Families could toast s’mores from Deep Roots Concessions at Winter Blast 2025, where hot chocolate and hot cider were also available. Photos by Gillian Holte
Families braved the Minnesota cold to celebrate winter during Eden Prairie’s Winter Blast at Staring Lake Park on Jan. 11. Attendees enjoyed ice skating, a scavenger hunt, bonfires, art activities from the Eden Prairie Art Center and a “Winter in Minnesota” display from the city’s Outdoor Center.
The Staring Lake sledding hill was, and continues to be, closed due to a lack of snow, so the event’s focus was on the park’s ice skating rink, parks and recreation specialist Medori Marble said. Participants without skates could borrow free equipment to enjoy the ice.
For a break from the cold, Hamel Nordic Sauna had a mobile sauna at the event.
This year was the first time since 2023 that the event was in full swing, with the 2024 Winter Blast having been rescheduled and reworked due to rain.
