The fall and winter seasons are perfect for a Girlfriend Getaway to Grand Rapids, MN. You will find cozy lodging, craft breweries, wine bars, salons and spas to get pampered, boutique style shops, craft shows, holiday open houses, live music and theater performances, and fun places to eat & drink, and art and historic sites. A great weekend to consider is the first weekend in November, which also happens to be Minnesota Deer Hunting Opener. Grand Rapids has many events going on, several craft shows and holiday open houses, and available overnight lodging.

Cozy Lodging

Grand Rapids is a perfect up north destination that provides a wide variety of places to stay. The Grand Rapids Area Resorts offer cabins and Vacation Rentals offer lake homes to rent for a couple of days or more. This gives you multiple bedrooms with twin to king size beds, pull out sofa’s, and futons to expand sleeping options. Cabins can sleep 2-12 people. Many resorts have newer up-to-date cabins that offer full kitchens with dishwashers, wifi, and cable or satellite TV. Many of these properties are located on the lake or have lake views. There are several Grand Rapids Hotels and Motels that are conveniently located in town and close to restaurants, spa services, theater, night life, and walking/biking trails. Our quaint and charming Bed & Breakfasts or Air B&B’s downtown which are also close to town to trails, shops, area lakes and places to eat & drink. View all 37 Grand Rapids, MN Lodging Properties HERE.

Get Pampered

at our local Spa Service Providers in town. True North Salon & Spa is located within Historic Old Central School in the center of downtown. They offer facials, hair services (cuts, blowouts, styling, etc). They are an exclusive Aveda salon. There is Salon Brad which offers full-service hair and waxing services.  Center Space MN offers med spa and day spa services. Muah Spa & Salon offers day services like hair and nail services and massages. Elements Salon & Spa Services offers hair services, facials and massages. And then you will want to talk with your lodging property to see if they have a list of massage therapists that they know that might come directly to the property for a group.

Eat & Drink Local

Start your day out right at one of the local coffee shops like: NoPo Coffee Company, Brewed Awakenings/Bixby’s. For lunch and dinner we suggest Hotel Rapids + Bistro, Rapids Brewing,  Unwined Up North, Florio’s Grill & Tavern, Timberlake Restaurant, Sammy’s Pizza, Forest Lake Restaurant, Pickled Loon Saloon, Zorbaz, Boulder Tap House, El Potro, Fuji Japanese Restaurant, Smoke on the Water, and Cedar Creek Grille. Or maybe, you are looking to cook with your Girlfriends. With two locations for SuperOne Grocery Stores you can shop local from fresh produce, bakery, deli and meat to cook at your own cabin or vacation home rental.

Create Memories

A great way for you and your girlfriends to spend time together is creating something to take home as a memory of your time together. In Grand Rapids we have a rich artistic culture to create art in a natural setting. MacRostie Art Center offers a wide variety of art classes for beginners to advanced students. They can also connect you with an artists that would be interested in coming to you to teach a class. Classes range from painting, pottery, jewelry making, paper making, etc. Classes that they have coming up at their facility are: Wine, Paint & Canvas; Beer Bowls and Bites; Wine, Words & Art.

Seek Outdoor Adventure

Take advantage of the natural setting of Grand Rapids, MN by getting out into nature and experiencing something unique like hiking the Lost Forty. Bicycling the Mesabi Trail or Mountain Biking at Tioga Recreation Area. Snowshoeing at Tioga Recreation Area or Simpson Creek. Cross Country Skiing the Suomi Trail or Legion Trail. Downhill Skiing, snow tubing or cross country skiing at Mt Itasca. Ardent Bicycles offers mountain bike, snowshoe and cross country ski rentals. If you do not feel comfortable in going on trails by yourself, Ardent Bicycle may be able to provide guide services or know of someone who would be interested in guided for a fee. We empower you to get outside in Minnesota’s nature to experience the woods, trails and water. They truly have a positive mental health impact, and allows you to regain balance.

Be Entertained

If after-hours entertainment is something your group desires, check out our Things To Do page. Grand Rapids, Minnesota offers weekly live music at our craft breweries: Klockow Brewing Co and Rapids Brewing Co.  The Reif Center provides an opportunity to attend Broadway style productions, live music concerts, and comedy shows. Check out the Events Calendar to view the weekly line-up of nightlife in Grand Rapids.  Upcoming at the Reif Center is Neil Diamond Tribute Band on November 4, 2023 at 7pm.

Boutique Style Shops, Craft Shows & Holiday Open Houses

Grand Rapids, MN is filled with little boutique style shops that offer one-of-a-kind unique items that you cannot find anywhere else. You will find clothing & shoes, up-north goods, Minnesota made, antiques, vintage, and home décor. Here are some of our favorites: Bender’s Shoes & Gifts, Wings & Willow, Central Square Mall, Itasca County Historical Society Gift Shop, North in Bloom, Thousand Lakes Sporting Goods, Lake + Company, Annabella’s Antique Mall, Shaw Florists, MacRostie Art Center Gallery, Frame Up 218, The Antique Company, Red Willow Co, The Evergreen, and Clara Cupboard Llc. 

In addition to the boutique style shops in Grand Rapids, the first weekend of November there are over 10 craft shows, and holiday open houses. This is a great time to start your holiday shopping! And then from October to December the local shops will be hosting Holiday Open Houses that are fun to view their new holiday decor and gifts.

We hope that we have given you inspiration to book a Girlfriend Getaway to Grand Rapids, MN. Download the Interactive Grand Rapids Visitor Guide for even more Girlfriend Getaway inspiration.