Spring is here, and the mpls downtown council and Mpls Downtown Improvement District invite the public to celebrate warmer weather and a new Nicollet as part of the Nicollet Springtacular.
The event will take place this Wednesday, May 23 from 11:30 am-1:30 pm #OnNicollet between 9th and 10th streets. The public is invited to stop by and enjoy a sampling of the activations that will be held regularly #OnNicollet throughout the year, including:
- Nicollet Farmers Market
- Nicollet Makers Market
- Street Show
- Mobile bike library feat. Minneapolis Central Librarians
- ACTivation: zAmya Theatre Project
- YMCA outdoor fitness classes
- Guided Architecture and Weird Nicollet Tours
- And more
The festivities will take place near several outdoor patio locations including Haskell’s Wine Bar, Randle’s Restaurant, The Local, Barrio, and The Newsroom. The public is invited to come out and enjoy the festivities during their lunch hour and also listen to a special performance by The Grateful Red, a high-energy horn band comprised of Target employees that play classic and modern hits.
“The new Nicollet is an incredible asset for our city, and with nice weather finally here we are thrilled to invite the public out to see first-hand what you can expect throughout the summer,” said Steve Cramer, president & CEO of the mpls downtown council and Mpls Downtown Improvement District. “We’re grateful for the public-private partnership that helped Nicollet transform into this must-see destination, and we’re excited to invite the public to enjoy new DID-led activities and programming that add to Nicollet’s overall vibrant experience.”
Throughout the year, the public is encouraged to share their experiences using the hashtag #OnNicollet. Nicollet’s activations during 2018 will include:
Nicollet Farmers Market: The beloved Minneapolis Farmers Market returned to Nicollet in 2018 after a three-year construction hiatus. Stop by Nicollet from 6th to 9th Streets each Thursday from 6 am-6 pm through October.
Nicollet Makers Market: This unique craft market preview featuring handmade goods from local artists debuted #OnNicollet last year and returns in 2018 on a routine basis between 7th and 8th streets. Enjoy the Makers Market on the second and fourth Wednesdays, June 13 through October 10, from 10:30 am-2:30 pm.
Street Show: Watch for the official Street Show wagons and catch informal, busking-style live performances #OnNicollet from local musicians, dancers and others. Street Show will take place Wednesday through Fridays, May through September during lunchtime, happy hours and occasional event nights.
Mobile bike library prototype featuring Minneapolis Central Librarians: In partnership with the Minneapolis Central Library, you’ll be able to enjoy this impressive outreach tool featuring fun activities and specially-curated library collections during the Nicollet Farmers and Makers markets and throughout the summer. Families will enjoy Storytime with the Mobile Bike Librarians on Thursdays at 10 am through Aug. 30 at the Nicollet Reading Room in front of the YWCA.
ACTivation: zAmya Theater Project: The acclaimed zAmya Theater Project will provide sidewalk theater vignettes #OnNicollet Tuesdays from 11 am-1 pm between 6th and 8th Streets. The zAmya Theater Project uses community-based theater to build an understanding and connection to people with and without experience in homelessness.
The Douglas Dayton YMCA at Gaviidae will be hosting free fitness classes on select Wednesdays this summer. On June 6, July 11, August 1 and September 5 from 12 pm-1 pm, they’ll alternate hosting yoga and Oula classes at Xcel Energy’s plaza at 5th and Nicollet. Try a dance fitness Oula class, their newest program, demonstrated by certified YMCA instructors at this Wednesday’s Springtacular at 11:30 am.
Nicollet Go Tours: Take one of our free, self-guided audio tours and learn more about what makes Minneapolis’ most well-trodden street so interesting. Get the inside scoop about our famous buildings on the Nicollet Architecture tour. Learn the story behind the public art and Mary Tyler Moore’s famous hat toss on the Nicollet Public Art Tour. Coming in June is the story behind the new design of Nicollet’s public spaces, and the Weird Nicollet tour, featuring rare and peculiar stories about our downtown main street. All the tours will be available through the free IZI app and at www.onnicollet.com/stories. This Wednesday, you can hear direct from the tour creators themselves as architectural historian Richard Kronick and urban geographer Bill Lindeke offer rare in person experiences of the Nicollet Architecture (11:30 a.m.) and Weird Nicollet tours (12:30 p.m.).
Mpls DID unveils pop-up satellite office
In addition to the Nicollet Springtacular event on Wednesday, the Mpls Downtown Improvement District will officially open its pop-up satellite office located #OnNicollet at the street level of Gaviidae Common. The satellite office will offer information about the DID and its initiatives, have Ambassadors on hand, and provide an additional DID resource for downtown patrons. The satellite office will be open Mondays-Fridays from 8 am-9 pm and Saturdays from 3-9 pm.
2025 plan quarterly forum set for 4:30 pm at Randle’s
The mpls downtown council will also host its 2025 plan quarterly forum on Wednesday, May 23 at Randle’s Restaurant. The event will focus on greening and public realm progress since the 2025 plan’s inception in 2011, impacting development, downtown experience, transportation and other facets of downtown life in the process. The event will begin at 4:30 pm and include the following panel:
- Steve Cramer, mpls downtown council & DID (moderator)
- Robin Hutcheson, City of Minneapolis Public Works
- Jim Vos, Cresa Minneapolis
- Tom Whitlock, Damon Farber Associates; 2025 plan downtown experience committee chair
- David Wilson, Accenture; 2025 plan greening & public realm committee chair, Green Minneapolis board chair
For more information on The 2025 Plan’s initiatives, follow @mplsdowntown on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtags #mplsdowntown and #2025plan. For more information #OnNicollet’s programming, public art installations, new features and more, visit www.onnicollet.com or follow @mplsdid on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #OnNicollet.
