Family-Friendly Minneapolis International Sister Cities Celebration is July 16 at Nicollet Island Pavilion

The July 16 festivities are open to the public and will include dancing, music, ice cream, and 50th anniversary celebrations with Winnipeg, Canada, and Kuopio, Finland

The annual Sister Cities Day celebration – featuring an afternoon of entertainment to honor the City of Minneapolis’ international connections – will take place on Sunday, July 16, from 1-5 p.m., at Nicollet Island Pavilion. This family-friendly event is free and open to the public. The afternoon festivities will include musicians and performers representing seven of Minneapolis’ 12 sister cities, as well as informational displays and crafts for people of all ages. In addition, complimentary make-your-own ice cream sundaes and other refreshments will be available while supplies last.

This year’s celebration will be highlighted by the recognition of the 50th anniversary of Minneapolis’ sister city relationships with Winnipeg, Canada, and Kuopio, Finland. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham and Kuopio City Council Chairman Aleksi Eskelinen will be on hand to mark the special occasion.

“This will be our 14th Sister Cities Day, and we welcome families of all ages to join us for a fun afternoon of fostering cultural awareness within our community,” said Meet Minneapolis President and CEO Melvin Tennant. “Through this event, we’re proud to help showcase the global connections and local cultural talent that adds to the vibrancy of our city and region.”

Performances* include:

1 p.m.	Harisen Daiko (Ibaraki City, Japan)
1:20 p.m.	Iraqi Chobi Dance Performance (Najaf, Iraq)
1:30 p.m.	Songs of Hope
2 p.m.	Official Remarks to recognize the 50th Anniversary of Minneapolis’ Sister City relationships with Winnipeg, Canada and Kuopio, Finland; followed by a ceremonial cake-cutting
2:30 p.m.	Linda Breitag & Karen Mueller: French Canadian fiddle/foot-tapping/call-response songs (Winnipeg, Canada)
3 p.m.	Jesse Nummelin: Cello, Yuki Tokuda: Dance, Howard Dotson: Finlandia (Kuopio, Finland)
3:30 p.m.	Tonada 3/4 (Santiago, Chile)
4 p.m.	Heart and Soul Drum Academy (Eldoret, Kenya)
4:15 p.m.	Rafiki USA (Eldoret, Kenya)
4:30 p.m.	Mexico Lindo Ballet Folklorico (Cuernavaca, Mexico)

*Performance times subject to change. 

Set alongside the Mississippi River in one of the most beautiful parks in Minneapolis, the Sister Cities Day celebration will occur rain or shine. 

This event is sponsored by Meet Minneapolis in partnership with its sister city organizations. Meet Minneapolis supports these relationships on behalf of the City of Minneapolis. 

The Minneapolis Sister Cities program was established in 1961 with the signing of the first Sister City agreement between Minneapolis and Santiago, Chile. Today, it includes Winnipeg, Canada; Santiago, Chile; Harbin, China; Kuopio, Finland; Tours, France; Najaf, Iraq; Ibaraki City, Japan; Eldoret, Kenya; Cuernavaca, Mexico; Novosibirsk, Russia; Bosaso, Somalia; and Uppsala, Sweden.