Anoka Winterfest Concludes With Citywide Glow Skate, Closing A Week Built On Connection

Anoka, MN

Friday, January 16, 2026, marks the final chapter of this year’s Anoka Winterfest, a five day, citywide celebration that turned parks, rinks, community spaces, and civic institutions into gathering places at the coldest point of the Minnesota calendar.

Launched on Monday, January 12, the 2026 Winterfest was intentionally designed to foster community connection through a blend of outdoor recreation, arts programming, and public safety engagement. Rather than anchoring the festival to a single venue, the city spread events across Anoka, emphasizing accessibility, neighborhood participation, and partnerships that reflect the city’s civic fabric.

A glowing finale across the city

The festival concludes this evening with its signature Glow Skate and Sled Night, running from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at all of Anoka’s outdoor ice rink locations. Warming houses are distributing free glow sticks, transforming neighborhood rinks into illuminated gathering spaces after sunset.

Sledding activities are centered at George Enloe Park, weather permitting, with city officials noting that snow and temperature conditions ultimately determine hill availability. As with all outdoor winter programming, residents have been encouraged to monitor official city updates for real time conditions.

A week shaped by play, art, and civic presence

Over five days, Winterfest balanced lighthearted competition with creative expression and public outreach.

The week opened with a Speed Puzzle Competition and Puzzle Exchange at Green Haven Golf and Event Center, setting a tone that blended strategy, fun, and social connection. Arts programming followed, with winter themed craft workshops led by Rumriver Art Center at the Anoka Senior Center, creating intergenerational space for creativity.

Midweek programming leaned into civic engagement and visibility. A luminary trail at Green Haven coincided with “Cocoa with the Cops” and “S’mores with the Fire Department,” events that placed local public safety staff alongside residents in informal, welcoming settings. Sports and recreation took center stage on Thursday, featuring glow disc golf at The Cedars and a “Try Hockey for Free” event hosted at Anoka Ice Arena.

A festival powered by local institutions

The scope of Winterfest was made possible through collaboration among city departments and community organizations. Partners included the Anoka Police Department and Anoka-Champlin Fire Department, alongside arts, recreation, and community groups such as Rumriver Art Center, Green Haven Golf and Event Center, Anoka Area Hockey Association, Anoka Senior Center, and the Anoka Kindness Rock Garden.

Together, these partnerships reflected the festival’s broader aim: not simply to offer winter entertainment, but to reinforce trust, visibility, and shared ownership of public space during a season that often pulls people indoors.

Beyond the ice

While Anoka Winterfest ends tonight, it does not mark the end of winter celebrations across the region. Nearby communities continue to host seasonal festivals into February, extending the tradition of gathering through Minnesota’s coldest weeks.

In Anoka, however, the message of Winterfest lingers after the glow sticks dim. Even in the depth of winter, the city made the case that warmth is something a community builds together, one rink, one park, and one shared evening at a time.

MinneapoliMedia