Lake Harriet Winter Kite Festival

On Saturday, January 24, 2026, from noon to 4 PM, the Lake Harriet Winter Kite Festival returns to the frozen surface of Lake Harriet in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The event is free, all-ages, and has no ticketing requirements, making it one of the most genuinely open community winter gatherings on the Minneapolis lakes calendar. Kites of every scale and configuration fill the sky above the frozen lake surface throughout the four-hour window, and participants are encouraged to bring their own kites alongside watching the display from the ice. The setting is Lake Harriet itself, a 346-acre lake in the city’s southwest that freezes reliably each winter and is surrounded by the maintained parkland of the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes regional park system.

What the Day Involves

Programming throughout the event includes live music, a dedicated kids’ DJ set, yard games across the ice, guided nature hikes from the lake’s edge into the surrounding parkland, and a s’mores station that serves as the natural gathering point for families with young children. The Lake Harriet Bandshell and surrounding park paths remain accessible throughout winter and provide a sheltered context for attendees who want to warm up away from the open ice surface between kite sessions. The event’s free and spontaneous character suits families who prefer low-commitment outdoor programming to structured ticketed events: arrive at any point during the four-hour window, stay as long as the wind and temperature suit you, and leave when the children reach their threshold.

If You’re Going With Kids: Pack warmly and add an extra layer for the ice. January temperatures in Minneapolis average daily highs near minus 8 degrees Celsius, and wind off an open frozen lake amplifies that considerably. Waterproof outer layers, insulated boots, hand warmers, and a wool or synthetic base layer are minimum requirements. The s’mores station will be the most popular spot on the ice for children aged 4 through 10. For older children who have their own kites, the open ice surface of Lake Harriet offers the most unobstructed kite-flying conditions available within city limits.

Lake Harriet in the Chain of Lakes Context

Lake Harriet connects to Lake Calhoun (now officially Bde Maka Ska) by a short channel and sits at the southern end of the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes, a park system that links five major lakes by a continuous pathway and trail network used year-round by Minneapolis residents. The Lake Harriet Streetcar Line, a restored historic trolley that operates seasonally along the lake’s east shore, is not running in January, but the restored trolley barn at the lake’s north end provides a notable landmark for families walking the perimeter. For travelers visiting Minneapolis from outside the metropolitan area who want to stay near the lake environment, Lake.com lists a vacation rental at Lake Harriet that places guests within immediate walking distance of the festival grounds and the surrounding Chain of Lakes parkway.