Things to Do in Winona, MN in November 2026
Election Day, Thanksgiving week, free state park access, concerts, folk art workshops and civic gatherings across the Island City, all in date order.
November in Winona means crisp bluff-top air, the Mississippi settling into its winter rhythm, and a packed community calendar before the holidays take over. We pulled the month’s best events from Winona State University, the Minnesota Marine Art Museum, the Winona County Historical Society, Engage Winona, local churches, taprooms and state parks.
Every event below is listed in chronological order. Jump to what you need:
π³οΈ Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Minnesota’s 2026 General Election is on the ballot for every Winona voter. Statewide races include Governor and U.S. Senate, plus Congressional District 1, the Minnesota Legislature, and Winona County offices.
π Find Your Polling Place
Polling places can change. Enter your address in the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Polling Place Finder to confirm where you vote and preview your sample ballot. Most Minnesota polling places are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
π Not Registered Yet?
Minnesota offers Election Day registration at your polling place. Bring an accepted proof of residence. Check the Secretary of State’s site for the full list of accepted documents before you go.
ποΈ Vote Early
In-person absentee voting has been open since September 18 and continues through the day before Election Day. Contact the Winona County elections office for hours and location.
π WSU Students
Winona State University is keeping its calendar clear for voting: no university activities will be scheduled between 6 and 8 p.m. on Election Day.
π All Month Long
These run through all of November, so you can fit them in any day that works.
“Changing Currents: Through Stillness and Motion”
Abstract painter Mary Meuwissen’s oil and cold wax works explore the push and pull between stillness and movement. On view at the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries on the Saint Mary’s University campus, October 22 through December 20, open daily 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Exhibit details βBald Eagle Watching on the Mississippi
As backwaters ice over, bald eagles concentrate along stretches of open, moving water on the Upper Mississippi. Bring binoculars to Levee Park and the downtown riverfront on cold, clear mornings, and dress for wind off the river.
Plan with Visit Winona βπ Winona Events Calendar: November 2026
20 hand-picked events, sorted by date. Thanksgiving week and the November 28 listing follow below.
WSU Symphonic Wind Ensemble & Symphonic Band Concert
Open November with a free Sunday afternoon concert from Winona State’s Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band, directed by Melanie Brooks.
Event Details βWSU General Registration Opens for Winter, Spring & Summer 2027
General registration opens for Winter Session 2026β27, Spring 2027 and Summer 2027 courses. It’s also the first day students finishing in Spring or Summer 2027 can apply for graduation online.
Event Details βGeneral Election Day
Cast your ballot in Minnesota’s 2026 General Election. See the voter guide above for polling places, Election Day registration and early voting.
Voter Info βAcoustic Jam Night at Two Fathoms Brewing
Kyle Gruehlke and Jim Reineke host an open acoustic jam on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Bring your own instrument (seating is provided) or just grab a pint and listen inside the brewery’s restored 1883 freight station.
Event Details βSilent Book Club: Final Gathering of 2026
The Winona Public Library and No Name Bar wrap up their monthly Silent Book Club, held the first Thursday of each month through November. Bring any book, order a drink, and enjoy an unhurried stretch of reading with fellow book lovers. No assigned reading and no pressure to talk.
Event Details βWarrior Game Day Experience + WSU Football vs. University of Mary
The Warrior Game Day Experience is a family-friendly pregame party open to students and the whole community. Afterward, head into the stadium to cheer on Warrior Football against the University of Mary.
Game Day Details βJohn Smith & Dan Sebranek Live at the Winona Arts Center
Part of the Winona Arts Center’s fall concert series. The intimate downtown venue is known for some of the best acoustics in the area, which makes it a great spot for a stripped-down evening of live music.
Event Details βVeterans Day
Take a moment to thank the veterans in your life. Winona State University holds no classes and closes its offices for the holiday. Post offices, federal offices and many banks also observe Veterans Day, so check hours before running errands.
WSU Holiday Notice βMuseum Makers Class: “Deck the Halls” Embroidery
Get a head start on handmade holiday dΓ©cor. This cozy afternoon class walks you through a seasonal embroidery project that can be finished as an ornament, with everything you need supplied.
Event Details βLeading Local: Community Convening on Housing Solutions
Engage Winona’s Leading Local initiative brings residents together to talk through practical housing solutions for the Winona area. Come share ideas, hear from neighbors and help shape the conversation on one of the community’s biggest challenges.
Event Details βAn Evening with Leslie Odom Jr.
The Tony and Grammy Award winner best known for originating Aaron Burr in Hamilton comes to Winona for a moderated Q&A followed by a brief live performance. This is the month’s biggest-name event, so get tickets early.
Tickets & Details βWinona State Choir Concert at Wesley United Methodist Church
Winona State’s choir students, directed by Colleen Chester, fill the sanctuary at Wesley United Methodist Church with a free evening performance. Choral music in a church setting is a classic Winona November tradition.
Event Details βLand of Neighbors Listening Session
Engage Winona partners with Minnesota: Land of Neighbors, a statewide campaign of community listening sessions. Residents from different backgrounds and viewpoints are invited to speak honestly about what matters to them and to listen to one another.
Event Details βWSU Jazz Combos Concert
Winona State’s jazz students, directed by Troy Birdsong, play small-group sets in a relaxed campus setting. It’s a free and easy way to catch live jazz on a Monday night.
Event Details βLeading Local Fall Workshop
The next session in Engage Winona’s Leading Local workshop series focuses on building community leadership and civic participation. Check the Engage Winona events page for the confirmed location as the date gets closer.
Event Details β“Late: A Cowboy Song” at Winona State
WSU Theatre stages Sarah Ruhl’s play about one woman’s education and her search for love outside the box. The intimate black box setting puts you right on top of the action.
Tickets & Details βGive to the Max Day 2026
Minnesota’s statewide day of giving returns for its 18th year. Search GiveMN for Winona nonprofits and schools you care about. Engage Winona is among the local organizations participating.
Give on GiveMN βStories of Winona’s Past
Storytellers Merle Hanson and Joe Hughes share tales of the people and places that built Winona, every third Thursday. The library itself, built in 1899, is part of the story: it’s the oldest library building in Minnesota.
Event Details βThird Thursday at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum
New in 2026, MMAM stays open late every third Thursday with reduced admission, a monthly program highlight, and Happier Hour at the museum’s Waterbar Cafe + Provisions. Current exhibitions include Andy DuCett’s Home(town), Geo Rutherford’s Spooky Waters of the World, Barbara McIlrath’s LandSkyWater, Water | Craft, and The Coast and the Sea.
Visit MMAM βWorkshop: Polish PajΔ ki Straw Mobiles with Britt Malec
Making pajΔ ki, hanging mobiles crafted from straw and paper, is a Polish folk tradition that goes back centuries, and it fits right in with Winona’s deep Polish heritage. Grand Marais artist Britt Malec, whose work draws on Slavic and Nordic folk art, leads this two-day workshop. You’ll leave with a finished pajΔ k and the know-how to source materials and keep creating.
Register βπ¦ Thanksgiving Week in Winona
Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026. Here’s how the long weekend lines up.
WSU Student Fall Break
No classes at Winona State, though some offices may stay open. Details
Thanksgiving Day
WSU closes Nov. 26β27. Expect many public offices and businesses to close or shorten hours, so call ahead and finish your grocery and bakery runs early in the week. WSU notice
Free Park Day
The Minnesota DNR waives vehicle permits at every state park. Skip the stores and hike Great River Bluffs State Park or John A. Latsch State Park for big Mississippi River views. Wear blaze orange, since hunting may be happening on neighboring land. DNR info
π½οΈ Community meal tip: Winona Senior High and Winona Middle School student councils host the annual Herky Turkey Thanksgiving community dinner at the high school each November, with dine-in, take-out and delivery options. Watch local news for the 2026 date.
WSU Retiree Center Trip: European Christmas Markets Departs
The WSU Retiree Center’s holiday trip heads out for the Christmas markets of Central Europe’s imperial cities: Prague, Vienna and Budapest. Staying home instead? November 28 is also Small Business Saturday, a perfect day to start your holiday shopping at downtown Winona’s local shops.
Trip Details βπ½οΈ Where to Eat & Drink This November
Warm up between events at these local favorites.
Two Fathoms Brewing
A craft brewery in a restored 1883 freight station steps from the riverfront. It’s the natural stop after eagle-watching, and it hosts the twice-monthly acoustic jam.
No Name Bar
A downtown gathering spot with a busy community calendar, from the Silent Book Club to live music nights. Check its listings for November shows.
Bloedow Bakery
A Winona institution for donuts and baked goods. Go early on the days before Thanksgiving and plan your holiday orders ahead of time.
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π About This Events Guide
This guide highlights a selection of November 2026 events and is not a complete list of everything happening in the Winona area. Have an event we should include? Submit it here.
Dates, times, prices and locations can change, so always confirm with the event organizer before you go. Winona MN Directory is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, the organizations or events listed.
For more ideas year-round, visit Visit Winona and the Winona County Historical Society.
β Event details confirmed October 2026
