Open Streets Minneapolis, the highly-anticipated event series that closes city streets to motor vehicle traffic, will kick off the 2023 season this Saturday, June 10, 2023, in Midtown. Lake Street from 2nd Avenue South to 22nd Ave South will be closed to car traffic from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m for Minneapolis residents to enjoy unique neighborhood businesses and safe biking, walking and rolling.
Over 175 local organizations have registered to be a part of the route, offering a wide range of entertainment. Attendees can plan on family-friendly fun in the “chalk zone”, entertainment on the Midtown Global Market Stage, shopping from local artists and makers, and a variety of food and drink like Indigenous Food Lab Market and the Eastlake Craft Brewery beer garden.
The free event series, a hallmark of summer for many Minneapolis residents, highlights the diversity of each neighborhood in which it is hosted. It also gives attendees a glimpse of streets as public spaces and the vibrancy of pedestrian-friendly boulevards.
“Open Streets Minneapolis is a great example of what’s possible in our city,” says Ember Rasmussen, Community Development & Events Manager at Our Streets Minneapolis, the transportation advocacy nonprofit that works with the City of Minneapolis to host Open Streets Minneapolis each year. “While it is incredibly fun, it is also an opportunity for people to imagine how access, space, and infrastructure shape how we interact with our neighbors.”
The Open Streets Minneapolis event line-up is different each year. Our Streets Minneapolis works with the City of Minneapolis to select dates and routes. Over the last two years, they have worked to prioritize new event corridors and use an equity lens to select corridors from a range of geographic areas across the city.
The event is made possible through sponsors, donors, and volunteers. Open Street Minneapolis 2023 is presented by the Minneapolis Foundation. If you would like to support Open Streets Minneapolis, please visit www.openstreetsmpls.org/donate.
Plan for Open Streets MPLS East Lake
About Open Streets Minneapolis:
Since 2011, Open Streets Minneapolis has transformed city streets into fun, car-free community celebrations. Open Streets Minneapolis is organized by Our Streets Minneapolis and is a program of the City of Minneapolis, supported by sponsors and community partners. www.openstreetsmpls.org.
About Our Streets Minneapolis:
Our Streets Minneapolis works to put people first by transforming transportation and infrastructure in the Twin Cities and at the state level. We do this by making our streets places where people can easily and comfortably walk, bike, roll, and use public transit. www.ourstreetsmpls.org.
About the Minneapolis Foundation:
The Minneapolis Foundation drives collective action to realize strong, vibrant communities. The Foundation cultivates generosity by taking action on the greatest civic, social, and economic needs—partnering with nonprofits, facilitating grantmaking, driving research and advocacy, and providing services to donors seeking to make a difference in their communities. www.minneapolisfoundation.org