The Dayton’s Project to Celebrate the Past and the Future in Grand Opening

Curated retail experiences will meet a favorite holiday tradition at Dayton’s

Today, The Dayton’s Project announced the final round of vendors in their inaugural maker’s market: The Departments at Dayton’s. The building will open to the public on November 18th with all 33 local makers installed at the project just in time for the holiday season.

“Dayton’s has always been emmeshed in the community,” said Mich Berthiaume, curator of The Departments at Dayton’s. “It was important to bring that focus back to the building and celebrate the remarkable diversity of the local makers across Minnesota. The phenomenal list of vendors we have at this project are reigniting the vibrancy of downtown Minneapolis.”

Native Roots Radio, local community radio merchandise; Teton Trade Cloth, beads, blankets, supplies, and other gear; Great Grandmother Mary Lyons, Minnesota-made ribbon skirts; Iron Cloud Art Designs, striking printed art from Arizona; Winona LaDuke, local CBD and hemp products; Eagle Thunder Family, Lakota beadwork, gear, and native language clocks; Nancy Beaulieu, Minnesota-made handicrafts; William Harjo, handmade wooden flutes from Oklahoma and Texas; Star Quilts, Northern Cheyenne-designed apparel; Marion Martinez, artisan rings and silver jewelry; Joseph Wrider, handmade silver jewelry; White Buffalo Prints, local wildlife photography; American Indian Movement, official AIM-branded merchandise.

In addition, The Dayton’s Project has announced two additional vendors who have joined the market:

Rocky Robinson – a self-care brand created to empower Black and Brown girls and tell them that they matter

Joel Kaplan – a watercolor artist and art instructor who was a former Divisional Director at the Dayton’s Department Store

The developers also announced the recreation of a beloved tradition at Dayton’s: the Holiday windows display. Beginning on opening day, November 18th, The Dayton’s Project will unveil its Christmas window decorations on both the skyway level and the first floor. The corner of 8th and Nicollet will feature a display of Santa Bears, another favorite Dayton’s tradition.

“It was important to us to bring the Holiday windows back,” said Don Kohlenberger, President of Hightower Initiatives and the owner’s representative for The Dayton’s Project. “This was a tradition we brought back in 2019 and had to pause in 2020 due to the pandemic. This year, we’re bringing it back to celebrate the holiday season and create new cherished memories for the shoppers who visit The Dayton’s Project.”

The Departments at Dayton’s is the newest addition to The Dayton’s Project, a landmark historic restoration development in downtown Minneapolis. At 1.2 million square feet, The Dayton’s Project redevelopment marks one of the largest historic renovations in the country. The building will eventually host 250,000 SF in retail space from the lower level up to the skyway and will host 750,000 SF of office space in the rest of the building. Office tenants will enjoy a private tenant lounge and rooftop deck, quiet heads down working space, and a 10,000 SF fitness center, in addition to their modern office space. Ernst & Young Global Limited is the project’s headlining office tenant and will also take occupancy on November 18th.