Mendota After Hours: Gentlemen of the Woods: Manhood, Myth, and the American Lumberjack

Today, the folk hero image of an ax wielding lumberjack is celebrated in songs and folktales evoking a kindly, flannel-wearing naturalist. However, lumberjacks in their own time were despised as amoral transients. Join us as author Willa Hammit Brown brings to life the activities and experiences of lumberjacks as they moved from camp to camp. We’ll explore the cultural history of the life and lore of the real lumberjack and his true place in American history.

Gatsby Murder Mystery Dinner Party | Valentine’s & Galentine’s Weekend

A Unique Valentine’s Weekend Experience in Central Minnesota.

Dust off your flapper dresses and fedoras and join us for a ’20s-style soiree at Rolling Forks Vineyards. The champagne will be flowing, the jazz will be jumping, and the secrets will be spilling at the annual Gatsby Gala. In an era of decadence and delight, the Gatsbys are known to throw the most elaborate and exquisite parties on West Egg, and this weekend will be no different. With society’s most notable and notorious set to attend, it is going to be a soiree to die for … Until someone actually does!

Bluffs2Backwaters

Celebrate the Outdoors. Celebrate Community.

Bluffs2Backwaters is Winona’s signature recreation festival — a multi-day celebration of everything we love about getting outside. Set between our iconic bluffs and the winding backwaters of the Mississippi, the festival brings people together through adventure, music, art, and community.

39th Annual Winona Jazz Festival

Though Winona’s at the opposite end of the Mississippi from the birthplace of jazz, monthly jazz band performances, a Winona Jazz Festival, and even our own Mardi Gras celebration keeps the toe-tapping music alive here year-round.

The 39th Annual Winona Jazz Festival will be greatly expanded in 2026!

Fleurs de Villes FLORA

This April, Galleria will host Fleurs de Villes FLORA – a fashion-forward celebration of spring couture in bloom, created by top floral designers from the Twin Cities area. Taking place April 10-19, this spectacular showcase will feature 15 one-of-a-kind fresh floral installations, including signature floral mannequins displayed throughout Galleria. This year, floral designers take center stage as they transform flowers into original couture creations that embody the spirit of spring.

STEM Family Day

History and science come together in a day of family activities focusing on the role of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) for the past and present. Guest organizations and museum staff will present a variety of STEM-related programs, highlighting the ways STEM affected the Minneapolis riverfront and still affects us today.