Minneapolis Review

It’s going to be a busy and exciting weekend in downtown Minneapolis, with both Twin Cities Pride Festival and Taylor Swift concerts taking place, along with all the theater and music events that bring visitors downtown every weekend. There will be big crowds for everything that’s taking place, so it’s a good idea to know your transportation options and plan ahead.

• Twin Cities Pride Festival

- 6-9 p.m. June 23

- 10 a.m.-7 p.m. June 24

- 10 a.m.-6 p.m. June 25

• Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at U.S. Bank Stadium
  • 6:30 p.m. June 23 and 24
  • Doors open 4:30 p.m.

Meet Minneapolis, the convention and visitor’s association for the city, has information on getting to and from these major events, along with things to do while you’re in downtown Minneapolis.

Street closures

Events in downtown Minneapolis will prompt a number of street closures:

• Parade and run – From 7 a.m. until approximately 4 p.m. Sunday, Hennepin Avenue is closed from Washington Avenue to 16th Street for the Rainbow Run 5K My Way and the Twin Cities LGBTQ+ Pride March.
• Block party –From 9 a.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday, Ninth Street between Hennepin and Hawthorne avenues will be closed for the Pride Block Party at the Saloon.
• Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour –  For each concert at U.S. Bank Stadium:

- Chicago Avenue between Fourth and Sixth streets is closed from 11 a.m. until an hour after the concert ends.

- Fourth Street is closed between Park Avenue and Norm McGrew Place from 2:30 p.m. until an hour after the concert ends.

• Warehouse District Live – For this weekend and all weekends throughout the summer, one block of First Avenue, from Fifth Street to Sixth Street, is closed to motor vehicles beginning at 9 a.m. Fridays to create additional space for foot traffic, food trucks and portable restrooms. The block reopens to traffic by 10 a.m. Sundays.

In addition to these closures, the Minnesota Department of Transportation wants anyone heading to downtown Minneapolis to plan ahead by checking 511, and be aware of these major closures:

• Third Avenue Bridge over the Mississippi River.
• Plymouth Avenue bridge over Interstate 94.
• I-394 ramp to Washington Ave and Third Ave.
• Interstate 35W closure in Bloomington.

Transit options

Transit is a great way to avoid driving in traffic and finding parking. Go to Metro Transit’s website to plan your trip. Transit options for Twin Cities Pride and Taylor Swift concerts are available at metrotransit.org/prideweekend.

The easiest Metro Transit fare option is the All-Day Pass, which provides unlimited rides on buses or light rail trains through 2 a.m. the day after purchase. This pass can be purchased through the Metro Transit app or through ticket vending machines at light rail stations.

Metro Transit is also offering free rides to the Twin Cities Pride Festival on Saturday and Sunday.

Light rail options:

• The METRO Blue Line runs from Bloomington to downtown Minneapolis. It serves large Park & Ride facilities at the Fort Snelling and 30th Avenue stations.
• The METRO Green Line runs from Union Depot in St. Paul, along University Ave, into Minneapolis. There are several bus routes that connect to Green Line stations.

Due to anticipated high demand, additional light rail and/or bus service will be provided after the Taylor Swift concerts.

Approximately 100 scheduled bus trips exit the area around U.S. Bank Stadium between 11:30 p.m. and 1:12 a.m., including the METRO D Line. For help planning a trip, call 612-373-3333 or text 612-444-1161.

Additionally, both Minnesota Valley Transit Authority and Southwest Transit are offering buses to and from US Bank Stadium. 

• MVTA's concert schedule
• Southwest Transit's concern schedule

Parking options

There is parking availability throughout the downtown area. If you’re parking on the street, make sure to check for signs to be sure of the time limit and hours of enforcement for your parking space. Also note that many of the metered on-street parking spaces in the area of U.S. Bank Stadium have event rates ($5 per hour) Friday and Saturday nights and enforced maximum parking times.

In addition to the many privately run parking facilities downtown, there are several City-owned parking facilities available.

• Near U.S. Bank Stadium

- Mill Quarter ramp, 711 S. Second St.: $40 event rate Friday and Saturday

- Riverfront ramp, 212 Ninth Ave. S.: $40 event rate Friday and Saturday

- Jerry Haaf ramp, 424 Fourth St. S.: $40 event rate Friday and Saturday

• Near Target Field/Target Center

Hawthorne Transportation Center ramp, 31 N. Ninth St.: $16

- Ramp A, 101 N. Ninth St.: $16

- Ramp B, 516 2nd Ave. N.: $16

- Ramp C, 318 2nd Ave. N.: $16

The METRO Blue Line operates past midnight and can be used to reach Target Field Station/ABC Ramps.

• Near the parade on Hennepin Avenue

-Hennepin at 10th ramp, 935 Hennepin Ave.: $14

    - LaSalle at 10th ramp, 915 LaSalle Ave.: hourly rates

• Near the Minneapolis Convention Center

- 11th at Marquette (Orchestra Hall) ramp, 1111 Marquette Ave.: $11

- Leamington ramp, 1001 2nd Ave. S.: $10

- 11th Street Underground (Hilton) ramp, 1030 2nd Ave. S.: $9

- Plaza ramp, 117 South 12th Street:  hourly rates

• Near Loring Park

- Vinland ramp, 727 Vineland Place: $10

Cycling and scooter options

There are bike racks available at U.S. Bank Stadium and throughout Downtown. Bicyclists are reminded to use headlights and taillights after dark and, if possible, to wear light or reflective clothing.

Lime and Veo both offer bike sharing throughout the City. 

Spin, Lime and Veo also offer shared electric scooters. 

Come early, stay late

Downtown restaurants, bars and other businesses are ready to welcome visitors. Take part in activities, shopping, dining, and other entertainment before and after going to events. Enjoy the extra time to experience all each area has to offer and avoid traffic congestion. The Warehouse District and North Loop look forward to welcoming people coming to downtown Minneapolis for concerts and other events.

Managing downtown traffic congestion

The City of Minneapolis takes a number of steps to manage traffic congestion during big events Downtown. The volume of pedestrians, bikes, and cars Downtown before and after these events means increased congestion, but there are several ways the City works to improve operations and reduce delays, including:

• Traffic Control agents are at many intersections during peak times before and after the events.
• Special traffic signal timing patterns are used to move high numbers of people during events.
• Dynamic messaging signs provide drivers with real-time information as they move around the area. They notify drivers when key parking ramps fill, and to help drivers find their way around.

Events calendar makes it easy to plan ahead

Whether you want to go to a game, catch a play, or see a concert, finding just the right events and activities for your family is easy when you use the mpls downtown council’s online events calendar.

The calendar is on the mpls downtown council’s website at mplsdowntown.com/events. The list includes events and entertainment at dozens of venues, big and small, throughout Downtown. The list can be viewed and sorted to help you find what you’re looking for, including by day, week or month. The calendar includes sporting events, live performances, theater events, festivals and parades, exhibits and many other entertainment options. The calendar makes it easy to find out if there are lots of events on a given day, and knowing what else is happening in downtown Minneapolis will help you plan ahead to minimize transportation delays.

Original source can be found here.