mpls downtown council Announces Holidays on Nicollet

Shops will be open November 24 - January 5, Tuesdays - Saturdays, 11a - 6p

Holidays on Nicollet will feature festive decorative storefront windows and shopping supporting local small businesses to enjoy as you take in the holiday experience downtown. 

Ten storefront windows lining Nicollet will be transformed into holiday celebrations that feature figures from Dayton’s Eighth Floor scenes reimagined by a variety of local artists. 

The storefront window displays will add to the Nicollet holiday shopping experience, as four pop-up holiday shops will also be opening along Nicollet at 50 S 6th Street, City Center, IDS Center and U.S. Bancorp Center. The four shops will feature roughly 70 total vendors offering a variety of products including clothing, jewelry, gift shopping and much more. 

The pop-up shops complement eight existing Chameleon Shoppes locations downtown featuring local BIPOC small businesses—part of roughly 450 restaurant and retail shops in downtown’s five distinct neighborhoods. 

“We are excited to unveil a collection of unique holiday experiences you can only enjoy downtown,” said Steve Cramer, President and CEO of the mpls downtown council. “Holidays on Nicollet activities are not only unique to downtown, they help support local small businesses and artists. It includes great locations to visit, browse and shop, and add to the experiences of dining, shows, games and performances you are enjoying downtown this holiday season.” 

Locations for Holidays on Nicollet storefront window displays include:

• 60 South 6th 
• City Center (two locations) 
• Gaviidae Common 
• IDS Center 
• Meet Minneapolis Visitor Information Center 
• The Dayton’s Project 
• U.S. Bancorp Center
• Young Quinlan (Strive Bookstore) 

Each storefront holiday window display will be created by Minneapolis-based artists and designers, featuring more than 10 historic figurines once displayed during the Dayton’s Eighth Floor holiday displays throughout the course of 26 years. They are starting to build their scenes now, and the storefront windows will be unveiled on Saturday, November 25. 

Hennepin Theatre Trust, Minnesota’s nationally recognized performing arts center in the heart of downtown, holds 34 of the vintage figurines that once graced the annual Holiday Show events on the eighth floor of Dayton’s in downtown Minneapolis. Ten of the figurines will be refurbished and on view during Holidays on Nicollet.

“This holiday season, there’s no place more magical than downtown Minneapolis,” said Todd Duesing, President and CEO of Hennepin Theatre Trust. “We’re proud to lend these classic figurines and partner with the mpls downtown council and local businesses to bring the quintessential memories of Dayton’s Holiday Show back downtown in a new format, while advancing the vibrancy of our city.”

The initiative, part of the Vibrant Storefront work through the City of Minneapolis, is being produced by the mpls downtown council in partnership with Hennepin Theatre Trust and the City Arts & Cultural Affairs Department, and support from Meet Minneapolis, the Minnesota Orchestra, Dayton’s, and Ryan Companies.

“We are thrilled to be supporting this project that is re-animating historic Nicollet Mall during the holiday season,” said Ben Johnson, Director of the Department of Arts & Cultural Affairs for the City of Minneapolis. “So many people have treasured memories about coming to Downtown, and we want to capture this energy again. I am also excited to see the unique work of the Minneapolis-based artists that are providing their talents in creating these special holiday windows for everyone to enjoy.” 

Holidays on Nicollet artists include Alexandra Beaumont, Jerry and Cyrus Carlson, Heather Cole, Rachel Coyne, Dusty Dembley, Betsey Giles, Kada Goalen, Modern Day Me team of Jared Hanks and Simone Alexa, Stacie Kammerling, and Wil Natzel.

Roughly 485 total events and activities are taking place downtown between Thanksgiving and the New Year, including 310+ weekend events. These holiday stops are great additions to your downtown experience.

For more information on ways to maximize your downtown holiday experience as a whole, look for shopping, performances, caroling schedules and more on the mpls downtown holiday page.

For more information on holiday experiences in mpls downtown, visit www.mplsdowntown.com/events and follow @mplsdowntown and on Instagram.