Great Northern Winter Festival

THE GREAT NORTHERN CELEBRATES OUR COLD, CREATIVE WINTERS THROUGH TEN DAYS OF DIVERSE PROGRAMMING.

ORIGINALLY FOUNDED TO BRING TOGETHER THREE LEGACY FESTIVALS (THE CITY OF LAKES LOPPET, SAINT PAUL WINTER CARNIVAL, AND CITY OF LAKES LOPPET) WITH ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING, THE GREAT NORTHERN'S BOARD EXPANDED THE ORGANIZATION'S VISION IN 2019 TO INCLUDE A FOCUS ON COMBATTING CLIMATE CHANGE. KATE NORDSTRUM WAS HIRED IN DECEMBER 2019 AS EXECUTIVE/ARTISTIC DIRECTOR TO REIMAGINE THE GREAT NORTHERN FESTIVAL (TGN)'S MISSION AND PROGRAMMING. FOR THE 2021 AND 2022 FESTIVALS, NORDSTRUM INVESTED IN PROGRAMMING THAT EXPLORES OUR CHANGING CLIMATE THROUGH THE LENSES OF CULTURE/HERITAGE, THE ECONOMY, AND SOCIAL EQUITY, IN ADDITION TO INVESTING IN DOZENS OF DEEPLY MEANINGFUL ARTS PERFORMANCES AND INSTALLATIONS, INVIGORATING OUTDOOR EVENTS, AND COMPLEMENTARY FOOD AND BEVERAGE PROGRAMMING. TGN BELIEVES THAT THIS APPROACH WILL BROADEN UNDERSTANDING OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS, PREPARE MINNESOTANS TO PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY DECISION-MAKING, AND INSPIRE RESIDENTS TO REDUCE THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINT/ IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT. THE WAY THE GREAT NORTHERN COMBINES ARTS EVENTS WITH A CLIMATE FOCUS IS UNIQUE AND TRANSFORMATIVE. WE WANT OUR ATTENDEES TO EXPERIENCE THE BEAUTY OF WINTER ON A CELLULAR LEVEL AND BE INSPIRED AND MOTIVATED TO PRESERVE IT.THE 2022 FESTIVAL WAS TGN'S MOST AMBITIOUS ONE YET, WITH MORE THAN 50 EVENTS THAT INVIGORATED THE MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT. HIGHLIGHTS DESCRIBED BELOW. TGN COMMISSIONED JOVAN C. SPELLER AND ANDY DUCETT'S CONSERVATORY, AN ICE-ENCLOSED GREENHOUSE FILLED WITH DEEPLY HUED PLANTS IN AN ALLEYWAY IN SAINT PAUL, WHICH PROVIDED SPACE FOR BLACK LIFE TO THRIVE. NEARLY 50 COMMUNITY MEMBERS GATHERED ON A FROZEN LAKE COMO TO PERFORM SLOW SHOW, A SLOW-MOTION DANCE RECITAL FROM FRENCH CHOREOGRAPHER DIMITRI CHAMBLAS. COMPOSER MOLLY JOYCE INTERVIEWED THE LOCAL DISABILITY COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT WINTER MEANS TO THEM FOR PERSPECTIVE, A GORGEOUS AND MOVING SOUND AND VISUAL INSTALLATION. TGN HELD AN OUTDOOR SCREENING OF PHILIP GLASS' 1982 CLIMATE-FOCUSED FILM KOYAANISQATSI, PROJECTED ONTO THE UNITED CRUSHERS MILLS OUTSIDE MALCOLM YARDS.TGN'S WEBSITE HAD MORE THAN 80,000 VISITS AND 194,000 PAGEVIEWS. THERE WERE 1,100,000 IMPRESSIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND 4,700 FOLLOWERS. TGN AND ITS PARTNERS REACHED NEARLY 200,000 ATTENDEES, WITH THE GREAT NORTHERN'S UNIQUE EVENTS ATTRACTING MORE THAN 15,000 ATTENDEES.