireworks and more. This event will also offer local and international food. Don’t miss the ultimate holiday celebration that is great for family and friends”.

    “Almost every year I have gone to Holidazzle Village in Minneapolis and it is one of the most fun experiences. It is also a great place to take pictures,” senior Hanna Anderson said.

    Redbullcrashedice.com said, ” For the past five winters, Saint Paul has hosted the ice cross downhill competition, with huge crowds of more than 100,000 people all together next to the Cathedral of Saint Paul to watch the high speed action that shows skaters competing in four man heats in a race to the bottom of a long ice track filled with obstacles. The sport appeals to most students. It is a physically challenging, rough, tough sport coupled with high speed action and agility. In 2016, local man Cameron Naasz pushed the boundaries of the sport and claimed the overall championship on his home turf. The first American to ever win the championship. The Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship will return to Saint Paul February 3-4, 2017 for its sixth straight year”.

    “I went to one of the Crashed Ice events and it was one of the most exciting things I have ever been to. The crowd was cheering and it was so fun. I will never forget that night and how cool it was. I will definitely be going again,” junior Sadik Ibrahim said.