Each time the weather changes, the Twin Cities opens up to visiting groups like a four-drawer chest containing all the necessities of each season.
In one drawer you’ll find ear muffs, mittens and ice skates; in the next, shorts, a bike helmet and sunblock; and in another, a comfy sweater along with a camera to capture all the lovely autumn foliage.
“The fact that we truly have four distinct seasons to celebrate makes us an appealing destination,” says Karolyn Kirchgesler, president and CEO of Visit Saint Paul.
Melvin Tennant, president and CEO at the Meet Minneapolis Convention and Visitors Association, says winter is even packed with options.
“While we have beautiful spring, summer and fall weather and Minneapolitans enjoy being outside at sidewalk cafes, outdoor movies and more during those seasons, we also embrace our winters and get out and enjoy the snow and ice with sports like cross-country skiing, snowboarding and ice skating,” he says.
No matter what time or year, there is a plethora of attractions and activities available for planners to create memorable group events.
Wonderful Winter
Winters in the Twin Cities may seem a bit intimidating, but the uninitiated are in for a nice surprise when they find the streets of Minneapolis and Saint Paul are lined with heated skyway systems that make group exploration as cozy during its coldest days as it is during the summer.
“We like to say there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing,” Kirchgesler says. “Yes, our winters can get cold but there is still a lot to do in Saint Paul.
The Saint Paul Winter Carnival, for starters, has been in existence for 127 years and continues to grow, and if groups would like to step in from the cold, there is entertainment inside local theaters, including Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Park Square Theatre and Steppingstone Theatre.
“Or groups may want to enjoy a fine dining experience before the show,” Kirchgesler adds. “Saint Paul is full of great restaurants, from steakhouses to ethnic dining.”
Minneapolis is also home to festivities, including Holidazzle parades around the holidays, and a variety of theaters and museums, including the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Weisman Art Museum.
“Dining at our countless restaurants that feature fine dining to fun diner fare and lots of cultural options in areas like ‘Eat Street,’ our stretch of Nicollet Avenue where many ethnic restaurants are located, will satisfy groups,” Tennant says, adding that attendees practically insist on visiting nearby Mall of America’s 500-plus stores. “We don’t have tax on clothing and shoes in Minnesota, so leave room in your suitcase for that.” PageBreak
Splendid Spring
Like most professional baseball homes throughout the country, it is clear spring has arrived in the Twin Cities when the Minneapolis-based Minnesota Twins start their season at Target Field, which sports a terrific view of the Minneapolis skyline.
Tennant says a ballgame is a good idea for visiting groups during the spring, as are Segway tours and bike tours.
For off-site events, venues such as Nicollet Island Pavilion are ideal “as you can have indoor and outdoor access and choose according to the weather that day,” Tennant says, adding that another great place to take groups is the nearby Chaska-based Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, which also accommodates group events.
“Groups can experience all the plants and trees budding and sprouting throughout the expansive gardens and walks,” he says.
And over the bridge, the Saint Paul Saints baseball season also gets going in the spring, as do bicyclists, runners and rollerbladers who all take advantage of the city’s miles of trails.
“Gangster Tours and Rice Park tours are fun educational ways to get outside and explore Saint Paul,” Kirchgesler says. “And outdoor exhibits attract visitors to Como Park Zoo and the Minnesota Zoo.
Super Summer
“Summer is by far our most coveted season and a busy time for meetings and conventions,” says Visit Saint Paul’s Kirchgesler. “One of the best things for a group to do here in the summer is to get out on the Mississippi River on a paddle wheeler for a narrated cruise.”
Saint Paul is also teeming with parks and urban landscapes where Kirchgesler says meeting planners can host gatherings.
Saint Paul also boasts Summit Avenue, the country’s longest stretch of preserved Victorian-period architecture, including F. Scott Fitzgerald’s childhood home.
“And restaurant patios are abundant throughout the city as patrons enjoy the beautiful weather,” Kirchgesler says.
The area also hosts many outdoor summer festivals, including the Saint Paul-based Minnesota State Fair, which takes place in late August and early September, and the Minneapolis-based Uptown Art Fair in August, as well as various outdoor events, including movie and music nights, according to Meet Minneapolis CVA’s Tennant.
“Groups can partake of any of these events,” he says. “Other great group ideas include getting out on the expansive lawn at the Walker Art Center for their Open Field events or visiting the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, which is celebrating 25 years this summer with an art-themed mini-golf course in the garden.” PageBreak
Awesome Autumn
The autumn brings warmth and sunshine during the day, crisp evenings and beautiful foliage as area trees turn “vibrant reds, golds and oranges everywhere you look,” Tennant says.
“It’s especially beautiful along the riverfront and the Chain of Lakes area in South Minneapolis,” he adds. “We still have active outdoor activities, and cafes are busy up until the winter air comes in late fall.”
Traditional autumn events include the beginning of the Minnesota Vikings football season, and early October’s Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, which winds its way from downtown Minneapolis to downtown Saint Paul and, according to Tennant, attracts thousands of runners and spectators every year.
“Fall is also a great time to golf, bike or plan a Segway outing with Magical History Tours,” he says.
The gorgeous colors of the trees lining the Mississippi River and Saint Paul’s historic neighborhoods might be best viewed from Padelford Packet Boat Company’s fall foliage cruise, Kirchgesler adds.
Frequent contributor Carolyn Blackburn plans on participating in the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon in 2014.
