MINNEAPOLIS — Tuesday is the first official day of summer, and that means that in less than a month one of the keystone celebrations in Minneapolis is kicking off: the Aquatennial.
The 83rd Minneapolis Aquatennial will run from Wednesday, July 20 through Saturday July 23.
Starting off with a blood drive hosted by the American Red Cross on Wednesday morning, the "Official Civic Celebration" of the city will have tons of events both indoors and out around Peavey Plaza, The Commons, Nicollet Avenue and West River Road.
Wednesday night one of the signature events will light the night as the CenterPoint Energy Torchlight Parade winds down Nicollet Avenue at 7:30 p.m., followed by a showing of "Black Panther" at The Commons.
Thursday morning there will be music and the Nicollet Market, then in the afternoon you can learn to roller skate, catch a showing of "Aquaman" at Target Field Station and catch the Twin Cities River Rats Waterski Show on the Mississippi River as the sun starts to set.
On Friday the American Red Cross blood drive continues. There will be an Alchemy 365 outdoor fitness class, and another performance from the River Rats.
On Saturday the party really kicks into high gear, with Twin Cities Carifest, Minnesota's only Caribbean Festival, a salsa cookoff at Midtown Global Market, the Mpls Craft Market and more.
The big event that caps off the Aquatennial every year is the fireworks display, and pre-fireworks celebrations start at 6 p.m. at the West River Parkway near the Stone Arch Bridge Saturday evening.
You can find more information and a full list of events and times at the Aquatennial website, here.
Dozens of volunteers are needed every year to help the celebration go off without a hitch, and 2022 is no exception. Volunteers get access to the partner viewing area for the fireworks on Saturday night, a t-shirt and other benefits. Get more information and sign up online to be a volunteer here.
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