Luminary Loppet

Enjoy a fun-filled, candlelit night at Lake of the Isles at the 22nd Annual Luminary Loppet

Saturday, February 7, 2026

Luminary Loppet

The candlelit Luminary Loppet is the Twin Cities’ most magical evening of winter.

Take part in the ultimate celebration of winter and community at the 22nd Annual Luminary Loppet! Take a candlelit walk around Lake of the Isles, where more than 1,200 glowing luminaries guide you past dazzling ice features like the iconic ice pyramid, glowing enchanted forest, dazzling Luminary hall. Walk amidst giant penguins and polar bears, warm up with hot cocoa and s’mores and be mesmerized with fire dancers all in the heart of Minneapolis. Finish your walk by heading to the Luminary Party where you’ll be greeted with food trucks, Utepils Brewing beer, and live music. Perfect for all ages, The Luminary Loppet is the must attend event in winter!

The Luminary Loppet is the Loppet Foundation’s largest fundraiser of the year – supporting our year-round programs as we live out our mission of connecting people to the outdoors through experiences that grow community. Learn more about the Loppet’s mission here.

The Luminary Loppet is part of the City of Lakes Loppet Winter Festival, which includes cross-country ski, fat bike, snowshoe, and skijor races and tours, youth events, and more. The Luminary Loppet is not a race – enjoy a night out with family and friends!

GALLERY

Register

Registration will open October 7, 2025!

To avoid congestion, there are six start wave times for the Luminary Loppet:

6:00pm
6:30pm
7:00pm
7:30pm
8:00pm
8:30pm

Loppet Foundation members receive early access to Luminary Loppet passes. Become a member to gain early access! Passes will go on sale to the general public this fall. Each start wave is capped, so remember to register early to get your preferred start time before the waves sell out. Participants may start at or after their registered start time (NOT before), and they may stay on the lake as long as they like.

All registered participants will receive an official Luminary Loppet pass, which must be displayed at all times during the event to gain access to the lake and the Luminary Party, and take advantage of the many Luminary Loppet activities.

Adult Ticket

Price Increase: Jan 8 | $35

$30

Register

Youth Ticket (age 4-16; 3 and under free)

$15

Register

Schedule & Pass Pickup

Passes must be displayed at all times during the event to gain access to the Luminary Loppet.

To ensure the quickest pickup experience, please have your check-in pass with the QR code included in your registration email displayed on your phone/device or printed out for our staff to scan. Picking up your pass ahead of time allows you to skip the registration tent lines.

Event Schedule

Luminary Loppet: 6pm – 10pm
Food Trucks (Party): 6pm – 10pm
Luminary Party/Utepils Beer Service (Party): 6pm – 10pm
Fire Dancers (SW Lake of the Isles): 6pm – 9pm
Park Brook Elementary Choir (Enchanted Forest): 6:30pm
Live Band – Nur-D (Party): 6:30pm – 8 pm
Sarina Partridge Community Singing (Luminary Hall): 7:30pm
Live Band – Some Shitty Cover Band (Party): 8:20pm – 10pm

Early Pass Pickup Locations:

Lunds in Uptown – 1450 W Lake Street

Friday, February 6th 5pm – 8pm
Saturday, February 7th 10am – 4pm

Lagoon Tent – Corner or W. Lake of the Isles Parkway & E. Bde Maka Ska Pkwy

Saturday, February 7th 4:30pm – 8:30pm

Evening of Event Pass Pickup Location:

Saturday, February 7th 6pm – 8:30pm

Lagoon Tent

Euclid Tent

North Isles Tent

Penn Tent

W. 28th Tent.

Event Map

PARTY

Enjoy the ultimate winter party! Whether it’s your main event or the perfect finish, the Luminary Party is ready for you to warm you up with food from local foodtrucks, chill out with cold bevs from Utepils Brewing, and dance it out with live music. The Luminary Party is the perfect place to sing, dance and celebrate winter like only Minnesotans can!

Participants can look forward to photo booths, fire bits, sponsor activations, Loppet merchandise for sale and more! The Luminary Party is included with registration.

One can of Utepils beer is included for all registered Luminary Loppet participants who are 21+ years old (with a valid ID). Additional Utepils beer is available for purchase. N/A options available.

Please note: The Luminary Party last call for drinks is at 9:45pm, with music ending at 10pm.

Get ready for a live DJ set with local legend NUR-D from 6:30pm – 8:00pm, then dance along with returning band, Some Shitty Cover Band from 8:20pm-10:00pm!

Transportation

Parking

Please try to come within 30 minutes of your scheduled time to provide the best Luminary experience for you and everyone else. Please be aware that sections of Lake of the Isles Parkway will be closed for the event. Please be aware that Minneapolis officials may implement Winter Parking Restrictions as needed.

For accessibility options and details please reach out to events@loppet.org. Parking passes are available upon request.

Free Metro Transit Passes

Fill out this brief form to receive a FREE bus pass to the Luminary courtesy of Metro Transit!

Volunteer

Volunteer to work alongside great community members and help to make the Luminary Loppet come to life. Opportunities are available prior to and on the event weekend. Please dress appropriately according to the weather, as you will be outside.

If you are interested in a leadership position, please contact our volunteer coordinator at volunteer@loppet.org.

*Please note that volunteers do not receive passes to the Luminary. If you do purchase a pass – please be sure it does not conflict with your volunteer shift.

Volunteer Signup

VOLUNTEER

VOLUNTEERS

What YOU Say About The Luminary Loppet

The Luminary is my favorite reason to live in Mpls in the winter. Every year I invite friends who live elsewhere to come for the weekend and experience the magic.

The Luminary makes me proud to be a Minnesotan.

I love to volunteer for the event with family and friends. I’m amazed how many people enjoy it every year.

This is my FAVORITE event in Minneapolis!!!!!!

I stumbled across it the first year I lived in Minnesota and participated by myself — the next year I brought my boyfriend, then I brought my fiance, and now I’m excited to go with my husband! The Loppet has been a cornerstone of my experience in MN and in my relationship!

We do it every year. Wouldn’t miss it for the world.

OUR SPONSORS

Become an Event Sponsor

Luminary Loppet

FAQ

Can I ski the Luminary?

Pending snow conditions, ski trails around the lakes will be groomed for skiing. If there’s not enough snow for grooming then it will be an all walking.

It's my first Luminary! What should I expect?

Thanks for joining us! The Luminarians have been hard at work to create gorgeous luminaries, there will be beer from Utepils Brewing, fire dancers and great music!

I bought a Luminary pass for a certain time, does that mean I have to come then?

Participants may start at or after their registered start time (NOT before), and they may stay at the Luminary as long as they like!

I can no longer attend, but found someone to take my ticket. Do I need to do anything?

We’ll miss you this year! You can transfer your ticket(s) to a friend. The instructions are how to do so can be found here.

What does my entry fee go towards?

Entry fees go towards the production of the event and The Loppet mission of connecting people to the outdoors through experiences that grow community!

Are there any special group discounts?

Email events@loppet.org if you’re part of a club to see if there’s a way for us to partner with each other.
As a way to recognize the Dakota land we run with and steward, all Indigenous people can participate in any Loppet event for free by emailing events@loppet.org and requesting a discount code

Who do I contact about the event if I have a question?

The Loppet Foundation
1301 Theodore Wirth Parkway
Minneapolis, MN 55422
events@loppet.org
612-604-5330
Registration: registration@loppet.org
Sponsorship: sponsorship@loppet.org

I have special accessibility requirements, who can I talk to about this?

Reach out to events@loppet.org and we can talk about how we can support you.

When and where can I pick up my pass?

We strongly encourage you to pick up your pass early! Details about when and where can be found in the schedule section.

Should I bring a flashlight?

Part of the magic of the event is experiencing the candlelight glow of the luminaries and as such, we ask that you do not bring any additional lights (flashlights, headlamps, etc).

Are dogs allowed at this event?

While we love your furry friends please leave them at home for these large Loppet events.

Will you have merchandise available for sale?

Yes! Come check out our awesome merch in the adventure shop at the Trailhead or at the Luminary Party

Do you accept cash?

We only accept credit and debit cards for any sales. The same applies to Utepils Brewing beer sales (one beer is included with your registration for participants 21+).