Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board

09/30/2026

2026 Owámni: Falling Water Festival is Saturday, Oct. 10, 11 am–4 pm, at Father Hennepin Bluff Park!

The event features live music, indigenous food vendors, traditional arts and craft vendors, and dancers.

Live performances from:
Lady Midnight
Laura Hugo Music
Twin Cities Intertribal Dancers
Thunder Before the Storm
Trish Cook

Visitors will enjoy a marketplace showcasing local businesses and cultural organizations, including food from:

Pow Wow Grounds
Trickster Tacos LLC
Steven D's
Wild Harvest Lemonade

Owámniyomni Okhódayapi will be available for tours and presentation about their current restoration project at noon and 2 pm.

Head to minneapolisparks.org/owamni for more info.

09/28/2026

Covey, assembly, sodality? Phalanx, party, passel? No matter what you call your people, bring everyone along to enjoy some time outdoors and make a lasting impact in Minneapolis parks, gardens and natural areas!

Whether it’s a federation of five, a fellowship of 50 or somewhere in between, your bunch (or band or brigade) can support the health and beauty of special places throughout the park system.

MPRB Volunteers organizes groups from April through November for bulb-planting, litter-picking, bed-mulching, buckthorn-stripping and other one-time service projects. Last year we thanked 2,652 volunteers who spent 5,524 hours helping with projects like these.

We'd love for you and yours to join their legion! Fill out the MPRB Group Project Request Form or email [email protected].

09/26/2026

We're accepting bike donations for Free Bikes 4 Kidz MN at eight Minneapolis rec centers all next week!

Free Bikes 4 Kidz MN is a non-profit organization geared toward helping all kids ride into a happier, healthier childhood by providing bikes to those most in need.

When you donate your gently used adult or youth bikes, they organize volunteers to clean and refurbish them and then give them away to kids in need.

Bring your donations to any of the following collection sites Monday, Sept. 28 through Saturday, Oct. 3. Collection hours are 3-8 pm Monday through Friday and 12-5 pm on Saturday.

🚴Creekview Park, 5001 Humboldt Ave N
🚴Kenny Neighborhood Center, 1328 W 58th St
🚴Kenwood Community Center, 2101 W Franklin Ave
🚴Longfellow Recreation Center, 3435 36th Ave S
🚴Morris Recreation Center, 5531 39th Ave S
🚴Pershing Recreation Center, 3523 W 48th St
🚴Van Cleve Recreation Center, 901 15th Ave SE
🚴Waite Recreation Center, 1810 34th Ave NE

Minneapolis Parks is proud to partner with Free Bikes 4 Kidz MN and we look forward to a successful bike drive next week!

09/25/2026

2026 Owámni: Falling Water Festival is Saturday, Oct. 10, 11 am–4 pm, at Father Hennepin Bluff Park. This free, all-ages event is presented by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and sponsored by the St. Anthony Falls Heritage Board.

The event features live music, indigenous food vendors, traditional arts and craft vendors, and dancers. Tours of the Owámniyomni site will be available by staff from Owámniyomni Okhódayapi several times during the festival.

Owámniyomni is what the Dakota called the area at St. Anthony Falls. It means “whirling or falling water” in the Dakota language, making it an appropriate name for this festival along the Mississippi River. We hope to see you there!

09/24/2026

From the northern edge of Minneapolis to the southern reaches of the city, the Mississippi River is never far away – and yes, it’s a beautiful backdrop, but we think it’s even better when you experience it firsthand.

We’ve rounded up 22 parks and public places where you can get up close to the Mississippi! Swipe through to travel north to south along the Mississippi and see how many you’ve visited — or add a few to your must-see list.

AFAR even recently named Minneapolis one of seven U.S. cities with riverfronts worth visiting at afar.com/magazine/u-s-cities-with-riverfronts-worth-visiting

09/23/2026

There's so much to discover in Minneapolis parks. 187 parks, more than 7,000 acres of parkland and water, 121 play areas, plus gardens, stages, sanctuaries, and 600,000 trees. Whether you want to paddle, picnic, play or find a quiet bench, it's all yours to explore.

09/22/2026

We’re excited to share this call for artists to create public artwork inside the Graco Park Tunnel — a connection between Hall’s and Boom Islands beneath the Plymouth Ave Bridge.

Graco Park and its connecting trails opened in 2025, and now there’s an opportunity to bring more art and creativity to this well-used connection in the park system.

If you’re an artist with experience working across materials and scales, take a look at the opportunity and consider applying. 👇

Call for Artists to create public artwork for Graco Park Tunnel.

The City is seeking artists with the capacity to work in a range of materials and a range of scales. The selected artist will design and create artwork on the tunnel interior. This bike and pedestrian tunnel connect Hall’s and Boom Islands under the Plymouth Ave Bridge. Graco Park and the connecting trails opened in 2025.

Dates and deadlines:
Monday, Oct. 5 at 5 p.m. – Virtual informational meeting
Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 4 p.m. – Deadline to email your questions
Friday, Oct. 9 – Review the posted questions and answers document
Monday, Oct. 26 at 5 p.m. – Upload and submit a completed application

Contact Witt Siasoco for more information. Learn more and apply at https://www.minneapolismn.gov/call-for-artists/

09/21/2026

Thanks to everyone who joined us at the Upper Harbor Park Grand Opening on Saturday, September 19, as we marked an important milestone for the city of Minneapolis and opened nearly 20 acres of new public parkland.

One of the most important things about this park is also the simplest: people can now gather at the riverfront near North Minneapolis in a place that is permanently public and accessible.

The park also connects to the larger network of parks and trails, while incorporating important environmental work like managing stormwater, restoring habitat and improving the riverfront landscape.

Upper Harbor Park is one important piece of the larger Upper Harbor transformation. This former industrial site is also the future home to a mix of public space, housing, commercial activity and infrastructure — creating new opportunities for North Minneapolis and for the city.

The park is the major public-space component of that transformation and on Saturday we celebrated its completion by officially opening it to the public!

Thanks to our partners City of Minneapolis Government and Mississippi Watershed Management Organization.

09/18/2026

Join us for the Grand Opening of Upper Harbor Park tomorrow, September 19, at 10:30 am!

Learn about the history of the project and hear from project partners about its impacts and park board leaders about plans for the future of this space.

This event is rain or shine and will only be canceled if weather turns severe. In that case, we will post a notice here and the event will be moved to Oct. 3.

Note: This new park is not consistently recognized by all mapping apps – we’re working on it! Take North Dowling Avenue east to West River Road North and the park is located right there at the river.

09/17/2026

Who’s in the mood for barbecue? Park Police will be at The People's Barbecue on Saturday, Sept. 19, 12–4 pm at North Commons Park. We’ll be joined by Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and Minneapolis Fire Department for this annual tradition.

Stop by for free food, entertainment, and a fun day at the park. Hope to see you there!