THE GREAT NORTHERN WINTER FESTIVAL

IN FY25 THE GREAT NORTHERN (TGN) CONTINUED ITS MISSION TO HOST AN ANNUAL WINTER FESTIVAL ACROSS THE TWIN CITIES, INSPIRING CONVERSATIONS, FOSTERING COMMUNITY, AND BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER DURING THE MOST ISOLATING TIME OF THE YEAR: MINNESOTA'S LONG, COLD WINTERS. TGN ENCOURAGES OUR AUDIENCE TO GET OUTDOORS, BUILD CONNECTIONS, STAY ACTIVE, AND CELEBRATE THE PERSPECTIVES, COMMUNITIES, CULTURES, AND ECOSYSTEMS THAT MAKE THIS REGION SPECIAL. THROUGH MULTIDISCIPLINARY EVENTS, TGN HIGHLIGHTS THE URGENCY OF CLIMATE CHANGE, ENCOURAGING AWARENESS, ACTION, AND SHARED RESPONSIBILITY. BY CULTIVATING AUTHENTIC, RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR AUDIENCE AND PARTNERS, WE CONTRIBUTE TO A BROADER CULTURAL SHIFT TOWARD ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AND COLLECTIVE CARE. TGN'S 2025 FESTIVAL PROGRAMMING CONTINUED TO CELEBRATE WHAT WINTER GIVES US, WHILE EXPLORING OUR CHANGING CLIMATE THROUGH THE LENSES OF CULTURE/HERITAGE, THE ECONOMY, AND SOCIAL EQUITY. TGN HOSTED DOZENS OF FESTIVAL EVENTS INCLUDING MEANINGFUL ARTS PRESENTATIONS, INVIGORATING OUTDOOR EVENTS, AND UNIQUE DINING EXPERIENCES. MORE THAN 50% OF THESE EVENTS WERE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. THE GREAT NORTHERN PRODUCED AND COPRODUCED EVENTS THAT DREW OVER 10,000 ATTENDEES INTO THE COLD TO EXPERIENCE THE FESTIVAL. THE WAY THE GREAT NORTHERN COMBINES ARTS EVENTS WITH A CLIMATE FOCUS IS UNIQUE AND TRANSFORMATIVE. OUR ATTENDEES CAN EXPERIENCE THE BEAUTY OF WINTER ON A CELLULAR LEVEL AND BE INSPIRED AND MOTIVATED TO PRESERVE IT. THE FESTIVAL'S CLIMATE SOLUTIONS SERIES FEATURED A DOZEN IN-PERSON CONVERSATIONS THAT INVESTIGATED CLIMATE ACTION AND ADVOCACY FROM MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES. THESE CONVERSATIONS WERE ATTENDED BY OVER 1,500 PEOPLE. OUR OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING REMAINS THE MOST POPULAR WITH MORE THAN 5,000 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE. IN 2025, IN RESPONSE TO COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, WE INCREASED OUR FAMILY PROGRAMMING WITH FAMILY PROGRAMMING ACROSS THE FESTIVAL. TGN'S FAMILY PROGRAMMING DREW OVER 1,500 ATTENDEES AND WILL BE A MAINSTAY OF THE FESTIVAL. OUR DANCE PERFORMANCES, LIVE MUSIC, AND VISUAL ART EXPERIENCE DREW NEARLY 2,000 ATTENDEES. IN THE LEAD-UP TO AND DURING THE GREAT NORTHERN'S 2025 FESTIVAL, WE SECURED DOZENS OF PIECES OF COVERAGE THAT GARNERED MILLIONS OF ESTIMATED VIEWS.