Events Guide

Events Across the Lake Communities

The MEA weekend is behind us, and it was everything the fall calendar promised: Run For The Apples raced through Pine Tree, the Dream of Wild Health Corn Fest filled the intertribal farm in Hugo, and the Stillwater River Boats closed their 2026 season with the Halloween Boat Party on Saturday and the last public cruise of the year on Sunday, October 18. Now the calendar flips to the home stretch of October: Halloween week is on deck. The final farmers market Saturdays are here, the pumpkin patches run through October 25, and the river town theaters are in their spookiest month. Trick or Treating on Main Street steps off in Stillwater this Sunday, Courthouse by Candlelight lights up the Washington County Historic Courthouse on Thursday, and downtown White Bear Lake runs its Halloween Candy Crawl on Saturday. The DNR's color forecast put the metro's peak window in mid-October, so the show is settling on the bluffs now, but the oaks and river towns keep their amber deep into the month. Here is what is happening this week and through Halloween.

This Week: October 19 - 25

October: Pumpkins, Halloween & the Last of the Harvest

• Halloween Candy Crawl -- Saturday, October 24, 10 AM-1 PM in downtown White Bear Lake. Trick-or-treating at participating downtown businesses with costumes encouraged. White Bear Lake Magazine
• Scare in White Bear Halloween 5K -- Saturday, October 24, 6-8 PM at Memorial Beach (4958 Lake Ave). A costume-friendly, torch-lit run along Lake Avenue, with trick-or-treating and a photo booth for the whole family. Midwest Multisport Races
• Courthouse by Candlelight -- Thursday, October 22, 7-9 PM at the Washington County Historic Courthouse in Stillwater. Candlelit Halloween tours of the 1867 courthouse; $10 per person and registration is required. Washington County
• Trick or Treating on Main Street -- Sunday, October 25, 11 AM-2 PM in downtown Stillwater with 50+ participating businesses. A favorite last-Sunday-of-October tradition. Discover Stillwater
• Murder Mystery Dinner Theater -- Fridays through October 30 at the Stillwater Event Center. The Murder Mystery Co. runs an interactive dinner show, a fun date-night option once the patio season winds down. Discover Stillwater
• Haunted History Trolley Tour -- Select evenings through October 30 in Stillwater. The 9th annual trolley tour spins the river town's ghost stories and history, running 7-10 PM on October evenings. Discover Stillwater
• Ladies of the Lake Quilting Show -- October 22-23 & 29-30 at Pine Tree Apple Orchard. Local quilters showcase their work.
• Flashlight Pumpkin Hunt -- Friday, October 23, 7-8:30 PM at Tom Ryan Park in the White Bear Lake area. A free Halloween twist on the classic pumpkin hunt for kids 10 and under, run after dark. Details
• Death, Victorians, and Spiritualism at the Warden's House -- Friday, October 30, 6-7 PM at the Warden's House Museum (602 Main St N) in Stillwater. A free Halloween-eve program on Victorian mourning and spiritualism in the river town's most historic house. Discover Stillwater
• Stillwater Halloween Bar Crawl -- Saturday, October 31, from 3 PM (official crawl downtown) and 4 PM (Portside edition). Wristband pub crawls with drink specials across Stillwater venues, plus the Monster Bash Halloween Music Festival at King Coil Spirits at 4 PM. Tickets
• Kellerman's Halloween Costume Party -- Saturday, October 31, doors 7:30 PM at Kellerman's Event Center (2222 4th St) in White Bear Lake. The 15th annual costume party with live music 8-11 PM. Kellerman's
• The Frankensteins Are Back in Town -- Weekend performances through November 1 at The Phipps Center for the Arts in Hudson. A spooky staged production with live music, on through the Halloween season. Phipps Center
• Hudson Farmers Market -- Saturdays, 8 AM-noon, in the Faith Community Church south parking lot (777 Carmichael Rd) in Hudson through October 31. A relaxed market with local produce and goods just across the river from Stillwater. Hudson Area Chamber

Recently Completed

Apple Orchards & Fall Harvests

Fall Colors & Foliage

The St. Croix Valley puts on a spectacular show every autumn, and the DNR's 2026 Fall Color Finder is live, with fresh reports every Thursday through the end of October. The honest news as of late October: the MEA weekend marked the metro's peak window, exactly where the DNR's forecast had pointed when it kept Twin Cities color peaking in mid-October, and the show is now settling. Colors came on somewhat early this year because of the dry summer, which trimmed the maples' run, but the oaks and the river towns hang on: the bluffs along William O'Brien, Wild River, and the St. Croix between Stillwater and Taylors Falls still hold good amber, and the park reserves keep their copper and gold deep into the month. For week-by-week updates, check the DNR Fall Color Finder.

Farmers Markets & Weekly Events

• White Bear Lake Farmers Market -- Fridays, 8 AM-noon, downtown on Clark Avenue between 2nd and 3rd Streets. 50+ vendors, with just two Fridays left: October 23 and the season finale on October 30. Fall apples, squash, and late tomatoes are riding out the season. City of White Bear Lake
• Mahtomedi Area Farmers' Market -- Saturdays, 8 AM-noon, at Veterans Memorial Park (Triangle Park). Local produce, baked goods, and handmade items. The 2026 season wrapped up on September 26, so watch for the market's return next June. Market info
• Stillwater Farmers Market -- Saturdays, 7:30 AM-noon, at 3rd & Pine Street (Riverview Parking Lot at Stillwater Veterans Memorial). The area's largest market, with produce, meats, baked goods, flowers, and artisan crafts. This Saturday, October 24 is the final market of the 2026 season. Discover Stillwater
• Lake Elmo Farmers Market -- Saturdays, 9 AM-1 PM at Lake Elmo Elementary (11030 Stillwater Blvd N). The 2026 season wrapped up in mid-August; we will post the 2027 dates when they are announced. Minnesota Grown listing
• Forest Lake Farmers Market -- Saturdays, 8 AM-noon at Forest Lake City Hall. Local produce, baked goods, and crafts, running through Saturday, October 31. Forest Lake Times
• Smith + Trade Mercantile Artisan Market -- Second Saturday of each month through September, downtown Stillwater. The September 12 edition closed out the 2026 season; watch for its return next spring.

Boating & River Resources

• Stillwater River Boats public cruises -- The 2026 public cruise season wrapped up on Sunday, October 18 with the Halloween Boat Party weekend behind it; the decks are quiet until next spring. Watch the line's site for the 2027 schedule, which typically opens in May. Stillwater River Boats
• New St. Croix Crossing boat access -- Minnesota's newest public river access opened at Oak Park Heights, just north of the St. Croix Crossing bridge, with a double boat launch and trailer parking. It gives Minnesota four public launches on the lower St. Croix, and it is a convenient staging point for exploring the river corridor right up until freeze-up. DNR water access
• Fall color cruises from Hudson -- St. Croix River Cruises runs fall sailings from Hudson, Wisconsin's Lakefront Park through late October, including the Italian Sunset Dinner Cruise running through October 23. A relaxing way to watch the bluffs settle into late-October amber; see the cruise line's calendar for times and boarding. St. Croix River Cruises
• St. Croix Valley Boat Club -- A welcoming member-run organization for anyone who loves boating on the St. Croix River. Group cruises, social events, and a great way to meet fellow boaters. Visit the SCVBC Read Melissa's recommendation
• DNR low-water warning -- The DNR's September 3 statewide warning remains the operative guidance this fall: ongoing drought has left water levels low at many public access sites, making launching and retrieving harder at shallow ramps and exposing obstacles that are normally underwater. The big-lake launches are in good shape, but scout a shallow ramp before you back the trailer in.
• Osceola Landing note -- MnDOT is closing the Highway 243 bridge over the St. Croix at Osceola for replacement beginning this month, late October 2026, and the crossing is set to stay closed through fall 2027, with the new span slated to open in 2028. The planned detour runs via the Highway 8/Taylors Falls crossing to the north (about 15 minutes added) or the Highway 36/Stillwater crossing to the south (about 30 minutes added). One change for boaters: the northernmost parking lot and boat ramps at Osceola Landing closed September 14, 2026 and will stay closed through late summer 2028 as a construction staging area, while the south launch remains accessible. MnDOT project page

Local News & Practical Updates

• Mahtomedi sewer service line repair grant -- The City of Mahtomedi continues to reimburse homeowners up to 50% of the cost of repairing, relining, or replacing a private sanitary sewer service line, up to $5,000, with funding through the Metropolitan Council's inflow and infiltration grant program. Work must be approved in advance, grants go first-come, first-served, and as of late October the city still has funds available, so if you own an older home in the city, this is a genuinely useful program to know about before winter. Contact Public Works Director Bob Goebel at 651-773-9730 with questions. City of Mahtomedi details
• Mahtomedi Avenue reconstruction -- The city's July-August newsletter adjusted the roadwork timeline: reconstruction of Mahtomedi Avenue (TH 244) from Stillwater Road to Tamarack Street is now planned for 2027, with the Highway 120/Century Avenue turnback project following in 2028 so motorists can still reach I-694 while Mahtomedi Avenue is under construction. Final design work continues this fall, and interim closures continue in the meantime, including a southbound closure south of Hickory Street. City of Mahtomedi road projects
• Mahtomedi park projects update -- The city's off-leash dog park at Southwest Park (29 Long Lake Rd) is under construction: the City Council approved the site plan and awarded the construction contract on August 18, 2026, and the two-area park (small-breed and all-breed) is still expected to open once construction wraps, though no opening date had been announced as of late October. The ~238-foot floating boardwalk at Katherine Abbott Park was reported on schedule in the Park Commission's September update, and the city cut the ribbon on the new Streetcar Park on October 9. The Lost Lake (Wildwood Park) Phase 2 shoreline restoration was reported complete in the city's August public works update. City of Mahtomedi newsletter
• Hudson-area I-94 bridge work -- WisDOT's rehabilitation of the I-94 St. Croix River bridges between Hudson and Lakeland runs April through late October 2026, so into the season's last stretch the region's main river crossing can still see lane shifts and occasional overnight closures. Check WisDOT project page and 511wi.gov before crossing.
• White Bear Lake water quality -- The latest Washington County water quality report grades White Bear Lake an A, rating the lake excellent (mesotrophic) with about 14.4 feet of clarity. The lake's long recovery story is one of the best in the metro. White Bear Lake Conservation District
• Stillwater area highways -- MnDOT's Hwy 5/Stillwater Road resurfacing continues, and the Stillwater Lift Bridge is running its regular 2026 lift schedule through late October (lifts about every half hour when boat traffic is present, staffed 8 AM to midnight); no closures have been reported this season. Washington County's road crews are also wrapping up 2026 projects on the 58th Street extension and Olive Street in Oak Park Heights. MnDOT roadwork
• Stillwater City Council meets Tuesday -- The October 20 council meeting at City Hall (7 PM, streamed live) is set to take up a Professional Services Agreement with Urban SDK, the traffic-data analytics company, on the heels of the community's Flock camera debate. If you have been following the surveillance conversation, this is the meeting to watch. Read the rundown

Looking Ahead: Winter on the Lakes

• Polar Plunge -- Special Olympics Minnesota's Polar Bear Plunge is confirmed for Saturday, January 30, 2027 at White Bear Lake, and registration for the 2027 plunge season is open now. Recent plunges have gathered at White Bear Lake County Park along Lake Avenue, so lock in the last Saturday of January before the holiday fog sets in. plungemn.org
• Forest Lake Ice Classic -- The annual ice-fishing contest on Forest Lake, benefiting veterans and local programs, ran February 7 this year and typically lands the first Saturday in February. The 2027 date had not been announced as of late October, so keep an eye on the site as the ice season approaches. forestlakeiceclassic.com
• White Bear Lake Winterfest -- Downtown White Bear Lake typically runs its annual Winterfest on the first three Saturdays of December, with an ice rink, holiday shopping, and family activities along the lakefront. The 2026 dates had not been officially posted as of late October; watch Downtown White Bear Lake and mark the Saturdays once they land.
• Ice fishing & public skating -- Ice fishing typically gets going once the shallower lakes lock up, usually late November into December, so we are about five to eight weeks out from first ice right now. White Bear Lake went ice-free on March 31, 2026, about 12 days ahead of its mid-April median, so this year's freeze is anyone's guess. Indoor rinks, including the Hippodrome Arena and the White Bear Lake Sports Center, offer open skating while everyone waits for safe ice. White Bear Lake ice time

Community Calendars

For the most current listings, these are the calendars locals actually use:

• White Bear Lake Chamber Events
• Greater Stillwater Chamber
• Manitou Days (White Bear Lake)
• City of Mahtomedi
• Connect Lake Elmo
• Discover Stillwater Events