There has been no market under the Water Tower since October 11. That was the last Sunday of the 2026 summer season for Market in the Valley, which ran from June 21 with stalls open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The market's website now says simply "Thanks for a great summer!" and gives Sunday, November 8, 2026, as the date it comes back.
Its listed winter home is Brookview at 316 Brookview Pkwy S. For the next five months most of Golden Valley's public calendar will be there too: the market, the Blizzard Bash in December, the leaf drop-off, the curling rinks, the lighted trail and two winter disc golf courses. The summer gave you one market morning a week. This winter, one building has something open every day of the week.
The market moves upstairs, once a month
In summer the market ran every Sunday. In winter it runs once a month. Westopolis lists Winter Market in the Valley on the second Sunday of each month from November 8, 2026, through March 14, 2027. It's free, runs 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and has more than 20 local vendors selling food, crafts, gifts and other goods in Brookview's second-floor Bassett Creek Room.
The market's own site hasn't locked in those details yet. It says winter hours and location "will be shared here once confirmed." Check the Market in the Valley calendar before the first Sunday. The time listed elsewhere is an hour later than the summer start, and an early arrival in November means a cold wait.
The vendor list shifts, too. The market's vendor directory notes that not every vendor attends each Sunday. With only five winter dates, it's worth checking ahead if you have a favorite stall.
That leaves the rest of each month, and Brookview fills those days too.
Six curling rinks that don't need snow
The busiest part of Brookview's winter happens on what is a lawn bowling green in summer. Brookview sets up six outdoor synthetic pub curling rinks there and keeps them open seven days a week through the winter for drop-in play, leagues and event rentals. Because the surface is synthetic, the rinks don't wait for a cold snap or a snowfall the way the trail does.
The outdoor pub curling page lists the details:
- Weekday hours: Monday through Friday, 3 to 8 p.m.
- Weekend hours: Saturday noon to 8 p.m., Sunday noon to 5 p.m.
- Rink reservations: by phone at 763-512-2303, up to seven days ahead
- Private groups: 763-512-2305. Group availability, catering and drinks are not guaranteed for events booked within two weeks.
- Holiday schedule: closed December 24 and 25, 2026, and January 1, 2027. Open noon to 4 p.m. on December 31, 2026.
The two-week rule matters most in December. If you want rinks for an office party or a family get-together the week before the holidays, call early in the month.
A lighted mile that waits for real snow
The trail runs on a different schedule because it depends on snowfall. Brookview grooms a one-mile, lighted multi-use trail, 6 to 8 feet wide, using natural snow only. Grooming starts when there is enough snow and continues through late February, weather permitting. The trail is open to cross-country skiers, snowshoers, skijorers and walkers, and conditions and closures are on a recorded line at 763-512-2300 (follow the prompts).
Since the trail is lit, a weekday evening ski is possible after dark. Since it needs natural snow, a dry December can keep it closed even with the curling rinks a short walk away running every night.
For thin-snow stretches, the nearest fallback is across the city line. The Loppet Foundation lists the snowmaking trails at Theodore Wirth Park in its All-Access trail system, and its 2026–27 ski passes are on sale now. The Loppet trail pass page has not posted an opening date for this season. Brookview's trail costs nothing to check. Wirth is the option when the ground is still brown.
Disc golf once the regular courses close
Brookview's winter disc golf begins when the regulation and par-3 golf courses close for the season. It has two 18-hole courses, free and open seven days a week, usually from late November to early March depending on the weather. Bring your own discs.
Brookview's winter recreation page also lists fat-tire biking alongside skiing, snowshoeing, skijoring, walking, curling and disc golf. Three One Six Bar + Grill stays open with food, drinks, warm-up areas, restrooms and locker rooms. You can play nine holes in the cold, curl an end, and warm up in the same building, with no second drive.
Two November days, back to back
The season starts at Brookview with two neighboring days. Saturday, November 7, is the first fall leaf drop-off at Brookview Park, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The next morning, the Winter Market opens upstairs. The city's November calendar lists two more drop-off days the following weekend.
| Date | Day | At Brookview |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 7, 2026 | Saturday | Leaf drop-off, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
| Nov. 8, 2026 | Sunday | Winter Market in the Valley returns |
| Nov. 13, 2026 | Friday | Leaf drop-off, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| Nov. 14, 2026 | Saturday | Leaf drop-off, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
| Dec. 4, 2026 | Friday | Blizzard Bash, 5:30 to 8 p.m. |
| Dec. 13, 2026 | Sunday | Winter Market |
| Jan. 10, 2027 | Sunday | Winter Market |
| Feb. 14, 2027 | Sunday | Winter Market |
| Mar. 14, 2027 | Sunday | Winter Market, final date |
If you're bagging leaves in early November, the first trip to Brookview and the first market morning fall on the same weekend.
December's Friday, Sunday and Monday
December has the busiest stretch, and most of it is at Brookview.
On Friday, December 4, the Blizzard Bash runs at Brookview from 5:30 to 8 p.m. It's free. Westopolis lists food while supplies last, live entertainment, cookie decorating, arts and crafts, photos with Santa, giveaways, curling and disc golf sessions, s'mores over an outdoor fire, and free access to the indoor playground all day. Three One Six sells more food and drinks. The free curling and disc golf sessions are an easy way to try both before booking a rink or heading out alone in January.
Nine days later, Sunday, December 13, is the second Winter Market, the last one before the holidays.
The next evening's event is the one that's not at Brookview. On Monday, December 14, the CPKC Holiday Train stops on Golden Hills Drive. The CPKC 2026 U.S. route schedule gives a 5 to 5:30 p.m. stop with Allen Stone performing. The city's December calendar lists a wider window, 4 to 6 p.m., at the railway crossing on Golden Hills Drive. The train itself is there for about half an hour, so arriving within the city's earlier window is the safer plan.
The train's main purpose is collecting for local food banks. According to CPKC's Holiday Train FAQ, food bank representatives collect at each stop. Money is preferred, but nonperishable food and cash are both accepted, and donations stay in the community where they're given. Nothing is collected on board the train. If you miss the Golden Valley stop, the same schedule has the train in St. Louis Park at Lake Street and Library Lane from 6:15 to 6:45 p.m.
By December 14, you'll have had the Blizzard Bash on Friday, the market on Sunday and the train on Monday, three events in eleven days, two of them at Brookview. After that the calendar thins out to monthly market Sundays and whatever the snow allows. The curling rinks stay open on every one of those days the holiday schedule doesn't close them.
At McKevitt Perez Real Estate, we keep track of calendars like this one for the communities we serve. If you'd like this kind of local guide for your corner of Golden Valley, or want to know which homes are an easy walk to Brookview, we're glad to help you find the lifestyle you want.
