Following are some of our major events. See our Calendar page for all our upcoming events. Sign up to our calendar on Meetup to be notified as activities are scheduled.
Community Gatherings
Our monthly Community Gatherings bring together HumanistsMN members and guests to hear engaging speakers on humanism, social issues, political affairs, science, and other topics of interest to world citizens. HMN leaders also offer updates on business matters and upcoming events. Everyone is welcome at these free get-togethers, which take place at 3 p.m. on the third Saturday of the month, usually at the First Unitarian Society building in Minneapolis. We take a break in June, July, and August, when we hold outdoor picnics with other secular groups (see below). See descriptions and videos of previous Community Gatherings here.
National Day of Reason
One of our guiding principles is that public policy should be based on science, reason, and evidence, not religious preference. We plan an annual event to commemorate the National Day of Reason in May, joining with other secular and advocacy groups to remind Minnesota lawmakers that religion must be separate from government. At our first event, in 2019, we organized a breakfast at the State Capitol and invited legislators and advocacy groups to attend. Our efforts were scaled back in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, but we returned to this model in 2022 and 2023. Find more information, photos, and videos here.
Summer picnics
In the summer, we take a break from our monthly Community Gatherings and sponsor one of three Freethought Picnics. The others are organized by Camp Quest and Minnesota Atheists. Our family-friendly picnic, held at an area park, features catered food plus offerings from our members, beverages, trivia contests, and games for all ages. See photos of our 2023 picnic here.
Winter Solstice celebration
HumanistsMN and Minnesota Atheists alternate hosting a party in December to celebrate the Winter Solstice. This festive event commemorates “the reason for the season” —the axial tilt that creates the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. A perfect time for merriment in anticipation of more daylight! See photos of the 2021, 2019, and 2017 Solstice events.