• Admission to the American Swedish Institute (ASI)
• Swedish Inspired Plated Breakfast from FIKA Café at the American Swedish Institute
• Self-Guided Christmas Tour of the ASI’s Turnblad Mansion, decked out for the holidays
• Visit to the Winter Makers Market at The Daytons Project, a holiday pop-up market featuring 70+ vendors and curated Minnesota brands
• Elevated 2-Course Lunch at the esteemed Mara Restaurant at the Four Seasons Minneapolis
• Free time to explore the outdoor Nordic Winter Market atop the Four Seasons’ 4th floor patio
• Access to The European Christmas Market at Union Depot, an outdoor Christmas market featuring 50+ vendors with free time to enjoy
• Visit to the Birthplace of Minnesota, Stillwater, for their “Hometown for the Holidays” experience featuring festive fun, light displays, and activities
• Free time to explore the festive happenings, shops, boutiques, bars, and other Stillwater establishments
• Elevated 4-Course Fondue Dinner at the Historic Lowell Inn
• Choice of craft beer, house wine, or rail drink with dinner
• Admission to GLOW Holiday Festival  and free time to take in the millions of twinkle lights
• No-wait VIP Entrance to GLOW
• Opportunity to shop hundreds of local vendors throughout the day
• Round-trip luxury transportation
• Local Gurus to guide you and sing you Christmas carols

“Have a Very Merry Christmas” with GetKnit during “the most wonderful time of the year”! Your local Elves (ahem Gurus) want to help you get into the spirit of the season by enjoying a holiday-packed day trip all around the Twin Cities greater metro! Join us for a full day of festive and fancy fun as we take in the majesty of this season with multiple holiday villages and markets, elevated meals, over a million twinkle lights, and more!

Our day will begin in Roseville, MN at our check-in location, where your GetKnit Gurus will be waiting to greet you with a hot cup of joe. From there, a luxury coach bus will whisk us across town to the American Swedish Institute (ASI), a vibrant arts and cultural organization located just outside of downtown Minneapolis. ASI will open up early – just for our group – so we can enjoy a delicious plated breakfast from their acclaimed in-house restaurant, FIKA Café. At time of registration, we will choose between a lovely Cheese Frittata with Thick Cut Bacon, Sliced Fruit and Berries, and Fresh Baked Scone, or a beautiful Baked French Cardamom Roll French Toast with Breakfast Sausage, Fresh Berries and Greek Yogurt. Breakfast will include your choice of coffee, decaf coffee, or hot tea.

With bellies full, we’ll be able to enjoy admission to the historic Turnblad Mansion for a self-guided tour of what has been locally dubbed the “Castle”. Each year they “Deck the Halls” and give guests the opportunity to take a step back in time and see how the Turnblad family would have celebrated the season as you wander the historic estate.

From there we’ll head downtown to the reimagined Daytons Project in the heart of Minneapolis. For the third year in a row The Daytons Project is opening up their stunning space along Nicollet Ave. to 70+ local vendors for their “Winter Makers Market“. Here we will be dropped off just outside this historic site, so we don’t have to worry about parking, and will have free time to explore the wide array of local makers and other must-visit shops within The Daytons Project!

We’ll then re-group and head just around the corner to Chef Gavin Kaysen’s restaurant, Mara, located within the esteemed Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis. Here we will be treated to a 2-course lunch featuring your choice of an elevated soup or salad for our first course, and your choice of one of two options for our lunch main from Chef Kaysen who is a James Beard award-winning Minnesota local! Mara’s menu changes weekly and is inspired by locally grown and seasonal ingredients – so is sure to have the festive-flair we’re looking for as part of our very merry day together! As we finish our meals, we will head upstairs at our leisure to the Four Seasons outdoor patio where their boutique Nordic Village Market is being held inside festive cabins. Here we’ll be introduced to eight unique local artists, makers and creators offering a rotating selection to include kids’ toys, pet food, clothing, spices, home décor, jewelry, blankets and more.

Next we will head over the river to the European Christmas Market at St. Paul’s Union Depot, which is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year! Here we will have free time to explore the 70+ vendors and the wonderful Santa’s Village. Santa’s Village features more gift shopping and European style food but also invites you to make some crafts, to visit Santa’s post office, and to enjoy a ride!

Our Christmas adventures will continue as we head east to the “Birthplace of Minnesota” – Stillwater – for their ‘Hometown for the Holidays‘. As part of this festive experience, Mainstreet Stillwater and the St. Croix Riverfront will be alive with holiday spirit featuring seasonal lights, decorations, and festive themed events including gingerbread house building contests, scavenger hunts and more! Here we will be able to “choose our own adventure” – continue your shopping spree and explore the countless shops and boutiques along Main Street, take a stroll along the St. Croix River and enjoy the festive lights along the historic lift bridge, belly up to a local brewery or distillery, or any combination of festive fun– you can make this time yours.

To conclude our time in Stillwater, we will regroup at the Historic Lowell Inn. Here we will be treated to an elegant 4-course fondue dinner — a traditional Swiss dish enjoyed during Christmas. Here we will have the George Washington Dining Room just for our group and be welcomed with your choice of craft beer, house wine, rail drink or non-alcoholic beverage. Our 4-course fondue dinner will include the following: First Course – Cheese Fondue, A Rich Blend Of Gruyere & Fontina Cheeses, Served With Marble Rye & Ciabatta Breads, Soft Pretzels & Balsamic Roasted Vegetables; Second Course – Green Garden Salad, Organic Mixed Greens, Red Onions, Cherry Tomatoes, Julienne Carrots, & Cucumbers. Served With A Trio Of Dressings; Third Course – Fondue Oil Pot, Beef Tenderloin, Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast & Shrimp Served With Horseradish, Cocktail Sauce, Remoulade, Plum & German Mustard Sauces For Dipping. Accompanied By Sides Of Red Cabbage & German Potatoes; Fourth Course – Grape Devonshire Dessert, Fresh Red Grapes, Sweetened Devonshire Cream, Strawberries, Brown Sugar, & Mint.

As we return from our culinary trip to the Swiss Alps for Christmas, we will round out this epic winter day with a visit to the spectacular GLOW Holiday Festival at CHS Field back in St. Paul, MN. Here we will dropped off directly to our VIP, no-wait entrance for admission to this beloved holiday must-see, with free time to explore the one million twinkle lights and countless light displays throughout this multi-level, breathtaking experience at the park.

This special holiday day trip will leave you with wonderful memories, a completed Christmas shopping list, a full tummy, and a renewed Christmas spirit that will help you ring in the holiday season ahead!

“Oh by golly have a holly jolly Christmas” with GetKnit this year!