Downtown to Feature 1,800+ Events and Activities Thru September

Summer is kicking off in downtown Minneapolis with a jam-packed schedule that includes more than 1,800 events now through September.

More employees are spending time in the office. That, coupled with a dynamic and full event schedule, will make Downtown a busy and vibrant destination this summer.

As a kickoff to summer downtown, all workers, residents, and visitors are invited to participate in Downtown Field Day on June 1 at The Commons. Come to work, stay to play! Activities, games, friendly competitions, food trucks, celebrity appearances, live music, and happy hour will take place throughout the day between 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Downtown Field Day 

• Thursday, June 1
• The Commons, 425 Portland Avenue S
• 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

“This is a great time to be downtown Minneapolis, and we invite you to join us this summer,” said Leah Wong, Vice President External Relations of the mpls downtown council. “With more than 1,800 events and activities, there is something for everyone. Come to the office, plan a dinner outing, see an outdoor movie, or take in a major concert. There are limitless options for you to explore downtown.”

Tuesdays through Thursdays are the busiest in-office workdays, and we are bookending those days with weekly opportunities to connect downtown, including: 

• Tuesdays: Nicollet xChange. Sustainability marketplace with themed weeks. Includes Street Eats/food trucks, giveaways, exchanges (fashion, home goods, sporting goods, media, books), music, and more. 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. on Nicollet between 8th & 9th Streets
• Wednesdays: Go Outside with Hennepin County summer sessions over lunch hours, outdoor movies/music and the Mpls Park Market at The Commons, and Beyond the Box performances at 5th and Nicollet
• Thursdays: Downtown Thursdays: Click here for a full list of 24 Downtown Thursdays promotions, including:

• Food: Come Pho Soup, Dairy Queen, EaTo, Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis, Hell’s Kitchen, Jolliet House, Lutunji’s Palate Bakery & Café, Sawatdee Thai Restaurant, The Burger Place 
• Beverages: Brit’s Pub, Fulton Brewing, Modist Brewing Co., O’Donovan’s Irish Pub, On the Rox
• Work/Parking: Life Time Work, Expansive Workspace, 910 LaSalle Ramp
• Retail: B’YOUtique, Bonobos, ChiroWay Chiropractic, FedEx, Hotel Indigo, Lontis Spa and Salon, Tropictrends

Last year, downtown welcomed more than 8.6 million patrons for major events. This summer, with 57 days of 15+ events, 27 days of 20+ events, and 3 days of 30+ events, it is anticipated that these converging events and activities will help those attendance numbers exceed 2022.

A full schedule of downtown events is available at mplsdowntown.com. Don’t miss out on the fun festivities this summer, including major events such as: 

• Pianos on Parade presented by PNC Bank—June 1 – 30
• Music in the Park—June through September
  • At The Commons (Wednesdays at 12 p.m. and Thursdays at 7 p.m.)
  • At Water Works Park & Pavilion (Mondays at 7 p.m. and Fridays at 12 p.m.)
  • At Loring Park (Tuesdays at 12 p.m. and Fridays at 7 p.m.)
• Movies in the Park through August at the Commons on Wednesday nights at dusk
• Go Outside with Hennepin County: Movie Nights and Fitness Classes at Target Field Station, and lunchtime activities at Government Center South Plaza
• 15 major concerts including 6 at downtown’s major stadiums:
  • Taylor Swift (June 23 & 24) and Ed Sheeran (August 12) at U.S. Bank Stadium
  • Twin Cities Summer Fest at Target Field (July 14 & 15)
  • P!NK at Target Field (August 10)
  • 9 concerts at Target Center
• 16 total days of festivals including:
  • Stone Arch Festival (June 17 – 18)
  • Twin Cities Pride (June 23 – 25)
  • Taste of Minnesota (July 2 – 3)
  • International Day of Music (July 15)
  • Aquatennial (July 19 – 22)
  • Loring Park Art Festival (July 29 – 30)
  • Downtown Minneapolis Street Art Festival (August 12 – 13)
• 53 Twins games at Target Field
• 18 Lynx games at Target Center
• 4 Vikings games at U.S. Bank Stadium
• 16 performances of Broadway shows at The Orpheum:
  • Tootsie (June 20 – 25)
  • Jagged Little Pill (August 8 – 13)
• 24 performances of “It’s Not the Heat, It’s the Stupidity” at Brave New Workshop (June 1 – August 5)
• 164 performances of shows at The Guthrie:
  • Murder on the Orient Express (May 13 – July 2)
  • Into The Woods (June 17 – August 13)
  • Shane (July 15 – August 27)
• 240+ live concerts at First Avenue, The Armory, The Fillmore, Dakota, and more
• 44 Minnesota Orchestra concerts at Orchestra Hall
• Patio happy hour specials
• 185 Street Show performances
• 100+ activities and performances at Peavey Plaza

“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome our fans downtown as we celebrate the 25th season of Lynx basketball,” said Carley Knox, President of Business Operations for the Minnesota Lynx. “Downtown offers Lynx fans a full game-day experience before and after games, and we are excited to tip-off our season.”

Overall, there are more than 430 restaurants and retail shops open downtown, and each week there are new ways to enjoy all that downtown has to offer.

“Downtown Minneapolis is critically important to the vitality of our city, state and, region,” said Ben Hawn, President & Chief Operating Office, Pohlad Companies. “We believe in downtown, we continue to be committed to bringing our employees to our downtown office space, and we are excited to help connect people together in our city’s core this summer.”

There is a wide variety of markets and places to stroll and browse each week in downtown including: 

• Daily: Minneapolis Farmers Market – Lyndale Avenue, open 6 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Tuesdays: Nicollet xChange (food, giveaways, exchanges, music, and more), 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 
• Wednesdays: Mpls Park Market featuring The Black Market Events at The Commons, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
• Thursdays: Downtown Thursdays (food, music, giveaways, and more), 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
• Fridays: Mpls Park Market featuring indigenous makers at Water Works, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• Saturdays: Mill City Farmers Market, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.  

“For Target, Minneapolis is not only home to our headquarters, it’s also a community where so many of our team members live,” says Amanda Nusz, Senior Vice President of Corporate Responsibility and President of the Target Foundation. “We have immense pride in our city and are proud to partner with the Minneapolis Downtown Council on this initiative to celebrate and support the things that make it a great place to live, work and shop.”

The mpls downtown calendar includes upcoming events and can help you plan your next visit. Find the calendar, and enjoy interactive guides, patio/happy hour ideas, and more at www.mplsdowntown.com/events.

Plus, share your experiences on social media tagging #mymplsdt, and look for downtown giveaways including tickets, gift cards, and experiences on the @mplsdowntown Instagram account.

Downtown Minneapolis will be busy with a jam-packed summer events schedule. Now through September 30, there are more than 1,800 events taking place downtown including professional sports, theatre, concerts, performances, outdoor movies, markets and more. The mpls downtown summer campaign is supported in partnership with Pohlad Family Foundation, Target, U.S. Bank, Thrivent, mpls downtown council, Delta Dental, Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Lynx, Minnesota Timberwolves, Sleep Number, Meet Minneapolis, the City of Minneapolis, the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, and many more. For more information, visit www.mplsdowntown.com.