Get Ready For Winter Fun At The True North Festival

ST. JOSEPH/COLLEGEVILLE (WJON News) -- The students at the College of St. Benedict and St. John's University will be embracing winter throughout February. The two campuses have combined some longstanding traditions with new activities to create the True North Winter Festival.

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Aaron Voth is the Assistant Dean for Student Leadership and Engagement. He says they'll have a festival kick-off this Saturday from noon until 4:00 p.m. in Collegeville.

That is a collection of as many winter sports as we could cram into one.  We've got sledding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice fishing, curling, hockey, broomball, and we also have ice sculptures that some students have created.

Next weekend, they'll have the annual Luminary Walk and Winter Mass on Lake Sagatagan.

We set out luminary candles across Lake Sagatagan.  So you hike from the beach across the lake to the Stella Maris chapel, we've got a fire and hot chocolate there, and then you hike back.

Voth says both walks will be from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. A Winter Mass will be on the lake on Sunday. That is a tradition that started during COVID-19, and it is believed to be the only public mass on a frozen lake anywhere in the world. Those events are all open to the public.

A Sauna Village and Cold Plunge will be on the St. Ben's mall from February 25th through March 1st.

Voth says they want the students to embrace the beauty of winter.

Our winter climate is something that makes us unique, especially for students who are coming in from Texas, California, or even from the Bahamas.  So what can we do to help these students understand that, rather than using cold weather as an excuse to isolate and hibernate, what we want them to do is think about winter as an opportunity to come together and engage in community.

The True North Winter Festival will culminate with the return of the Snow Ball Dance Party, the college's winter formal.