The 12th annual Frost Fest returns to Brookings this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, offering a weekend of entertaining indoor and outdoor winter activities across the city.

Held annually over Presidents Day weekend, the festival brings together community organizations and downtown businesses to celebrate winter through a variety of family-friendly events. Activities will take place at multiple locations, including the Children’s Museum of South Dakota, McCrory Gardens, downtown Brookings and Larson Ice Center.

The Children’s Museum will offer Frost Fest Prairie Play throughout the weekend, allowing families to explore winter-themed indoor and outdoor spaces.

“We will have all of our regular exhibits, but we’ll also have special art activities in the art studio, including make-and-take snow globes,” said Kerrie Vilhauer, director of marketing and communications at the Children’s Museum. “Depending on the weather, if there’s snow, we’ll have sleds and snowshoes.”

On Friday evening, the museum will host the Snow Ball.

“It’s basically a winter formal for children and their grown-ups,” Vilhauer said. “The museum is going to be transforming into a dance floor, and we’ll have a DJ who will be spinning tunes from the balcony.

A Snow Ball meal will also be offered prior to the dance, with reservations required. Tickets for the Snow Ball are $10 and can be purchased on the Children’s Museum website. McCrory Gardens will host Garden Glow Reignited during the weekend, featuring illuminated garden displays.

Garden Glow Reignited gives people another chance to experience the lights if they weren’t able to attend during the regular season, said Alyson Swanson, marketing coordinator at McCrory Gardens.

“This past season featured more than 350,000 lights, along with new tunnels, scenes and displays,” Swanson said.

For the general public (ages 6 and older), admission is $5. Free admission is offered for McCrory Gardens members, SDSU students and employees, and children ages 5 and younger. They will also host Doggie Date Night, allowing visitors to bring their dogs to experience the lights for $1 per dog.

“We don’t allow dogs in the gardens during the regular Garden Glow season, so Doggie Date Night is a fun opportunity for people to bring their dogs out and enjoy the lights,” Swanson said.

Visitors can also enjoy complimentary hot cocoa, popcorn and candies during the event.

Downtown Brookings will feature the Chocolate Crawl on Saturday, Feb. 14.

“Businesses participate by just having something chocolatey,” said Kirsten Gjesdal, executive director of Downtown Brookings. “Some of it’s free, some of it’s paid, but there are quite a few businesses participating. You just wander around and visit whoever you want.”

Over 20 businesses will be participating in the Chocolate Crawl. Some of the many treats will be sea salt caramels, chocolate mini cupcakes, chocolate-covered pretzels, chocolate bubble tea and more. More information about the Chocolate Crawl can be found on the Visit Brookings websiteand Facebook page.

The Frost Fest Art Market will also take place on Saturday at the Brookings Arts Council.

“It’s fun, handmade local art,” Gjesdal said. “There is also a photography exhibit up right now, so people can shop and look for art.”

The Frost Fest Farmers Market will be Saturday morning at the Agricultural Museum, offering a variety of fresh produce, baked goods, handmade items and much more.

“Typically, the farmers market is on the first and third Saturday of the month, so this one is a bonus one on the second Saturday,” Gjesdal said. “They usually have 25-plus vendors participating.”

An ice carving demonstration outside of Nick’s Hamburger Shop will offer visitors a photo-friendly stop during Frost Fest.

“There is a big uptick in foot traffic because of Frost Fest,” Gjesdal said. “It’s a very easy event for businesses to participate in and for people to just show up and take part.”

For those interested in winter sports, the Larson Ice Center will be hosting the Frost Fest Open Skate on Sunday. Admission and skate rentals are each $5. The Brookings Curling Club will also host a free learn-to-curl session on Monday, Feb. 16, introducing participants to the basics of the sport. Curlers must be 16 years or older.