Aquatennial Blog | Saturday, July 22

Welcome to the 2017 Aquatennial! This is our Official Civic Celebration, and we’re excited to share it again with you here in Minneapolis for the 78^th year. Join us on this fun four-day adventure that will include a combination of food, fitness and fun ranging from flagship events like the CenterPoint Energy Torchlight Parade to the Target Fireworks, all the way to new events like Candid Canines Film Festival and MN Made Market. There is something for everyone at this event.

So in order to fully appreciate all the events that are going on, we’re giving you a daily breakdown of all the things you can see and do at the Aquatennial. Sit back and enjoy this recap as we take a look at some of the highlights from a big week in Downtown Minneapolis.

We closed out the 2017 Aquatennial with a BANG on Saturday, concluding the four-day festival with Target Fireworks. Leading up to fireworks, we had a great day of fun things to do in downtown Mpls, including AquaJam, Pre-Firework festivities, and more! 

Target Fireworks

The grand finale (as always) at Aquatennial is the beloved Target Fireworks, considered one of the top 5 annual displays in the country. The evening always kicks off with the Pre-Fireworks Festivities from 6-10 pm, and this year it included four bands performing consecutively including Heart & Soul Drum Academy, theStone Arch Isles, the Great Lakes Navy Band, and The Grateful RED—an always-popular group of Target employees who play an incredible Big Band set. There were food trucks and treats along West River Parkway. There was also a ramped-up kids zone near the Stone Arch Bridge featuring a mini-water slide, a Keys 4/4 Kids ‘Paint a Piano’, a Crayola Experience, face painting/Henna Tattoos, a Timberwolves/Lynx booth, a Gopher Athletics booth, and more.

Then, at 10 pm, the Target Fireworks kicked off from the 3rd Avenue Bridge with perhaps its best version yet. The 20+ minute show It was intricately set to music, and the ‘pyromusical’ was simulcast on Go 95.3 FM (due to the Twins game going long—it was scheduled to be simulcast on Go 96.3 FM). The display featured odes to Weezer, Coldplay, and others. This year’s Target Fireworks also had a tribute to Prince with “Little Red Corvette.” The 2017 grand finale could be dubbed as one of the best Target Fireworks conclusions ever. This installment of the Target Fireworks was definitely not one to miss out on.

AquaJam

AquaJam was popular in the 1980s, and thanks to Fulton Beer and Familia Skateshop, it once again was a success in its second returning year in 2017. The event taking place at Boom Island featured a mini-ramp, a Skate your State ramp, rails, barrel jumps and more. AquaJam also featured a variety of food trucks and beverages. It was packed along the course as people watched talented local skaters, both young and old, try out different tricks. Cash prizes were handed out based on judges’ discretion of how difficult the trick was, and there was even a barrel-jumping competition where the winner cleared 11 barrels in a jump. This event was truly a one-of-a-kind experience for everyone involved.

Twin Cities Carifest

Twin Cities Carifest has been an annual staple of summer in Minneapolis for the past two decades, and it continued this year during Aquatennial on West River Road between the Plymouth and Broadway bridges. This event features Caribbean art, food, crafts, music and a traditional carnival parade with colorful costumes and dance. If you’ve never been before, it has really delicious items to try out. Plus, it is just across the Plymouth Bridge from AquaJam and just a mile and a half from the Target Fireworks preferred viewing area.

Aquatennial Blog | Friday, July 21

Welcome to the 2017 Aquatennial! This is our Official Civic Celebration, and we’re excited to share it again with you here in Minneapolis for the 78^th year. Join us on this fun four-day adventure that will include a combination of food, fitness and fun ranging from flagship events like the CenterPoint Energy Torchlight Parade to the Target Fireworks, all the way to new events like Candid Canines Film Festival and MN Made Market. There is something for everyone at this event.

So in order to fully appreciate all the events that are going on, we’re giving you a daily breakdown of all the things you can see and do at the Aquatennial. Sit back and enjoy this recap as we take a look at some of the highlights from a big week in Downtown Minneapolis.

Friday, July 21st consisted of fun Aquatennial events throughout the entire day and night, including a second Aquatennial Twin Cities River Rats Show at 7 pm and free Outdoor Yoga with CorePower Yoga at The Commons. 

Aquatennial Yoga with CorePower Yoga

What a beautiful night it turned out to be for our outdoor yoga. With over 150 yogis coming out to participate at The Commons, Aquatennial Yoga was most definitely a hit again this year. CorePower Yoga led a C2 class that lasted from approximately 5:30-7:00 pm. It was a magnificent evening for great outdoor fitness and relaxation in the heart of downtown mpls. Thank you to everyone who came outside for this wonderful yoga event, we hope you enjoyed it. Namaste.

Twin Cities River Rats Water Ski Show

We had such a great time at the “Welcome To R.A.T.S. Academy” River Rats Water Ski Show last night! Featuring over 70 water-skiers, the Twin Cities River Rats once again did not disappoint. The show took place on the Mississippi River with huge crowds spectating from the riverfront near West River Parkway. The show included a ton of exciting stunts, huge jumps, and a 36 (!)  skier pyramid to end the show. Thanks to everybody who came and watched the show!

Aquatennial Tennis Classic

The USTA Aquatennial Tennis Classic concluded yesterday at Canadian Pacific Plaza. Champions were crowned in men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles on the final day of competition. The tournament featured some of the finest tennis players in the state of Minnesota. We thank USTA Northern for putting on this great event in downtown mpls and all players for participating!

Friday’s Results:

“Top-seeded Osorio and Wilkins, who played doubles together at the University of Minnesota, handled former Gustavus Adolphus All-Americans Kevin Whipple and Nick Crossley 6-1, 6-1. In the women’s event, the second seeded team of Flores Diaz and Szavay defeated former Gophers Julia Courter and Tasha Pintusava 7-5, 7-5. Flores Diaz currently plays at the University of West Florida, while Szavay plays at Northern Arizona. In mixed, Michigan sophomore Nick Beaty and Cal Berkeley sophomore Alexis Nelson won their first title together with a 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (8) victory over the brother-sister pairing of Jessa Richards andJoey Richards. Jessa was an All-American at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, while Joey currently plays at Nebraska-Kearney.” -USTA Northern

Aquatennial Blood Drive

The Aquatennial is all about bringing the community together and providing a way to give back to our community. That’s why this year the Aquatennial teamed with the American Red Cross, WCCO-TV, WCCO Radio, BUZ’N 102.9 and 104.1 JACK FM to host the Aquatennial Blood Drive this week. It concluded yesterday at CBS Radio. Thank you to everyone who donated at the Aquatennial Blood Drive this week. Your donation helped save a life!

Aquatennial Blog | Thursday, July 20

Welcome to the 2017 Aquatennial! This is our Official Civic Celebration, and we’re excited to share it again with you here in Minneapolis for the 78^th year. Join us on this fun four-day adventure that will include a combination of food, fitness and fun ranging from flagship events like the CenterPoint Energy Torchlight Parade to the Target Fireworks, all the way to new events like Candid Canines Film Festival and MN Made Market. There is something for everyone at this event.

So in order to fully appreciate all the events that are going on, we’re giving you a daily breakdown of all the things you can see and do at the Aquatennial. Sit back and enjoy this recap as we take a look at some of the highlights from a big week in Downtown Minneapolis.

Thursday, July 20th was an awesome day in downtown Minneapolis! Two brand new Aquatennial events made their debut! The first ever Candid Canines Film Fest took place at Target Field Station, and the MN Made Market debuted at JB Hudson Jewelers. 

Candid Canines Film Festival

Our first ever Candid Canines Film Festival was wonderful! Target Field Station was full of dogs and their owners all night long! The 30 minute long film celebrating our favorite pets showed at 4:30, 5:30, 6:30, 7:30, & 8:30 pm. In between the showtimes, dogs visited a “pupperazzi” step-and-repeat red carpet area, which was a roaring success among the stars of the night.

Thanks to Can Do Canines for creating the film and helping put on this fantastic event. We’d also like to thank everyone and their dogs for coming out last night, we had so much fun!

Twin Cities River Rats Water Ski Show

We had such a great time at the “Welcome To R.A.T.S. Academy” River Rats Water Ski Show last night! Featuring over 70 water-skiers, the Twin Cities River Rats did not disappoint. The show took place on the Mississippi River with huge crowds spectating from the riverfront near West River Parkway. The show included a ton of exciting stunts, huge jumps, and a 36 (!)  skier pyramid to end the show. Thanks to everybody who came and watched the show! The Rats are back again tonight at 7 pm for another Aquatennial show. We’ll see you there!

MN Made Market

Another first-time event took place yesterday, the MN Made Market! This great new event celebrated MN makers and was hosted by JB Hudson Jewelers at their historic downtown Minneapolis location. We had a wonderful time sampling various local craft brews, exploring many local vendors and merchants, and a lot more! Lakes & Legends Brewing Company even brought a very special “Rhu-berry Farmhouse Ale” micro-brew, made especially for Aquatennial and this event! Thanks to all makers, merchants, & vendors who took part in making this brand new Aquatennial event so great!

Mpls Downtown Farmers Market at South Plaza

We had a wonderful time at Hennepin County Government Center South Plaza for yesterday’s Downtown Farmers Market! Local growers and vendors began arriving around 6 am and were there throughout the entirety of the day until approximately 6 pm. Honest Tea was present with their “Honest Challenge” to see how Honest Minneapolis truly is. In addition to various booths with locally grown veggies and other products, there was also live music from the Great Lakes Navy Band Woodwind Trio over the lunch hours of the day. The weather was gorgeous for this great event!

Aquatennial Tennis Classic

Two champions were crowned at the 22nd Annual USTA Northern Aquatennial Tennis Classic yesterday! Nine time champion Tony Larson won the Men’s Singles title, and Alexis Nelson won the Women’s Singles title. Yesterday’s action featured semi-final and final matches at Canadian Pacific Plaza. Some of the top MN players have participated in the tournament that hosts men’s and women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles. The tournament began on July 10th and will conclude today during the 2017 Aquatennial. This wonderful outdoor tournament located in the heart of downtown Minneapolis features a lineup of various food trucks over the lunch hour, so stop by today to grab some food and watch the conclusion of this great tennis tournament!

Thursday’s Results:
Nick Beaty/Alexis Nelson def. Harsh Mankad /Michaela Schulz 6-1, 6-4
Tony Larson def. Alejandro Valarezo 6-3, 6-2
Alexis Nelson def. Diana Bukajeva 6-4, 6-0
Andres Osorio/ Sion Wilkins def. Mohaned Al Houni/ Motasam Al Houni 7-6 (5), 6-3
Sarai Flores Diaz/Blanka Szavay def. Ellie Puzak/Libby Rickeman 6-4, 6-1
Nick Crossley/Kevin Whipple def. Amrik Donkena/ Mya Smith-Dennis 6-3, 6-4

Aquatennial Blood Drive

The Aquatennial is all about bringing the community together and providing a way to give back to our community. That’s why this year the Aquatennial teamed with the American Red Cross, WCCO-TV, WCCO Radio, BUZ’N 102.9 and 104.1 JACK FM to host the Aquatennial Blood Drive this week. It runs through today from 9 am to 3 pm.

Donating Blood is important in helping those in need, as the Red Cross—which supplies blood to 2,600 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country—needs 14,000 blood donations each day to keep pace. Right now, there is a major shortage of blood as donations are being used as quickly as they come in. Vacations and summer plans often play a role in keeping people from donating, so any help you can provide is much appreciated.

Thursday’s Aquatennial Blood Drive took place at The Commons near Wells Fargo Towers in East Town. Thanks to those who took part and donated!

Aquatennial Blog | Wednesday, July 19

Welcome to the 2017 Aquatennial! This is our Official Civic Celebration, and we’re excited to share it again with you here in Minneapolis for the 78^th year. Join us on this fun four-day adventure that will include a combination of food, fitness and fun ranging from flagship events like the CenterPoint Energy Torchlight Parade to the Target Fireworks, all the way to new events like Candid Canines Film Festival and MN Made Market. There is something for everyone at this event.

So in order to fully appreciate all the events that are going on, we’re giving you a daily breakdown of all the things you can see and do at the Aquatennial. Sit back and enjoy this recap as we take a look at some of the highlights from a big week in Downtown Minneapolis.

Opening day of the 2017 Aquatennial was a great one! The Best Days of Summer kicked off with a bang, featuring many different events, including the CenterPoint Energy Torchlight Parade, one of our flagship Aquatennial events.

Go Outside With Hennepin County Programming at South Plaza

There was very special programming at Hennepin County Government Center South Plaza yesterday from 11:30 am-1:30 pm. We had tons of fun outdoor activities going on, including lawn games, a meditation area, an art cart, giant jenga, and more! Foxy Falafel food truck was on site for lunch, as well. The programming also inckuded a special guest, Can Do Canines! The assistant dog organization was there promoting Candid Canines Film Festival, a new Aquatennial event this year taking place on Thursday evening at Target Field Station! Can Do Canines brought a few dogs with them for everyone to pet and play with. We had a great time at South Plaza yesterday for Go Outside programming.

Aquatennial Tennis Classic

The 22nd Annual USTA Northern Aquatennial Tennis Classic began semi-final and final matches yesterday at Canadian Pacific Plaza. Some of the top MN players have participated in the tournament that hosts men’s and women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles. The tournament began on July 10th and will conclude on Friday, July 21 during the 2017 Aquatennial. This wonderful outdoor tournament located in the heart of downtown Minneapolis features a lineup of various food trucks over the lunch hour, so stop by the next two days to grab some food and watch great tennis action!

Wednesday’s Results:

Jessa Richards/Joey Richards def. Chase Johnson/Ellie Puzak 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (7)
#1 Julia Courter/Tasha Pintusava def. Diana Bukajeva/Brenna Kelly 6-4, 6-2
#1 Alexis Nelson def. Sarai Flores Diaz 6-2, 4-6, 1-0 (5)
#1 Tony Larson def. Tim Larson 6-2, 6-1
#2 Alejandro Valarezo def. Nick Beaty 6-2, 6-3
Sarai Flores Diaz/Blanka Szavay def. Riley Ellingson/Danielle Gannon 6-4, 6-0
Ellie Puzak/Libby Rickeman def. Adele Henke/Jessa Richards 6-3, 6-3

Aquatennial Blood Drive

The Aquatennial is all about bringing the community together and providing a way to give back to our community. That’s why this year the Aquatennial teamed with the American Red Cross, WCCO-TV, WCCO Radio, BUZ’N 102.9 and 104.1 JACK FM to host the Aquatennial Blood Drive this week. It runs Wednesday through Friday from 9 am to 3 pm.

Donating Blood is important in helping those in need, as the Red Cross—which supplies blood to 2,600 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country—needs 14,000 blood donations each day to keep pace. Right now, there is a major shortage of blood as donations are being used as quickly as they come in. Vacations and summer plans often play a role in keeping people from donating, so any help you can provide is much appreciated.

Wednesday’s Blood Drive took place at WCCO-TV. Many WCCO employees participated and donated blood, including first-time donor Jason DeRusha. WCCO also taped news segments inside the Red Cross Bloodmobile. There was a strong turnout at the first day of the Aquatennial Blood Drive, so we hope to continue that trend on Thursday at The Commons and Friday at CBS Radio.

Loring Park Pre-Parade Family Fun Night

The annual Loring Park Pre-Parade Family Fun Night kicked off the evening festivities on Day 1 of the Aquatennial. It’s a great neighborhood gathering event that brings people together in Loring Park, one of our largest downtown green spaces. Nestled along the pond, the event includes Wilderness Inquiry Voyageur Canoe Rides free to the public so you can get a taste of what it’s like to be on the water gazing up at the downtown skyline. There were also Rally the Family tennis lessons from USTA Northern, which took place on the tennis courts in the heart of the park. Along with those two events, there were inflatable kids slides and play zones, a dance party, foods, beverages, pony rides, and more. It’s an event that really brings the Loring Park community together and sets the tone for a night of fun along Hennepin Avenue.

Twin Cities Orthopedics Torchlight 5K

We avoided the rain and Ran With Fire last night at the Twin Cities Orthopedics Torchlight 5K! This magnificent event took place along Hennepin Avenue beginning at 7:30 pm, just before the CenterPoint Energy Torchlight Parade. Runners and walkers took off from the Basilica of St. Mary and ended the race along the Mississippi Riverfront. Once completed, participants were able to enjoy a post-race party with food, beverages and entertainment. Thanks to all who participated in another great fitness event during Aquatennial—kicking off four days of activity during our Official Civic Celebration.

CenterPoint Energy Torchlight Parade

Despite multiple inclement weather concerns, the skies cleared to make for a beautiful night at the CenterPoint Energy Torchlight Parade last night. The Aquatennial flagship event began at 8:30 pm near Basilica of St. Mary and ran along Hennepin avenue. Crowds amassed along Hennepin for the largest nighttime parade in the state of Minnesota early to grab their spots along the parade route. The parade featured new University of Minnesota Football Head Coach P.J. Fleck and his family as Grand Marshal, which was one of the top highlights of the entire evening.

The 2017 CenterPoint Energy Torchlight Parade featured over 80 units. The parade included law enforcement and public safety groups, various local local high school bands, Aquatennial Ambassadors and royalty, multiple University of Minnesota participants, AquaJesters, and a whole lot more!

We thank our sponsor CenterPoint Energy and everyone else who made this wonderful Aquatennial event possible last night. Thank you for coming out to enjoy the CenterPoint Energy Torchlight Parade!