MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis is welcoming this weekend with open arms.
Businesses are preparing for crowds that could rival the Super Bowl, according to the Downtown Business Council.
Taylor Swift concerts and Minneapolis Pride are overlapping, creating a massive draw to downtown.
"I mean they just marry up perfectly," The Devil's Advocate Owner, Eric Forsberg said. "This is exactly what Minneapolis has needed for a long time."
Forsberg is a well-known restaurateur in the Twin Cities. He says the pandemic and Minneapolis riots led to him closing The Devil's Advocate for two years. They reopened in June 2022, and say this will be their first big weekend since 2019.
"We brought in our reserve staff from other restaurants to help us downtown. We haven't had to do that in a long time," Forsberg said.
Steve Cramer, the CEO and president of the Downtown Business Council, said it could start momentum for the city.
"That positive trajectory has been accelerating and I think will continue to accelerate," Cramer said.
"It actually has been pretty good the last year. We have seen a night and day development from a year ago. I am pretty happy where Nicolette has been coming and where downtown is going," Forsberg said.
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