Latest news with #TasteofMinnesota
Axios
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
7 things to do in the Twin Cities this Fourth of July weekend
Looking for something beyond hot dogs this Fourth of July? You're in luck — three food festivals are taking over both sides of the river this weekend. The big picture: Taste of Minnesota returns to downtown Minneapolis Saturday-Sunday with nearly 50 food vendors, a block-long artist marketplace and all-day live music across three stages. Free, but tickets are required What we're watching: The Jucy Lucy Hall of Flame on Saturday, where those with stomachs of steel (and stretchy pants) can eat a flight of three full-sized Jucys from Matt's Bar, The Nook and The 5-8 Club. $40 Plus: Head to St. Paul on Saturday for Minnesota's first Native American Food Truck Festival, with nearly 20 native-owned food trucks and chefs popping up at Harriet Island Regional Park from 11am-7pm. Free And if that's not enough: the second annual Taste of St. Paul will also take place Saturday and Sunday with food trucks, live performances and a kids zone. Free In other entertainment news ... 🌭 Challenge Joey Chestnut's record at Minneapolis cocktail bar Meteor's inaugural hot dog eating contest Friday afternoon. In addition to the classic speed eating competition, there will also be a "performance" category for those who can eat one single hot dog "the best." "Points are based on name, balance, originality, presentation, crowd engagement, and delivery," according to the bar's Instagram post. Free 🩲 Show some skin at the 19th Freedom From Pants Ride on Friday, the annual Fourth of July clothing-optional bike ride around Minneapolis. This year's route starts downtown at 6pm with stops at Loring Park, Cedar Lake Beach and Sabo Bridge. Free 🎭 Picnic at a Shakespeare show during one of Classical Actors Ensembles' performances of All's Well That Ends Well this weekend. All shows take place in Twin Cities green spaces and are free to attend, though donations are encouraged. 🎲 Break out the lucky D20 — CONvergence, the annual convention for all things science fiction and fantasy, is in downtown Minneapolis Thursday-Sunday.
Axios
02-07-2025
- Axios
Minneapolis promises crackdown on July 4 fireworks chaos
Minneapolis police leaders are promising stepped-up staffing and a no-nonsense attitude toward anyone using fireworks to "cause chaos" during the July 4 weekend. Why it matters: Over the last three Independence Day holidays, Minneapolis has contended with social media-fueled gatherings of young people shooting fireworks at each other — and occasionally at police officers and other residents. Flashback: MPD has responded with increasing numbers of arrests, Chief Brian O'Hara told reporters. Officers arrested 35 teens and young adults in last year's late-night chaos centered in Dinkytown. No injuries were reported last year, but previous pyrotechnic melées, including around Bde Maka Ska in 2023, left some participants permanently injured. What they're saying:"This behavior will not be tolerated. If you come to Minneapolis with the intent to harm, disrupt or intimidate, you will be arrested," O'Hara said Wednesday. "This year we are even better prepared." Though O'Hara didn't give specifics, he said more MPD officers will be working this weekend than any of the last three years for the holiday and the Taste of Minnesota festival downtown. What we're watching: The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board will again close several parkways and limit vehicle parking around Bde Maka Ska and along the Mississippi River during the holiday weekend. This repeats a tactic that Park Police Chief Jason Ohotto said has been successful in tamping down these gatherings at previous July 4 trouble spots, including the Mill District and Stone Arch Bridge. Zoom out: Beyond fireworks chaos, the Independence Day holiday is a dangerous time for gun violence. In 2023 and 2024, over the week of July 4, MPD was responded to twice the typical number of calls for shootings, gunshots or a person with a gun, city officials said in a press release.
CBS News
24-04-2025
- CBS News
Minneapolis unveils safety plans for city's summer of fun
A plan is in place to help keep summer safe in downtown Minneapolis following a recent drop in crime that leaders hope will continue in the months ahead. Minneapolis has a lot happening this summer, including Taste of Minnesota, Twin Cities Pride, several Open Streets block parties and the Twin Cities Marathon in October — so city leaders are working hard to make sure everyone can just come and have fun. In a news conference on Wednesday, Minneapolis Community Safety Commissioner Toddrick Barnette said a big part of the plan is beefed up staffing. Certain parts of downtown, Uptown and Dinkytown should all see extra officers day and night this summer. "Over the past few summers, we've seen a consistent growth in both the number and size of events coming to the City," Barnette said. "This summer will be no different as our residents and visitors take advantage these activities." They'll be focusing on places like liquor establishments, tobacco vendors and food markets where data has shown higher concentration of gun crimes around those areas. Minneapolis police will depend on help from neighborhood safety programs like the "violence interrupters" to help in different ways this summer. The 911 Emergency Communications Center will also increase staffing as there tends to be more calls during the summer months. And the Minneapolis Fire Department will also increase staffing and have mobile EMS units at big events. The city has laid out its complete plans on its website.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Joan Jett, Ludacris, Cheap Trick to headline Taste of Minnesota
The Taste of Minnesota is returning to Downtown Minneapolis for the third straight year on July 5 and 6. On Wednesday, organizers unveiled its most star-studded lineup since the festival returned from an eight-year hiatus in 2023, even if two of the top-billed names played big outdoor shows in the Twin Cities last year. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Cheap Trick, and Ludacris will headline the Taste's 2025 lineup. Here's the complete lineup for this summer's Taste of Minnesota. Saturday, July 5:Joan Jett & the BlackheartsCheap TrickBluewater KingsRhythm Street MovementThe Steels Family AffairDJ Sophia Eris Sunday, July 6LudacrisNur-DDavid YangFrankie TorresGood for GaryDJ Sophia Eris Additionally, the festival will announce two more stages featuring local acts in the near future. As always, the Taste of Minnesota is a free event that also features food trucks, visual artists, and other performers showcasing the state's creative community. New in 2025, the Taste of Minnesota is adding VIP pass tiers, because that's what festivals do. The tickets include a pair of drink tickets, a reserved viewing area, happy hour from 2–4 p.m. each day, a private bar, and private air-conditioned bathrooms. Those tickets, available on April 8, are $200 for a single day or $350 for the weekend.
CBS News
29-01-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announces reelection campaign
MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced Wednesday that he will run for reelection in 2025. If he wins, it'll be his third term at the helm. He first served as a City Council representative for Ward 3 before he was elected mayor in 2017. "Minneapolis, together, we have faced adversity head on and produced real results," he said. "While the trajectory of Minneapolis is strong, I am running for reelection to protect that progress and to keep fighting to make Minneapolis a safer, more affordable, and more prosperous city for everyone." He enters what is already a crowded field: City Councilmember for Ward 11 Emily Koski announced her run, as well as state Sen. Omar Fateh, who represents Powderhorn and other neighborhoods of south Minneapolis. DeWayne Davis, a minister who lives in the Willard-Hay neighborhood of north Minneapolis, is also running. Critics have long denounced Frey's handling of the unrest following the murder of George Floyd as well as his defense of the Minneapolis Police Department over calls to replace it with a public safety department. Recently he clashed with the Minneapolis City Council over a pay boost for rideshare drivers, which would have guaranteed them a minimum wage. Late last year he also vetoed the creation of a labor standards board, which would have brought together workers and employers to advise city leaders on workplace policies in the hospitality industry. Frey, however, touts his investments in affordable housing, with units being built at 8.5 times the rate from before he took office. He also emphasizes his administration's historic increases in pay for the Minneapolis Police Department and downtown revitalization, as the city continues to host events like the USA Olympic Gymnastics trials and Taste of Minnesota. Frey won reelection in 2021 with 56% of the vote. The mayor, along with all 13 council seats, are up for reelection this year.
