The 2023 Minneapolis Aquatennial kicks off Wednesday with the Torchlight Parade taking place at 7:30 along Nicollet Mall.
Minneapolis Downtown Council's Meghan Gustafson says the next couple of days will be filled with a lot of fun activities and it all concludes Saturday with one of the biggest fireworks shows in the country.
"We have River Rats Water Ski shows which are fantastic, on Thursday and Friday," says Gustafson. "We have a workout at the Sculpture Garden, right at the base of the Spoon and Cherry on Friday with Alchemy. And then it concludes with the Target Fireworks on the river in downtown Minneapolis. There's no greater night than seeing those fireworks on the river."
She says they are hopeful that the weather will cooperate, as there are some scattered storms possible Wednesday evening.
"You know, we really keep a close eye on the weather, so we will be doing that all day today," Gustafson tells WCCO. "But we expect the parade to happen as planned, and we're really looking forward to a great night for Aquatennial."
There will be about 70 different floats, with the Minnesota Lynx serving as the Grand Marshall. The Lynx organization is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
The procession featuring dozens of floats, displays, and marching bands will make its way down Nicollet between 12th Street and 4th Street. They suggest you arrive early and find your spot along the parade route as they will be closing down the roads around the route prior to the parade. Metro Transit is also providing free rides by bus or light rail.
Other big Aquatennial events include Thursday's Minne-Golf on Nicollet Mall, Friday's Warehouse District Live, and of course the AquaJam and Target Fireworks on Saturday.
Also on Saturday, the Aquatennial Ambassador Organization will crown the new Queen of the Lakes, Princesses and unveil the rest of the Ambassador group for the next year.
Get a full rundown on the Aquatennial schedule of events here.