Winter is the longest and most defining season in Cook County, and each year, North House Folk School hosts the Winterers’ Gathering & Arctic Film Festival to celebrate the snowy season ahead. This year’s festival is happening November 21-23, and will bring back favorite events that highlight the best of the season. 

Arctic Film Festival

Winterers’ Gathering kicks off Friday morning with the start of the Arctic Film Festival. The festival includes over 15 inspiring films about travel, craft, and life in the North and other wintry regions. A full schedule is available at northhouse.org. 

“Although the theme of the film festival is ‘arctic,’ the films are incredibly diverse and highlight a wide range of stories from wintry climates,” said North House Program Manager Sarah Beggs. “All films are free to watch, and a few include special presentations afterward with filmmakers.”

Community Gatherings

On Friday evening, everyone is invited to campus for the outdoor Dinner on a Stick, Snowshoe Shuffle Contra Dance, and Cold Snap Poetry Celebration. 

Saturday morning will see the return of The Great Gear and Ski Sale, an opportunity to find good deals on winter clothing and equipment, or sell items you no longer need. Items at the sale usually include skis and ski boots, ice skates, winter coats and boots, camping equipment, and more. The sale is a fundraiser for the Lutsen Junior Alpine Ski Team and North House. 

On Saturday, films and skill share demonstrations continue throughout the day ahead of Saturday evening’s Deep Freeze Chili Feed and presentation by featured speaker Paul Bierman. Dr. Bierman is a geoscientist, environmental historian, and author of the new book When the Ice is Gone: What a Greenland Ice Core Reveals About Earth’s Tumultuous History and Perilous Future. His free presentation, Greenland’s Value is Its Ice, will be held at 7pm on Saturday in the Red Building. 

Following the presentation, there will be a screening of the film The Memory of Darkness, Light, and Ice, which highlights Dr. Bierman’s and other scientists’ research on Greenland’s ice sheet.  

Family Morning – Meet the Plow Truck

Winterers’ Gathering festivities continue through Sunday, November 23. Kids and families are especially welcome on Sunday at 9am for Family Morning, which will include Swedish cinnamon pancake-making at Meet the Plow Truck: a chance to get up close to a Cook County plow truck. Hop in the cab and check out the view from behind the wheel!

“Whether it’s catching a film or sharing a poem, we hope your time on campus sparks your curiosity and grounds your relationship with winter,” Beggs said. 

A full Winterers’ Gathering schedule is available at northhouse.org.