Today is the beginning of the St. Paul Winter Carnival and you know what?  It's gonna be a great weekend. 

Let me tell you about the first time I ever went to the Winter Carnival. 

As I have said before, I grew up in Western Minnesota.   When my best friend and I were in 9th or 10th grade, she and her parents, on what I thought was a random weekend, went to visit her big sister who was in college in St. Paul.  

We stopped in Savers and Ax-man. I was blown away by these emporiums of eclectic commodities. 

That night for supper we were in downtown St. Paul and visited The Green Mill.  I had been hearing all about this deep dish pizza, but what I didn't know was that  with the sauce on top of the cheese. 

As a youth from small farm town Minnesota, this was scandalous! 

How could they put the sauce on the top!  From there we strolled the streets of St. Paul.  

Suddenly before I knew it, we were watching a parade in the frigid, frozen night.  We saw crazy people on a fire engine.  I know now that they were Vulcans, but then what I saw was crazy people. 

When the parade finished I was beyond ready to get back in the car, but fireworks were exploding in the sky above our heads.  I remember having frozen toes and wondering when in the world we would go back inside.

It was years before I realized that I had been "enjoying" the St. Paul Winter Carnival Torchlight Parade and Fireworks. 

Hopefully, you can enjoy St. Paul's highlight of January this year.  We are heading to the Drive Thru Snow and Ice Sculpture Park tonight.  Maybe we will see you there.

Saint Paul is gearing up for the 135th Saint Paul Winter Carnival: January 28 – February 7, 2021. What will this year's Carnival look like? Plan for some changes to allow for social distancing. Parades and ice skating look like they may be out, but other favorite events are going forward.  Most events are family-friend and FREE. Activities take place in downtown Saint Paul, near Rice Park and Landmark Center, as well as at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds.

Exercising in Minnesota in the winter is extra great since we carry around twice as much weight with all of our snow gear. What with boots, snow pants, scarves, mittens, hats, coat, three layers of sweaters, two pairs of socks, etc., walking into the backyard drops 2 pounds.

With that said, there are many activities that require more movement than that and are lots of fun.

One of those activities is snowshoeing

Couldn’t we all use a little help getting through the long Minnesota winter with our kids? 
Family Fun Twin Cities Winter Survival Guide has something for everyone, from those who want to get out and play in the snow to those who’d rather take a break from it, to those who need a place to plop their kids for a few hours for everybody’s sanity.

The SuperBowl will be here before we know it. So, let’s talk about SuperBowl snacks that your kids will actually eat, are easy for them to make, and don’t break your budget. Let’s face it… there will be plenty of cupcakes and brownies , so let’s make something fun and different.

Bob Miller specializes in Close-Up Magic. He’s been performing all his life and professionally since 1990. 

Book Bob Miller, Magician for your next Birthday Party

Bob brings age-appropriate magic and balloon animals to birthday parties. 

Call 507-281-2213.