Lucy Wing

The global organization Special Olympics provides opportunities for athletes with intellectual disabilities to participate in high-level competition in over 30 Olympic-type sports. Sixteen of those sports will be hosted in Minnesota from June 20–26 in the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games. The state will welcome about 3,000 athletes, 1,500 coaches, 10,000 volunteers, and 75,000 fans from around the country, inspiring community, inclusion, and competition for participants.

Mode by Flickr, a first-of-its-kind, multi-day photography industry festival, is coming to Minneapolis from September 18–20. It brings together photographers of all kinds for a weekend of keynotes, classes, workshops, panels, and celebrations of the medium. Organized by the photo-sharing website, it aims to take photography out of the digital realm and back to a tangible art form.

Coming off the success of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championship last winter in St. Paul, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced Duluth will be the location for the 2027 Under-18 Men’s World Championship. Ten teams will play out the 29-game tournament at AMSOIL Arena, home of University of Minnesota Duluth hockey, as young talent looks to prove themselves to NHL scouts, fans, and media during the 11-day international competition.