Events

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Cost: $10, $20 or $35 per car

This beloved annual event features the release of the 2026 Northstar Bison herd onto Belwin’s Bison Prairie. In addition to the release, visitors can enjoy fun activities for all ages, such as a 5k “Run with the Bison” Fun Run, live music, eco-arts, and food trucks. This Festival celebrates the bison's critical ecological role in restoring and maintaining our prairie.

Event Highlights

In addition to the release, the Bison Festival offers engaging, family-friendly activities and educational experiences:

• 5k "Run with the Bison" Fun Run through two of Belwin's beautiful restored prairies: the Bison Prairie, that has been maintained by bison for the past 15 years, and Tallgrass Trails.
• Carpenter Nature Center will present Animals of the St. Croix, a live-animal program where guests can meet wildlife ambassadors that call the St. Croix River Valley home.
• Conservation organizations including Wild Rivers Conservancy and the Washington Conservation District will feature interactive exhibits focused on ecological health and restoration.
• Arts activities: Taylor Robers will guide participants in creating a simple zine to record observations at Belwin or in their own landscapes, with an emphasis on seeing landscape as part of home. Artists Abel Santos Meeker, Connor Garber, Damaris Benitez Franco, Rhianna Hajduch, and Vernon Vanderwood present The Phenology Wheel Pavilion—a three-dimensional, walk-through installation where participants can mark observations, and explore seasonal changes.
• NorthStar Bison will offer samples and bison products for sale.
• Live music: The Riddle Brothers deliver an eclectic acoustic mix of Americana, folk, and original songs, while Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Robert Everest brings music from around the world.
• Local food vendors include Youniverse Foodie, Twin Cities Pita, and Gerhards Brats.
• Limitless Cycling will be on site for demonstrations of adaptive equipment, providing access to the outdoors for individuals with mobility challenges. 
• Before the release of the bison onto the prairie, there will be a ceremonial welcome by the Imnizaska Dakota Drum Group, honoring the return of the bison to the land.
• Kevin Smokyday will lead a community pipe ceremony and feast at the Indigenous Learning Site to honor the buffalo and the many gifts they share with us throughout the summer season.

Schedule

* The bison will be released at approximately 12:30 pm. Arrive by noon to allow time to park and walk to the Bison Prairie.

Please Note: No dogs or alcohol allowed at this event or any other Belwin event.

Sponsors

Special thanks to Pioneer Press, Royal Credit Union, and Outback Nursery for sponsoring this event.

Sound equipment courtesy of Insight Brewing.