Fall & Winter Fun & City Resources
Recreation Center
Something for everyone, all year long! Rochester Parks & Recreation’s Recreation Center offers year-round opportunities to stay active, learn something new and spend time together. Enjoy ice skating, lap and family swimming, gym activities and more with affordable daily admission and membership options for individuals and families. Swimming and skating lessons and classes are also available for a variety of ages and skill levels.
Planning a gathering? The Recreation Center offers flexible spaces and activities for birthday parties, team celebrations, business events, school fundraisers and more. Rent the gymnasium, ice rink, pools or rooms to create an event that fits your group.
Ready to come play with us? Explore Recreation Center programs, memberships, rates and rentals.
Winter Fun
Make the most of winter with outdoor recreation opportunities throughout Rochester! Lace up your skates at outdoor ice rinks, hit the trails for cross-country skiing or enjoy a day of sledding at local parks. Outdoor winter activities typically run from mid-December through mid-February, weather permitting. Explore winter activities and locations.
Looking to bring winter fun to your neighborhood, school, organization or park? The Thrive Outside Winter Activity Trailer is available by reservation from Nov. 15 through March 31 and includes sleds, snowshoes, fort-building kits, a firepit and more for groups of up to 30 people. Learn more about the Winter Activity Trailer and reservations.
Community Education
Try something new. Build your community. Rochester Public Schools Community Education offers opportunities for people of all ages to learn, grow and connect. From early childhood and youth programs to adult enrichment, career pathways and inclusive programming, there are classes, activities and experiences for every age and stage.
Learn to sew, practice yoga, explore the planetarium, speak a new language and more. Have a skill or passion to share? Community Education is also looking for instructors and new class ideas. Explore upcoming classes, trips and programs through RPS Community Education.
AccessABLE Recreation Programs
Rochester Parks & Recreation’s AccessABLE Recreation programs provide meaningful opportunities for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to participate in their community. Programs are designed to build independence, social skills and physical ability while creating active, welcoming spaces for participants.
Offerings include after-school recreation for youth and young adults, one-to-one adaptive swim lessons for ages 4-12 and A Meaningful Day, a year-round recreational program for adults 21 and older. Additional seasonal programs are offered throughout the year, with more opportunities coming this spring and summer. Explore AccessABLE Recreation programs and registration information.
Pipsqueaks Indoor Play Zone
Big adventures for little explorers! Pipsqueaks is a fun indoor play space for children kindergarten age and younger, featuring climbing, riding, imaginative play and dedicated toddler areas. Pipsqueaks is open Nov. 9, 2026, through April 25, 2027, at United Way of Olmsted County. Admission is $3 per child, with free admission for ages 6 months and younger and a six-visit punch card available for $15.
Planning a celebration? Private three-hour rentals are also available for birthdays, family events and special occasions. Explore Pipsqueaks and reserve your party.
City of Rochester Snow Summit
Get ready for winter at the City of Rochester Snow Summit! This free, family-friendly event brings together snow-themed activities and helpful information to prepare you for the season. Explore City snow vehicles and equipment, meet snow and ice safety experts, check out interactive exhibits, paint a snowplow and more.
Join us Saturday, Oct. 24, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the Maintenance Center, 580 44th St. NE. Free parking is available on site. Visit the Rochester Snow Summit webpage. Wondering what to expect? Watch highlights from a past Snow Summit.
Reserve & Rent
Park Buildings & Shelters
Find the perfect gathering spot in one of Rochester’s parks. From the historic Plummer House to cozy picnic shelters and the scenic Cascade Lakeside Building, a variety of spaces are available for gatherings and special occasions. Explore park buildings and shelters, view pricing and make a reservation.
Garden Plots
Grow something of your own with a seasonal garden plot at River Road Park or Zumbro South Park. The 20-by-30-foot plots are available May through October for $35 per season, with reservations opening in January. Learn more about garden plots and reservations.
Activity Trailers
Bring the fun to your neighborhood, school, organization or park with one of three free recreation trailers. Choose from the Building Blocks Party Trailer, Thrive Outside Winter Activity Trailer or Youth Connections Sports Trailer, each packed with activities for its season. Explore activity trailers and make a reservation.
Get Active at RCTC
The Rochester Regional Sports Center at Rochester Community and Technical College offers several ways for community members to stay active, from pickleball and indoor walking to court rentals. RCTC
Community Open-Gym Pickleball
Get on the court this fall with community open-gym pickleball. Sessions are open to all skill levels, and pickleball nets are provided. RCTC students and employees can participate for free with a valid college ID, while community members can join for $5 per session or purchase a 10-visit pass for $40. Registration is required. Sign up for community open-gym pickleball.
Walking & Jogging
Community members can use the indoor track for free during designated walking and jogging hours. Hours vary throughout the week, and the track may close for large events, scheduled activities and RCTC-observed holidays. View Rochester Regional Sports Center information and hours.
Court Reservations
Looking for your own court time? Courts at the Rochester Regional Sports Center are available to reserve for a rental fee. Submit a court reservation request.
Winter Adult Sports Leagues
Stay active and have some fun this winter with Rochester Parks & Recreation adult sports leagues. Choose from men’s and women’s basketball or coed broomball and dodgeball, with league play beginning in November or January depending on the sport. Registration dates vary, so be sure to sign up early to get in the game.
Explore winter adult sports leagues and registration information.
Indoor Volleyball
Enjoy indoor volleyball all year long at the National Volleyball Center. With 11 indoor courts available to rent for $31 plus tax per hour, there’s plenty of space to get a group together and play. Open volleyball is also offered most Friday and Sunday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m.
Explore court rentals and open volleyball at the National Volleyball Center.
Your Parks. Your Investment.
In 2020, Rochester voters approved $2 million a year in dedicated funding for parks. Since then, those dollars have helped improve parks and recreation spaces across the city, supporting both major projects and smaller improvements in neighborhood parks.
See Your Investment at Work
Soldiers Field Memorial Park: New aquatic center, playground and trail improvements, shelters, landscaping and more.
Silver Lake Park: New pool and splash pad, play areas, shelter and other amenities, with more work still to come.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park: Work underway includes a new splash pad, playground, basketball courts, community gardens, sidewalks, restrooms and other improvements.
Cascade Lake Park: New pavilion, amphitheater, play areas, landscaping and more.
Cook, Slatterly and Kutzky Parks: New pickleball and tennis courts. INVESTMENT
Improvements Across Rochester
Referendum funding has supported improvements throughout Rochester’s park system, including four new splash pads, 20 playground areas improved, renovated or replaced, 14 sites with court improvements, 12 sports fields improved and 84 acres of natural areas restored.
Making Your Investment Go Further
The City has also worked to maximize the impact of referendum dollars by securing state and federal grants and partnering with other organizations. At Soldiers Field Memorial Park, for example, referendum funding was combined with funding from Destination Medical Center, the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program and a state grant to support the larger transformation of the park.
Partner Opportunities
Looking for more ways to get active? Rochester is home to a wide variety of sports, leagues, classes and recreation programs for youth and adults. Community partners offer opportunities ranging from baseball, basketball and hockey to dance, gymnastics, rowing, skiing, swimming, tennis, volleyball and more.
Whether you’re interested in trying something new, joining a league or finding an activity you already love, there are options for a variety of ages and interests. Explore partner sports and recreation opportunities in Rochester.
125 LIVE
Live well and stay connected at 125 LIVE! Open to all adults ages 18 and older, 125 LIVE offers opportunities to stay active, learn something new and connect with others. Choose from more than 100 weekly fitness classes, a warm-water pool, boxing studio, pickleball, ping-pong and a state-of-the-art fitness center. 125 Live
There’s plenty beyond fitness, too. Social members can enjoy card games, live music, pottery and art, billiards and a variety of educational opportunities. Explore everything 125 LIVE has to offer.
Downtown Events
There’s plenty happening in downtown Rochester this October! Enjoy Salsa Rueda and Dancing Downtown, Fresh Air Fitness Yoga, live music, Burgers & Brews and seasonal favorites including Spookiest House on the Block, Frankenstein, Dinosaur Adventure and Fall-O-Ween. Explore events and activities in downtown Rochester.
Celebrate Rochester! New Year’s Eve
Ring in 2027 at the fifth annual Celebrate Rochester! New Year’s Eve celebration on Dec. 31 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mayo Civic Center. This free, all-ages community celebration features live music, indoor roller skating, inflatables, local food vendors, a climbing wall, face painting, a kids balloon drop and more.
Mayor’s Medal of Honor
Help recognize someone who goes above and beyond to make a difference in our community. Nominations are now open for the Mayor’s Medal of Honor, which recognizes individuals whose service and contributions help make Rochester a better place. Nominations are due Oct. 31, 2026.
Rochester Public Library
Ye Olde Library Renaissance Faire
Step back in time for a magical evening at Rochester Public Library’s Ye Olde Library Renaissance Faire! This free, all-ages event features games, crafts, demonstrations and live music by the Loreweavers. Join the festivities Friday, Nov. 6, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Rochester Public Library.
View Ye Olde Library Renaissance Faire event details.
Explore Rochester History
Discover Rochester’s past with free resources available through Rochester Public Library. Search historic local newspapers, explore genealogy and family history, browse local yearbooks, learn about Rochester’s African American history and preserve your own memories with the library’s Convert-O-Lab. Some resources are available only in the library.
Seasonal Parking Requirements
Seasonal parking requirements are in effect citywide Nov. 1 through April 1, every day regardless of the weather. From 2 a.m. to 3 p.m., park on the side of the street with house numbers that correspond to the calendar date: even side on even days and odd side on odd days.
Learn more about seasonal parking and winter snow removal.
Ice Safety
Remember, ice is never 100% safe. Before heading onto the ice, check conditions and make sure the ice is thick enough for your planned activity. Recommended minimum thickness ranges from 4 inches for walking to 20 or more inches for a heavy-duty truck with a wheelhouse shelter. PARKING AND ICE
Protect Our Water This Fall and Winter
Small actions at home can make a big difference for Rochester’s waterways. This fall, keep leaves and yard waste out of streets, gutters and storm drains by sweeping them up and mulching or composting when possible. Rochester does not offer a leaf pickup service, but residents can drop off leaves and other yard waste for free at the Olmsted County compost site.
When winter arrives, shovel snow early and use salt sparingly. More salt doesn’t mean more melting, and excess salt can wash into storm drains and eventually reach lakes, streams, rivers and wetlands. Sweep up leftover salt, sand and deicer so it can be reused and kept out of our waterways.
Healthy Home Helpers
Healthy Home Helpers is a free City of Rochester program that helps residents improve indoor air quality, reduce energy costs and create healthier living spaces. Participants receive a free in-home consultation with a trained Healthy Home Helper, who can identify ways to improve comfort and efficiency, answer questions about indoor air and energy use, and connect residents with additional programs and rebates.
Each participating household also receives a free Healthy Home Kit valued at more than $120, with items such as energy- and water-saving products, weatherization materials, a radon test kit and a carbon monoxide detector.
Learn more about Healthy Home Helpers and sign up for a free visit.
Want more sustainability information and resources from the City? Sign up for the Quarterly Sustainability E-Newsletter.
General Election: Nov. 3
The 2026 General Election is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Voters can cast their ballot by mail, vote early in person or vote at their assigned polling place on Election Day. Absentee voting begins Sept. 18, with additional early in-person voting options available as Election Day approaches.
Learn more about voting in Rochester, including absentee and early voting.
Not sure where to vote on Election Day? Find your polling place.
Connect with Rochester 311
Have a question, need a City service or want to report a non-emergency issue? Rochester 311 makes it easy to connect with the City and get the information or assistance you need. Connect by calling 311 or 507-328-2311, using the “Ask Chester” chatbot on the City website or downloading the Rochester 311 app. For emergencies, always call 911. VOTING AND 311
Community & Council Forum
Your city. Your voice. Join the Mayor and City Council on Monday, Nov. 30, at Historic Chateau Theatre for an evening focused on Rochester’s future. The event begins with a meet and greet from 5:30 to 6 p.m., followed by the Community & Council Forum from 6 to 8 p.m.
Hear highlights from the 2026 National Community Survey and share your ideas about what you want to see, experience and prioritize in Rochester in the years ahead. Come help shape the conversation about what’s next for Rochester.
View Community & Council Forum event details.
Connect With Us
Stay connected with the City of Rochester for news, updates and information. Follow the City on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Connect with City Services
Whether you have a question, need to report a concern or aren’t sure which department to contact, 311 connects you with the right team quickly and efficiently.