MINNEAPOLIS — The Taste of Minnesota celebration is back for another year in downtown Minneapolis, featuring music, puppies, an artisan market, a range of activities, and yes, lots of food.
The two-day festival takes place over July 6 and 7 on Nicollet Mall and runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day. Join celebrity chef and Taste of Minnesota Food Ambassador Andrew Zimmern, Minneapolis icon Fancy Ray — and thousands of fellow Minnesotans — for the expanded event organizers call "bigger and better than before."
Here's all you need to know to plan your weekend.
NAVIGATION
This year, the festival is organized into five "neighborhoods" downtown:
- Magic Midway (Washington Avenue)
- Jazz Junction (Marquette Avenue, north of Washington Avenue)
- The Belt Way (Marquette, south of Washington)
- Artist Avenue (Nicollet Mall)
- Prince Parkway (Third Street)
FOOD
It's the category we've all been waiting for.
Check out each "neighborhood's" unique offering of foods designed for your eating pleasure.
- MAGIC MIDWAY
Corn Hole, Gerhard’s Brats, KCM EggRolls, Kenny’s Meatball Wagon, Jerry’s Cherry and Shaved Ice, Mabel’s Old-fashioned Kettle Corn, Minnesnowii Shave Ice, Northeast Pretzels, Pharaoh’s Gyros, Philicious Phillys, POLJAM, Sizzling Wagon Food Truck, Thai Thai Street Food, The Anchor Fish & Chips, The Food Bank, Youniverse Waffles
- JAZZ JUNCTION
Amish Pies, Arizona Taco Co., Montebello, Ono Hawaiian Plates, Plant Bar Café, Red’s Savoy Pizza, Root To Rise, Woke Cakez Vegan Bakery, Jerry’s Cherry Lemonade
- THE BELT WAY
Big AL & ODB’s Meat & Greet Foodtruck, G-Spot, HomeTown Creamery, Jerry’s Cherry Lemonade and Shaved Ice, Nikkolette’s Macarons, Parlour Food Truck, ParraLily, Pizza Lucé, Xstream Cuisine
- ARTIST AVENUE
Nibbles Food Group, Amazing Momo, D&D Goodies, Doc E’s BBQ, Flamingos Ice Cream & Treats, La Cochinita, Mocha Momma’s Coffee
(Located inside the Minneapolis Central Library at 4th Street & Nicollet), Jerry’s Cherry Lemonade and Shaved Ice, Mama Sheila’s House of Soul, Oceanaire, Original Hockey Mom Brownies, Ukrainian Center
- PRINCE PARKWAY
El Burrito Mercado, Kennedy Concessions, Kraz’d Foodnatik MN, Paella Depot, Philly Station, Tamu Grill and Catering, Taste The Real Nawlins’, The Purple People Feeder, Tom Thumb Donut Corp.
ENTERTAINMENT
You can also satiate your hunger for outdoor music at Taste of Minnesota.
Acts are spread across four stages and include alt-rockers The Wallflowers and country legend Martina McBride on Saturday, followed by Minnesota hip-hop royalty Jimmy Jam and Terry Lews, and Morris Day and the Time, on Sunday.
Here's the full schedule by stage:
- GREAT CLIPS MAIN STAGE
Saturday 7/6
Noon – Koo Koo
1 p.m. – Belladiva
2 p.m. – Gear Daddies
3:45 pm – Sophia Eris
4:45 pm – The Wallflowers
6:30 pm – Martina McBride
Featuring: DJ Kessel
Sunday 7/7
12:30 p.m. – Sounds Of Blackness
2:30 p.m. – Johnny Holm Band
5 p.m. – Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis (with Guests)
6:45 p.m. – Morris Day & The Time
Featuring: DJ Shannon Blowtorch
- JAZZ88 STAGE
Saturday 7/6
Noon – Jack Brass Band
1:30 p.m. – Jennifer Grimm
3:00 p.m. – BZ3 Organ Trio
4:30 p.m. – HEYARLO
6:15 p.m. – L.A. Buckner & BiG HOMiE
Sunday 7/7
Noon – MacPhail’s First Ave Ensemble
1:30 p.m. – Aja Parham
3 p.m. – Purple Funk Metropolis
4:30 p.m. – International Reggae All-Stars
6:15 p.m. – Minneapolis String Project
- XCEL ENERGY SINGER/SONGWRITER STAGE
Saturday 7/6
11:15 – 12:15 p.m. – Sammie Jean Cohen
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. – Max Rewitzer
1:45 – 2:45 p.m. – Yev Yelena
3 – 4 p.m. – Soot & Scratch (Jesse Barstad)
4:15 – 5:30 p.m. – Caribou Gone
5:45 – 7 p.m – Zoe Says Go
Sunday 7/7
11:15 – 12:15 p.m. – Scarlett Woods
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. – Scott Zosel
1:45 – 2:45 p.m. – Steven Weeks-Johnson
3:00 – 4:00 p.m. – Greg Volker & the River
4:15 – 5:30 p.m. – John Loo & the Breakers
5:45 – 7 p.m. – Joan of Profile
- 20 SOUTH WASHINGTON PLAZA STAGE
Saturday 7/6
11:15 – 12:30 p.m. – John Siqveland
12:45 – 2 p.m. – FINICK
2:15 – 3:30 p.m. – Kaatwalk
3:45 – 5 p.m. – Jordan Johnston
5:15 – 6:30 p.m. – Allison Eykholt
Sunday 7/7
11:15 – 12:30 p.m. – Sam Cargill
12:45 – 2 p.m. – Josh Cargill
2:15 – 3:30 p.m. – Cathie English
3:45 – 5 p.m. – Jamie Parker
5:15 – 6:30 p.m. – Vicki Dischler
ACTIVITIES
If you need a break from the food fun, you can also check out some of the many activities and attractions adorning the streets of Minneapolis.
From shopping local at artisan markets to petting puppies to zip-lining down Washington Avenue (HOT TIP: Watch Mayor Jacob Frey and Fancy Ray zip line side by side on Saturday morning!), there are plenty of things at the Family Fun Area and beyond to keep your family engaged.
By neighborhood, they include:
- MAGIC MIDWAY
Artist market: Set A Drift, Sol y Luna Gallery, Brian Curski Photography, Jessica Stoodley Studio, See Carrie Color, Chris Broste Photography
Family Fun Area: Mada Mehndi, BOUND Permanent Jewelry, Face Painters – Juan Parker & Nikki Jackson, Balloon Artistry by Mandana, KaiBi Mobile Family Care Center, Hairpolice, The Bond Between - Puppy Party!, Flow artists and inflatable games
- JAZZ JUNCTION
Artist market: Pryor Lake, Keener Creations, Jewels By Xaviea, Norwich & Morgan Home Studio, Gifts By Reeree, Crayon Kelly
- THE BELT WAY
Artist market: Haack Shack Designs & War Forged Printing LLC
F1RST Wrestling: Watch Twin Cities' premier professional wrestlers enter the ring from 12:30-2:30 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. each day.
- ARTIST AVENUE
Artist market: Boom Island Woodworking, Colibri Guatemalan Jewelry, Corazon Clothing, Blackbird Awakening, Berkenes Boutique, Mars Jameson Brand, White Tiger Inventions/Lin’s Lame Life/Turtle Woman Studio, Luce Quilts, Colorebel, Sharabaked & So_me_byjamelah, ROHO ART COLLECTIVE, Beauty Through Chaos, CoCo Bloom, Shawn Lohse Art, Thread Joy, Ellite Boutique, MN MAKE, Rachel Allison Designs, Renée Boynton Art, Indigo Sun Jewelry LLC, Lavendart Design, Spoon and Theory Handmade, Mark Lone – Illustrator, Treat Me To Dog Treats, Females That Hustle Collection, Dipp’d In Hunnie & Magneilia LLC, Media Studio 1, Sunshine Collective By Lola, The Reign Love Collections, VENLAA, Ash Ligon Creations
TRANSPORTATION
- DRIVING
Drivers can find parking in various public ramps on the outskirts of Taste, but to alleviate downtown congestion, organizers recommend parking down by Target Field or the Target Center and taking the light rail (for free!) to one of four entrances.
You can also check out the city's website for more options.
- PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - METRO TRANSIT
Don't worry about navigating the city's bus schedule with these routes, as they take you from your location straight into downtown:
Minnetonka, Hopkins, St Louis Park – Routes 645, 17, 9
Richfield, Edina, Bloomington, South Mpls – Routes 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 14, 18, 22, Orange Line, D-Line, Blue Line
Coon Rapids, Fridley, Columbia Heights, St Anthony, NE Mpls – Routes 852 no Sunday, 25, 10, 11, 4, 17
Brooklyn Center, Robbinsdale, Golden Valley, North Mpls – Routes D-Line, C-Line, 5, 7, 22, 14,
St. Paul – Routes Green Line, 3, 61, 94 weekdays only
Click here for your free Metro Transit ticket for Saturday, and here to snag one for Sunday.
- PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - SOUTHWEST TRANSIT
Taste of Minnesota has also partnered with Southwest Transit, which serves Twin Cities southern suburbs of Chanhassen, Chaska and Eden Prairie.
TICKETS
Attending Taste of Minnesota is free all weekend, but organizers ask visitors to RSVP beforehand. The festival said it uses that data to gauge attendance and help chefs prepare.
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