Help make Open Streets Minneapolis events more accessible for all
We have collaborated with the City of Minneapolis for over a decade to host Open Streets Minneapolis events. Open Streets Minneapolis events are some of the city’s largest and most beloved events. These events are a canvas on which residents creatively showcase our city’s incredible cultural diversity. Each route has local vendors, organizations, artists, and more. Beyond the fun, Open Streets Minneapolis is part of a global movement to make streets places that put people first.
Since the first Open Streets Minneapolis event in 2011 that was attended by an estimated 5,000 people, the program has grown to a peak attendance of 103,500 in 2019.
As Open Streets Minneapolis, these events have continued to require more resources from our organization. As a small non-profit with a team of six, and just one person managing a majority of event planning & logistics, this is a growing concern for the future of Open Streets Minneapolis events. We historically have not received any compensation from the City of Minneapolis to cover the costs of organizing Open Streets Minneapolis. In 2022, the City of Minneapolis is proposing the creation of a new contract that seeks a contractor to organize future Open Streets Minneapolis events. The compensation provided through this contract is $0 (City of Minneapolis Agreement).
The City’s lack of monetary support is having a serious and continued impact on Our Streets Minneapolis’s ability to organize Our Streets Minneapolis events sustainably and equitably.
