(KNSI) — St. Cloud’s Bold and Bright winter festival returns January 30th through February 1st, 2026, with several new events planned.

Rachel Thompson, events committee leader for the St. Cloud Downtown Alliance, said the festival centers around the pond hockey tournament at Lake George, which runs all three days. Friday night features a comedy crawl downtown with free shows starting every hour. Each show includes an MC and three comedians performing 15-minute sets.

Saturday’s schedule includes a winter market from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Red Carpet Event Center with local bakers, makers, and artisans. The Pioneer Place, Paramount Center for the Arts, and Gnarly Bard will host performances throughout the weekend.

A mac and cheese crawl will take place at participating restaurants, where attendees can sample different versions of the dish and vote for their favorite. Options include Irish-style mac and cheese from Old Brick House and pad Thai mac and cheese from Arroy Thai and Filipino restaurant.

The festival is adding a toboggan derby this year. Teams of three will race down St. Germain Street in decorated sleds without motors. There are youth and adult divisions, with prizes for the fastest team and best-decorated toboggan.

Thompson said the festival has added several events this year while keeping previous favorites like the parade and fireworks. The Winter Nights and Lights Parade goes through downtown Saturday evening, with floats competing for $75 prizes in three categories. Fireworks at Lake George follow at 8:30 p.m.

For more information about Bold and Bright, click here.

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