Minnesota is celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day in a variety of ways this year with plenty of free, family-friendly events to choose from.

St. Paul area

MLK Community Conference:  ‘One Dream. One Minnesota.’

This second annual conference is in partnership with the State of Minnesota and Metropolitan State University, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16, at Metropolitan State University Founders Hall, 700 E. Seventh St., St. Paul. The event includes speakers, an interactive workshop, networking, resource booths and food. Spots are limited. To register and for more information, visit mn.gov/oeoa.

39th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration: ‘One Dream. One Minnesota.’

This free, state-supported event, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday, Jan 20, is hosted at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts, 345 Washington St., St. Paul. The event features community conversations and performances by Billy Steele and Fellowship Baptist Church, Jamecia Bennett, and Known MPLS. Dr. Yohuru Williams will MC and host a fireside chat by Josie R. Johnson and Reatha Clark King. The event will also be live-streamed on TPT.org. Spots are limited. To register and for more information, visit mn.gov/oeao.

MLK Jr. Day of Service

St. Clement’s and St. John’s Episcopal Churches host a morning of service for children in kindergarten through fifth grade, 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday, Jan 20, at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church, 901 Portland Ave., St. Paul. The free event will include service projects and “engagement with racism and justice through a faith lens.” Food will be provided, as well as a caregiver’s lounge with coffee and WiFi for adults. For more information, visit saintmarysepiscopal.org.

Conceive Believe Achieve photo gallery

From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, 345 Washington St., St. Paul, local nonprofit Conceive Believe Achieve is displaying a 30-foot photo gallery display on Dr. King’s life. For more information, visit conceivebelieveachieve.org.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Morning of Service

This event is free and open to the public, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, at Two Rivers High School South Gym at 1897 Delaware Ave., Mendota Heights. Attendees will participate in multiple volunteer opportunities. Former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page will also visit the site. For more information, visit isd197.org/news/mlk-day.

Hamline’s MLK 2025 Observation

From 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21, Hamline University hosts a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration in Anderson Rooms 111 and 112, 1536 Hewitt Ave., St. Paul. Hot beverages and light food will be provided at this free event. A keynote address will be given by Hamline alum and St. Paul City Council Member Anika Bowie, as well as performances by Afro Contigbo, gospel singer Sherri Orr, and a presentation of the 2025 Beloved Community Awards. For more information, visit hamline.edu/news.

Minneapolis area

10th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday of Service: Upholding our beloved community, build comfort pies, stronger ties

Sweet Potato Comfort Pie hosts a celebratory event in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19, at the Metropolitan Ballroom and Clubroom, 5418 Wayzata Blvd., Golden Valley. The event will feature 96 sweet potato pies (representing Dr. King’s age) to be given to those determined most deserving, a vocal performance by Jamela Pettiford and GQ Unit, Saxophonist Jerome Richardson and Heart and Soul Drum Academy, led by Baba Jesse Buckner. For more information, visit sweetpotatocomfortpie.org.

44th Annual U of M Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute Concert

The free concert is hosted and curated by the University of Minnesota, 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19, at the Ted Mann Concert Hall, 2128 S. Fourth St., Minneapolis. U of M alum G. Phillip Shoultz III of VocalEssence will weave the words of Dr. King with reflections and musical performances from Kamoinge Strings of Walker West Music Academy, VocalEssence Singers Of This Age, Jornae Dance Collective led by U of M alum Suzette Jornae Gilreath, Youth Speakers mentored by Joe Davis Poetry, and more. For more information, visit diversity.umn.edu/MLKTribute.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Breakfast

The 35th annual breakfast, which host General Mills says is one of the largest in the country, will be held from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. (doors open at 7 a.m., with pre-event programming starting at 7:30 a.m.) Monday, Jan. 20, at the Minneapolis Convention Center,1301 Second Ave. S., Minneapolis. The event will feature keynote speaker Michele Norris and multiple musical and art performances. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit MLKBreakfast.com.

MLK Jr. Resale Select Treasure Hunter

At this free event, volunteers can help the Resale Select store sort through and find items to put on the shelves, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, at Interfaith and Outreach Community Partners, 1605 County Road 101 N., Plymouth. Volunteers are asked to wear comfortable shoes and clothing as they will be standing for the majority of the time. To sign up and for more information, visit handsontwincities.org.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration

The Powderhorn Park Association and Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board host this 27th annual celebration, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, at the Powderhorn Park recreation center. The free artist showcase features storytellers, visual art, performance art, art activities, lunch and giveaways. For more information, visit ppna.org/mlkcelebration.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration

The free event hosted by Minneapolis Parks and Recreation, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, at the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Recreation Center, 4055 Nicollet Ave. S, Minneapolis includes a keynote address from Dr. Betty Jo Webb. Derreck Robinson will receive the “Living the Dream Award,” which “honors someone who embodies Dr. King’s message of justice for all and commitment to community, and their actions reflect his teachings and legacy.” There will also be performances by Lyrical Youth Dance Group and songs by Nunnabove. For more information, visit minneapolisparks.org.

Unity in Colors: An MLK Commemoration

This free “drop-in” program, 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24, at the Sibley Recreation Center, 1900 E. 40th St., Minneapolis, invites people of all ages and backgrounds to contribute to creating a collective piece of art. The hope is to “embrace the spirit of unity, equality and diversity as you express your creativity through coloring pieces of art that will come together to form a stunning commemorative board dedicated to Dr. King’s vision of a harmonious and inclusive society,” according to the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board. To register online and for more information, visit minneapolisparks.org.

Originally Published: January 15, 2025 at 6:27 PM CST

An annual event featuring uniquely designed shanties — all on a frozen-over lake — starts this weekend. The Art Shanty Projects have been taking place since 2004, hosting performances and interactive experiences for attendees.  

“We’re very excited by the beautiful ice that’s out there. It’s absolutely gorgeous,” said Artistic Director Erin Lavelle.

“We are a mix of winter enthusiasts and winter curmudgeons … [we] just want to be out there with the public on this temporary floating sheet of ice.”

This year features 20 projects, from puppet melodramas to daily dance parties at noon. Last year’s event was delayed and then closed early due to warm conditions.

“We have a number of shanties who are returning this year from last year. They only had one weekend [last year]” Lavelle said.  

“Our [ice] measurement a couple of days ago was already 13 inches, and our threshold is 12 to do the program. So that’s very exciting!”

New this year is a formalized mentorship program, where returning artists have been paired with new participants. The process began by having perspective shanty builders submit things they’d like to learn to make the projects successful.

“We selected four of those applicants and paired them with four returning artists … we set it in motion with an initial conversation of what the artists want to learn and what skills can be shared. And then they’ve been off on their own, working together,” Lavelle said.

The Art Shanty Projects can be seen on Lake Harriet in Minneapolis from Jan. 18 through Feb. 9. 

An anonymous post on an unofficial Instagram page named “powderhornskatingclub” was all it took to coax nearly three dozen intrepid skaters onto the frozen lake at Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis a few days later. 

“That’s right baby. The Powderhorn Skating Championship is back!” the post said.

The origins of speed skating on Powderhorn Lake in Powderhorn Park date back to the 1930s and ‘40s when, according to the Minneapolis Parks website, a local ice track hosted national skating championships and even Olympic trials. In 1948, four of the nine skaters on the U.S. Olympic team were from the south Minneapolis neighborhood.

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Organizers said they wanted to honor Powderhorn Park’s history of speed skating and bring their neighbors out for some winter fun. On Saturday, skaters toed the starting line of the hand-shoveled track in two categories: beginner and intermediate. Heats consisted of one lap for beginners and two laps for the intermediate division.

Before the start, Powderhorn community members Orren Fen and Helena Howard passed out handmade cardboard signs for a dozen or so spectators lined up on the frozen lake.

“We saw the flyer and I was like, ‘We should grab some flags and come on down,’” said Fen.

Racers were decked out in outfits ranging from figure skating tutus and Carhartt coveralls to neon-patterned singlets straight out of 1980s workout videos. 

Mar Horns, who skated in the beginner heat, said her grandfather grew up competing on the ice at Powderhorn Park. “It’s cool hearing my grandpa talk about his time living here, then seeing people continue to have some of these really cool traditions.”

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“The real victory is being here with my friends and feeling my heart race as I skate around the ice,” said Spencer Polk, who finished first in the intermediate heat. 

In the end, unofficial winners received tiny prizes that were thrifted from a store up the street, and awards for best outfits and most helpful shovelers were handed out as well.

MPR News video producer Anne Guttridge contributed to this story.