The lake end of Linden Hills has gone quiet for the year. Bread & Pickle, the walk-up counter on Lake Harriet, is closed for the 2026 season. The village at 43rd and Upton said goodbye to a storefront that had been open for more than half a century. The calendar between now and mid-December still fills up, and much of it runs on the Como-Harriet streetcar. That line connects the lakeshore to the neighborhood. Its holiday schedule and Linden Hills' own winter events overlap most on Saturday, Dec. 5.
Here's how the season shifts, and how to plan around that Saturday.
The shoreline shut early, as it does every year
Axios Twin Cities reported on Oct. 7 that most seasonal restaurants in Minneapolis parks closed the first Sunday or Monday of October, warm weather or not. The photo at the top of that story is Bread & Pickle, shut on a Monday while the forecast called for temperatures near 80 that weekend. The same story notes that average fall temperatures in the Twin Cities have risen 5.2 degrees since 1970. The calendar for lakeside food and park programming hasn't changed to match.
The note on Bread & Pickle's site is short:
We are closed for the 2026 season. See you in 2027!
That leaves 4135 W Lake Harriet Parkway without a place to grab food and drink until next year. For the next several months, anything social near the lake has to come from somewhere else.
The village lost a fixture, too
Up the hill, Coffee and Tea Ltd closed its Linden Hills storefront at 2730 West 43rd Street on Aug. 31. The Ward 13 newsletter from Sept. 3 marked the end of more than 50 years in business for owner Jim Cone. The council member remembered him as someone who "greeted every customer warmly" and who regularly donated coffee to community efforts.
The coffee itself is still available. Coffee and Tea Ltd has been roasting offsite, and its online store says coffee is custom-roasted for each order and ships the same day. Some items show as out of stock. If a bag from that shop has been your morning routine for years, you can still keep it going.
That stretch of 43rd Street still has plenty going on. Everett & Charlie sits next door at 2720 West 43rd St. #103. Wild Rumpus Books shares the 2720 address, and that will matter again on Dec. 5.
What keeps the week going in November
With the lake closed, the week runs on a few village standbys. Here's what the Linden Hills Neighborhood Council's all-ages calendar lists as recurring:
- Mondays, 6:30 p.m.: Initials Game with Trivia Mafia at Wooden Ship Brewing, 3300 W 44th St.
- Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m.: Trivia with Trivia Mafia, also at Wooden Ship
- Wednesdays, 5 to 11 p.m.: Wine Wednesdays at Picnic, with bottles of wine half off
- First Thursdays: the Tiny Art Gallery at Everett & Charlie, with every piece under $30
- Sundays, noon to 3 p.m.: Wooden Ship happy hour, $2 off full pours
The one outdoor pick on the November calendar is at the lake. Roberts Rambles with Tanner meets Sunday, Nov. 8, from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. at the Visitor Shelter in Roberts Bird Sanctuary. The October ramble started at 10 a.m. This one is set for late afternoon. Sign up through the link on the council's calendar.
The streetcar picks up where the lakeshore leaves off
Once the lakeshore closes, the Como-Harriet Streetcar Line keeps going. In 2026 it ran weekend service from 1 to 7 p.m. May through September, then 1 to 4 p.m. in October. Then the Minnesota Streetcar Museum's 2026 special events take over, and they cluster around Thanksgiving weekend and the first weekend of December.
| Date | Event | Time | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 27 | All Aboard | Noon to 3 p.m. | Regular fares |
| Sat., Nov. 28 | Holly Trolley | Noon to 3:30 p.m. | $5 |
| Sat., Nov. 28 | Santa's Storytime | Trips at 5 and 6:30 p.m. | $15, ticket required |
| Sun., Nov. 29 | Holly Trolley | Noon to 3:30 p.m. | $5 |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Holly Trolley | Noon to 3:30 p.m. | $5 |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Vinternatt | 6 to 8:30 p.m. | $6 |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | Holly Trolley | Noon to 3:30 p.m. | $5 |
A few details from the museum's listings help with planning. All Aboard, the day after Thanksgiving, is billed as "a calmer, quieter ride for neurodiverse folk, families, and friends." That makes it a good option if the house is full and someone needs a low-key outing. Holly Trolley puts Santa on board for a ride of about 25 minutes. Afterward there's a fire for toasting marshmallows, and Boy Scouts sell hot drinks, s'mores kits and hot dogs. Holly Trolley tickets are sold by trip and only for that day, starting around 11:30 a.m. at the Linden Hills depot, so the morning line is for choosing your ride time. Santa's Storytime is a smaller evening event where Santa reads a traditional Christmas story and visits with each child. Holly Trolley, Santa's Storytime and Vinternatt all ask riders to bring a new, unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots.
Saturday, Dec. 5: three events, one day
On Dec. 5, the streetcar schedule and the neighborhood's own winter events land on the same day, and they barely overlap.
The neighborhood council's calendar puts Reindeer Day at the intersection of 44th and Upton from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The 2026 listing doesn't describe the program yet. Past years have had a lot going on. A 2025 event listing from Family Fun Twin Cities described live reindeer, photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, crafts, cocoa, cookies, storytime and live entertainment, with activities centered around Upton and 43rd. Wild Rumpus held a free Reindeer Day storytime at noon last year. The location shifted between 43rd and 44th in past listings, so check the council's page that week before you head out.
Here's one way to plan the day:
- 10 a.m. Start at Reindeer Day around Upton while the morning crowd is small.
- 11:30 a.m. Walk to the Linden Hills depot when Holly Trolley tickets go on sale and choose an early-afternoon ride.
- Noon to 3:30 p.m. Ride with Santa, then warm up at the fire. Bring the Toys for Tots donation.
- Late afternoon Head back to the village for a break. Wooden Ship's calendar doesn't list Saturday hours for December, so check before you go.
- 6 to 8:30 p.m. Come back for Vinternatt. The museum says the streetcar runs "through the wooded glen" with luminaria along the right-of-way and lighted trees in the woods.
The whole day happens within a few blocks of 43rd and Upton and the depot. If you pick a Holly Trolley ride time in the morning, you won't have to wait in line during the afternoon.
Dec. 17 brings everyone back to the shops
The season ends in the village with the annual Holiday Wine & Stroll on Thursday, Dec. 17, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. New Gild Jewelers presents the event, and the evening starts at its shop at 4300 Upton Avenue South. The listing promises holiday carolers, drinks and light bites. Participating shops will have special offers, swag bags and discounts, and some service providers with offices in the village will open their doors too. Store hours may vary that night.
The organizers say plainly that local retailers "can absolutely use your support for your holiday shopping season this year." That's especially true in a year when the village lost one of its longest-running shops in August.
Here are the remaining dates on one list:
- Nov. 8: Roberts Rambles in the late afternoon, Roberts Bird Sanctuary
- Nov. 27: All Aboard on the Como-Harriet streetcar
- Nov. 28 and 29: Holly Trolley, plus Santa's Storytime on the 28th
- Dec. 5: Reindeer Day, Holly Trolley and Vinternatt
- Dec. 6: Holly Trolley's last weekend run
- Dec. 17: Holiday Wine & Stroll, starting at New Gild Jewelers
I hope to see you at the depot with a toy in hand. If the holidays have you thinking about what spring might look like for your own home in Linden Hills, Kelly Bollinger would love to talk it through over coffee, maybe a bag of Coffee and Tea Ltd. Schedule your complimentary home consultation whenever you're ready.
