Free, Family-Friendly Cold Front Duluth Returns Feb. 7 at Bayfront Park

Families and children filled Bayfront Festival Park for the 9th annual Cold Front Duluth, a free, family-friendly winter festival organized by the City of Duluth Parks & Recreation team. The event ran from noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7 at Bayfront Festival Park, 700 Railroad Street, Duluth, MN 55802, and wrapped up with a Glow Front ice skating party featuring glow sticks, party lights and music.

Cold Front blended low-impact options with more adventurous offerings to make winter accessible and appealing across ages and abilities. Activities included sledding and a sledding luge, curling demonstrations, ice skating, fat-bike demos and fat-bike tire demos, youth dog-sled rides, bonfires with marshmallows, a snow play area, cross-country skiing, snow volleyball, giant ski races, s'mores and other winter games. Parks & Recreation described the day as “a free, family friendly celebration of winter fun.”

Accessibility and site logistics were part of planning: parking was staged in a snow-packed gravel lot with connected paths that have gentle slopes and no stairs. Snow removal took place before the event so wheeled devices could move throughout the park paths, though organizers noted conditions could vary with weather. For media or FCC public-file accessibility needs, WDIO listed Vicki Kaping as a contact at (218) 727-6864.

The festival’s structure and free admission address equity concerns in local recreation access: providing no-cost, all-day programming lowers financial barriers for families who otherwise might be excluded from organized winter activities. Outdoor activity in winter supports physical activity and social connection at a time of year when isolation and seasonal stress can rise, particularly for households with limited resources for paid programs. The mix of gentle snow play areas and more thrilling events like giant ski races and dog-sled rides aimed to serve a broad range of abilities and interests.

Attendees and staff framed Cold Front as both a neighborhood tradition and a planning opportunity. Joshua Forsman, a resident of Ely attending for the first time, said, “Obviously smaller hills than what I’m used to and some of the other ones I’ve been around here. But you know what, it’s great for all the little ones to just have fun. It’s such a nice safe environment here too, which is so great.” Recreation specialist Megan Lidd highlighted ongoing innovation and outreach, saying, “So every year we’re always looking for different ways to change things up and add something new. We’re always eager to get groups and organizations involved with our work. We’re just always excited to bring people together in our park spaces, summer or winter.”

For county residents, Cold Front Duluth underscored the City of Duluth’s role in providing inclusive seasonal programming and suggested a steadyening of investments in park-driven health and social supports. Parks & Recreation staff are already planning next year’s event, and residents looking for future dates and details can check the City of Duluth Parks & Recreation event page for updates as plans develop.