Top 10 Reasons to Attend Taste of Minnesota 2023
Friday, June 23, 2023 at 10:15AMArticle by Becky Fillinger, photos provided
Taste of Minnesota has been on hiatus since 2015 but it is coming back in a big way! We asked festival organizer, Taylor Carik, for the top 10 reasons to attend this festival in downtown Minneapolis. Check out the reasons below. Come on – food trucks, musical acts, all day wrestling - I’m convinced!
1: The Headliners
Each day of Taste of Minnesota culminates with a big show from national acts. For this year’s relaunch, there’s two exciting performances: On July 2nd, alternative mainstays Third Eye Blind take the stage with their many hits, and on July 3rd, Big Boi from Outkast brings a little bit of Hotlanta hip-hop to Minnesota.
2: The Openers
Right before the headliners take the stage, there’s exciting national openers, too! On July 2nd, Twin Cities natives and emo-pop darlings Motion City Soundtrack make a rare hometown appearance. Then on July 3rd, pop-country singer Uncle Kracker returns with his radio hits and new popular single.
Nixta Taqueria
Pierogi2Gogi
Red Wagon Pizza
3: All of the Food Options
Previous Taste of Minnesotas were known for their fair-style food. This year’s event features the original cheese curds and lemonade from Tastes past, but also a variety of notable food trucks and food activations all over the festival.
4: The Chefs
Along with the food trucks, Taste of Minnesota also brings to Nicollet Mall some pop-ups from big name Twin Cities chefs like Red Wagon Pizza’s Peter Campbell, Nixta Taqueria's Gustavo Romero, Oceanaire’s Scott Nielsen, Soul Bowl’s Gerard Klass, and Animales’ Jon Wipfli.
Surly Take Five Justa Taste THC Tonic Lime5: The Beverages
Minnesota beers anyone? Unlike most festivals, Taste of Minnesota features a variety of drink options, from a wide selection of beers from Surly Brewing and Grain Belt, to seltzers and canned cocktail drinks and wines, to N/A beverages and more.
6: The Limited Edition ‘Just A Taste’ THC Bev
For festival fans who like to go the THC bev route, Taste of Minnesota will feature Surly’s Take Five THC beverage, but also an introductory low-dose THC beverage called ‘Just A Taste’ made especially for the party.
7: The Jazz88 + Singer-Songwriter Stages
To showcase the area’s top notch jazz talent, Taste of Minnesota and 88.5FM Jazz88 have teamed up to showcase an entire stage dedicated to Jazz and Jazzy performers. Even more, toward the North Entrance, the singer-songwriter stage entertains festival goers throughout the afternoon.
8: Party Downtown
You live in or around one of the best big cities in the region, why not take advantage of the city setting! Taste of Minnesota takes over the recently redone Nicollet Avenue that combines green spaces with sculptures. During Taste of Minnesota, you'll see magical performances, get up close with adorable animals, go on a treasure hunt and more.
9: The Art Market
Minneapolis-St.Paul is home to many different top notch artists, an one area of the festival will be dedicated to showcasing different artists who have their paintings, sculptures, jewelry, accessories, and more to sell.
Colt Cabana
10: Wrasslin’ All Day
Once a hot bed of professional wrestling, Minnesota is again one of the best spots to take in some face-smashing fun. This year’s Taste of Minnesota also feature the superstars of F1rst Wrestling in and out of the ring all day long.
Eventbrite Registration Entry is FREE. If you forget to register ahead of time, a QR code will be available at the gate each day. Entry points are Washington Ave S/Nicollet Mall OR 5th Street S/Nicollet Mall.
Find all the details at Taste of Minnesota, Facebook and Eventbrite.
