Top 10 New Things to Know About Minneapolis
Most people know Minneapolis as the home to royal ‘purple’ rocker Prince Rogers Nelson or also known as Prince. He helped the city gain more notoriety. So, it’s not surprising that Minneapolis is also a gay-friendly city with quite a few bars and clubs located downtown and in nearby St. Paul, Minnesota. and a few with a strip.
In addition to its LGBTQ appeal, the city has a few attractions and things to do for people visiting the city in 2023. Riding on a wave of excitement from the 2022 win for James Beard Best New Restaurant, Owamni’s owners will open a new Indigenous market in Minneapolis. This year is expected to be packed with new food and drink spots, artsy anniversaries, and a swanky new airport lounge. Here are 10 new things you should know about Minneapolis in 2023.
1. Indigenous Food Lab Market will join the Midtown Global Market on Lake Street in February, serving an Indigenous menu at the hot meal bar, as well as a tea bar with an herbal specialist and other Indigenous market items from the owners of the James Beard Best New Restaurant 2022, Owamni.
2. Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), a Delta hub that was named the top airport in the nation by JD Power for customer satisfaction in 2022, will open its third Delta Sky Club in 2023 in the renovated Concourse G. The multi-level Sky Club will have a four-season outdoor deck and set a new benchmark in Delta lounges. Concourse G’s 50,000-square-foot expansion includes a two-story rotunda, retail spaces, more seating, and art exhibit space.
3. Du Nord Social Spirits will open a new “spiritual successor” to its’ former cocktail room in a newly renovated Coliseum building on East Lake Street that is in tandem with an incubator that supports BIPOC entrepreneurs. Du Nord’s original, celebrated cocktail room was closed after damage following the aftermath of the death of George Floyd in 2020. As the first Black distillery in the nation, owner Chris Montana used the opportunity to create a foundation that addresses racial inequities and builds economic justice in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area.
4. Tony Award-winning Guthrie Theater celebrates its 60th anniversary with a spring production of Hamlet, an homage to the first-ever production at the theater.
5. The Minnesota Opera also celebrates its 60th anniversary season with a full season of opera, including the long-awaited world premiere of Edward Tulane, based on the best seller by Kate DiCamillo, and the world premiere of The Song Poet, the first Hmong story adapted for the operatic stage.
6. Mall of America’s Nickelodeon Universe indoor, year-round theme park celebrates 15 years in 2023.
7. The West is a boutique hotel property with 123 luxe rooms, a fireside lounge, an outdoor dining patio, a stone cellar cocktail bar, and a rooftop bar with sweeping city views. The hotel also has a new restaurant by James Beard award-winning chef Tim McKee will open in late 2023. Salt Hotels’ first Midwest venture in the popular North Loop neighborhood includes the restoration of four 19th Century buildings to create the new hotel.
8. The Great Northern Festival returns with its annual celebration of “keeping the North cold” which includes the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships, St. Paul Winter Carnival, City of Lakes Loppet cross-country ski festival, and more than 50 arts, culture, and climate-focused events for visitors to participate in from Jan. 25 – Feb. 5. There are a number of new stand-out experiences for the 2023 festival, including Avant Brunch: Hope & Despair by Kato Hideki, where local chefs prepare a multi-course dinner inspired by a particular record album, and the world premiere of Ashwini Ramaswamy & Kevork Mourad’s Invisible Cities dance and art performance.
9. From the owners of Zen Box Izakaya and Bebe Zito ice cream, Eat Street Crossing Whittier Food Hall will occupy a spot on its namesake Eat Street (Nicollet Avenue) in South Minneapolis. It features a casual ramen bar, Ramen Shoten, Bebe Zito’s signature ice cream, burgers and fried chicken, bubble tea from ChaTime, a bar, and a wine wall.
10. Lola’s on the Lake and Pimento Jamaican Kitchen will open in the new Minneapolis Parks and Recreation pavilion on Bde Maka Ska (formerly known as Lake Calhoun) this summer.
More Exciting News
Who can stop at only 10 when there’s so much coming in the new year? Here are a few more things to know about what’s new and noteworthy in 2023 in Minneapolis:
- Danish conductor Thomas Søndergård, the newly announced 11th music director of the Grammy Award-winning Minnesota Orchestra, will serve for the 2022-23 season as the ensemble’s music director designate before beginning his music director role in September 2023.
- Chloe by Vincent, by Chef Vincent Francoual, just opened last month (December 2022) inside the Canopy by Hilton Minneapolis Mill District hotel.
- Minneapolis Parks and Recreation celebrates the reopening of Father Hennepin Bluff Park, which was renovated with a new performance stage, restrooms, and other spaces on the east bank of the Mississippi at the end of the Stone Arch Bridge.
- The Minnesota Twins will debut their new ballpark changes, including a $30 million scoreboard and video screen update, at Target Field in the spring, along with their recently announced new logo and branding.
- One of the first arts organizations in the country, The Schubert Club celebrates its 140th anniversary season of performances from the world’s great recital soloists and ensembles.
- The Medtronic TC 10 Mile race, part of the Twin Cities Marathon in October, celebrates 25 years.
- The Crystal Ball, Minneapolis’ longest-running New Year’s Eve party, celebrates 20 years.
Keep up in the coming year and plan your trip with Meet Minneapolis. Learn more about how Minneapolis’ Cultural Districts were identified by the City of Minneapolis to highlight the rich sense of cultural and/or linguistic identity rooted in communities significantly populated by people of color, Indigenous people, and/or immigrants. An annual calendar of events provides seasonal opportunities to explore these areas further.
