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Open Streets to return to Minneapolis
Three neighborhood associations will help put on three separate events, starting this weekend on Lyndale Avenue South.
MINNEAPOLIS — Open Streets, a popular summer series in Minneapolis, will return after all.
The event’s future was in question after the city announced it reached a “mutual agreement” to end its contract with the nonprofit that organized the series each summer. Instead, this year the city is partnering with three neighborhood associations to host three events, starting Saturday, Aug. 24 on Lyndale Avenue South.
“Open Streets is Minneapolis at its best,” said Mayor Jacob Frey in a statement. “These events bring together thousands of people to celebrate our great city – and the businesses, parks, and people who all make Minneapolis so unique. We are thrilled to kick off another year of Open Streets, and I am so grateful to our City staff and neighborhood partners who have worked tirelessly to set these events up for another successful year.”
Open Streets, which has been around since 2011, shuts down an urban street for an afternoon to allow people an opportunity to walk, bike and socialize on the block. It’s often accompanied by art, music and food, and has drawn thousands of people to a single event.
The first event on Saturday, in partnership with the Uptown Association, will include more than 200 vendors, 400 food trucks and a “Back to School Jam” at Painter Park, which will feature backpack giveaways. The event will be held on Lyndale Avenue South between 22nd Street West and 36th Street West from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with the City of Minneapolis on Open Streets Lyndale, a fantastic opportunity to connect with our community,” Jill Osiecki, Director of Programming for the Uptown Association said in a statement. “This event truly highlights the spirit of Lyndale Avenue, showcasing its unique offerings to both residents and businesses. We are proud to be part of this celebration.”
The West Broadway Business Coalition will help put on the second event on Saturday, Sept. 21 on West Broadway between Lyndale Avenue North and Penn Avenue North from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. City officials say this event will include more than 250 vendors, as well as live music, dance performances and cultural showcases. There will also be pop-up markets and a cultural food court.
“We are thrilled to bring Open Streets West Broadway to life again,” said Kristel Porter, Executive Director of West Broadway Business and Area Coalition in a statement. “This event is more than just a street festival—it’s a powerful celebration of our vibrant community and the incredible energy that exists in North Minneapolis. Partnering with the city and our local organizations allows us to transform West Broadway Avenue into a space where neighbors can connect, celebrate, and support our diverse local businesses.”
The final Open Streets event will be held Sept. 28 on Nicollet Avenue between West 31st Street and West 46th Street. The Lyndale Neighborhood Association will help put on the event, which will also take place between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. It will feature live music, hands-on art activities and inflatable and skateboard demonstrations. There will also be a 5K Run for Beer, where participants will answer trivia questions and collect stamps at checkpoints along the way. There will also be a Run for Kids Dash for children 11 and younger.
“It’s been five long years, but Nicollet Open Streets is back this year with two miles of music and magic! We are thankful to the City of Minneapolis for bringing back this route and for trusting the Lyndale Neighborhood Association to continue our work highlighting our local businesses,” Sarah Linnes-Robinson, Director of Projects for the Lyndale Neighborhood Association said in a statement. “This event is not just about throwing a great community party (which it does!), it is about raising the awareness of local businesses and the unique flavor they bring to our neighborhood, and building new connections between them and neighbors so that they will continue to thrive.”
For more information about any of the Open Streets events, click here.
Gary Peterson and his friends are collecting donations to help people in their community.
ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — A St. Louis Park pumpkin display is raising money for their local food shelf.
Gary Peterson started carving and painting three pumpkins over a decade ago. It’s now grown to over 100.
“I’ve heard people say they’ve come from Hutchinson,” he said.
Peterson along with two of his neighbors have spent the last 14 years growing their display, turning it into a neighborhood event.
“It’s been incredible, I just can’t believe how much this has expanded,” he said. “We did it just because we like to and then people were asking to give us money to cover the cost.”
The trio refused to take people’s money, but then one of them had an idea.
“My neighbor, Steve Leensvaart, just mentioned how about we just do it for the STEP program and the STEP program is our local food shelf in St. Louis Park,” he said.
So, they started to collect donations to help families in need. They’ve raised hundreds of dollars and donated hundreds of pounds of food over the last few years, carving for a cause.
“It is more gratifying every year,” Peterson said.
He estimated they have over 100 unique pumpkins in their yard. They’ve created the displays and come up with new family-friendly concepts for people to enjoy. Peterson said about 30 of their neighbors carved their own pumpkins to be put on display, and it’s been a big hit.
“It’s great. In the last couple of years, it’s turned into more of a neighborhood event,” said Sarah Durch.
“We love this Halloween display, we come every year to see it. We love that the whole community gets involved to craft and carve the pumpkins,” said Jami Gordon-Smith.
“The shading and the details are unbelievable,” said Elizabeth Hanson.
Hanson hopes to take her 2-year-old son trick or treating for the first time but is worried the cold temperatures might keep them indoors.
“We’re going trick or treating hopefully,” she said. “He’s going to be a firefighter, but we’re probably going to have sweatshirts maybe like two pairs of sweatpants underneath. We’re going to be bundled up.”
Gordon-Smith said her family will be out Halloween night no matter the weather.
“Halloween only comes once a year, so you really have to take advantage and enjoy the evening no matter what the weather brings,” she said. “Guess it’s not totally unheard of in Minnesota to have a cold Halloween, but we are going to try and modify and do a lot of layers underneath our costumes and then we might add some hats and maybe some warmer socks.”
Durch also isn’t surprised they’re in for another chilly night.
“Well, what would Halloween be without Minnesota cold? I feel like every time you plan a costume you have to plan for how you can make this work if it’s snowing,” she said.
Peterson said they will have a bonfire and some hot chocolate and cider on Halloween to keep trick-or-treaters warm while they look at their pumpkins.
Click here to learn where you can see the pumpkins and how you can donate.
Jeremy Jourdain was 17 when he was last seen on Halloween 2016.
BEMIDJI, Minn. — The search for Jeremy Jourdain, who was last seen on Halloween in 2016, continues now eight years later.
Jourdain was last seen at a family member’s house in Bemidji, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior Indian Affairs. He left the residence near the 500 block of Wood Avenue after midnight and while people followed him, no one was able to find him.
Jourdain was 17 at the time.
Officials said he was wearing a blue and grey sweatshirt, and blue jeans when last seen. He is Native American and is described as 6 foot 5 and 175 pounds.
If you have any information on his whereabouts, you can contact the Bemidji Police Department at (218) 333-9111. Tips can also be sent to 1-833-560-2065, or you can email ojs_mmu@bia.gov.
The organizations say many Asian Americans are planning to vote despite lack of candidate outreach.
ST PAUL, Minn. — Most people have been contacted in some way shape or form by a campaign in the last few weeks. And if the polls are right and the race for president is a dead heat, every vote will matter.
That’s why this is a head scratcher:
According to a September 2024 voter survey by Asian American Pacific Islander Data, 27% of Asian-American voters said they hadn’t been contacted by either political party trying to get their vote. Last spring, earlier in the voting season, it was even more – 42%.
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing racial or ethnic group nationwide.
Their voter participation levels are growing too, with 60% of eligible Asian-American voters turning out in 2020. And AAPI Data reports as many as 90% of Asian Americans they surveyed said they plan to vote this cycle.
“Candidates are not reaching out to Asian Americans, which is a huge mistake,” said ThaoMee Xiong, executive and networking director of the Coalition of Asian American Leaders.
She says even though there are more than 200,000 eligible Asian voters in Minnesota, the Asian vote is under-appreciated.
“Neither the Democratic or Republican parties have been reaching out in huge numbers,” Xiong said. “They’re sending general mailers to everyone but … they need it in their native language.”
That’s why CAAL is partnering with two more organizations to keep voter turnout high and reach anyone candidates or advocates missed.
Xor Xiong is from Asian American Organizing Project, which focuses on engaging metro-area teens and young adults.
“Many of our communities are still facing barriers to go to vote,” he said. “There’s been more times than I like to admit in terms of when I was having a conversation over the phones of voters being surprised that they can take time off to go and vote, or they can bring the kids to the polling locations, or they can even bring someone to translate for them.”
“In Ramsey County, because of the large Hmong American population there, the polls in Ramsey County are federally required to provide interpreters and translated materials,” ThaoMee added.
Their nonpartisan campaign, Get Out the Vote for Asian Minnesotans, aims to get people registered and well-informed.
“Throughout Covid, there was a lot of anti-hate around the AAPI community and we are still feeling the impact of that to this day,” said Amanda Xiong, a community organizer with a group known as CAPI USA. “Even if folks are afraid to go to the polls, due to that, we try our best to then educate them around absentee ballots, voting early.”
“And so yes, there is a huge increase in terms of voter turnout, but then why is it still 70% feel as though they don’t belong?”
In 2021, the FBI reported a 168% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes.
In Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center, the groups knocked on at least 700 doors in one session alone while keeping safety top of mind.
“We make sure that there’s a car following all the door knockers,” ThaoMee said. “We put everyone on text chain … and we are putting a lot of precautionary measures in place for the day of voting.”
After the election, the CAAL plans to conduct surveys and send the results to county election officials. They’ve done this before and say it led to policy changes this year at the legislature including measures to ensure people have easier access to interpreters.
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