MINNEAPOLIS — As we ring in the New Year this weekend and flip the calendar from 2022 to 2023, there's a lot to look forward to next year in downtown Minneapolis.
"We know there's a lot already scheduled to happen in 2023," said Minneapolis Downtown Council President and CEO Steve Cramer. "It has been a slow process but it's been steady, especially the last 18 months, and I think that steady growth is going to really accelerate next year with all the things we already know are going to be happening."
From conventions to shows to concerts to sports, most downtown venues have a packed schedule.
Here's a list of some of the key events coming to downtown Minneapolis in 2023:
February 17 through February 19: The National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic is expected to draw 28,000 people to the Minneapolis Convention Center
March 1 through March 5: The Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament will come to Target Center, a year after the venue successfully hosted the Final Four
April 4 through May 6: Hamilton at the Orpheum Theatre
April 8: Red Hot Chili Peppers at U.S. Bank Stadium
May 13: Luke Combs at U.S. Bank Stadium
June 11 through June 13: The USA Volleyball 2023 Girls Junior National Championship for the 11 to 13 age group will be held at the convention center
June 23 and June 24: Taylor Swift at U.S. Bank Stadium
August 12: Ed Sheeran at U.S. Bank Stadium
Not to mention all the usual stuff.
"All the major shows are back at the Convention Center. Home and Garden, Boat show, car show," Cramer said. "We've got major restaurants opening next year, hundreds of housing units scheduled to open next year."
Three years into the pandemic, it's progress.
"Those are just the things we know about as 2022 closes heading into 2023. So, I'm looking for another positive year of building momentum in downtown Minneapolis," Cramer said.
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