The Minneapolis Aquatennial is just two weeks away and expected to bring thousands to downtown Minneapolis once again.
President and CEO of The Minneapolis Downtown Council, Adam Duininck, says the event is playing a major role in bringing foot traffic back to the city.
"We have almost 100 floats, including some of the professional sports teams and some of the businesses and a bunch of civic groups from around the state," says Duininck about the famous Torchlight Parade. "One of the best parts about the parade is that it draws in attendees from all over Minnesota and we get to showcase Nicollet Mall."
Last year the event saw over 100,000 people during come out for the fireworks display over the riverfront, and Duininck says he hopes even more people will show up this year.
This year, the Minneapolis Aquatennial is celebrating it's 84th anniversary as the city's civic celebration. The four day event starts on July 23 and is set to feature concerts, plenty of vendors, and the largest nighttime parade in the state.
"We're hoping that this excitement continues to build and we hope that people come down and see what a great time we can have in downtown Minneapolis," Duininck adds.
He says he hope that events like help benefit local businesses as well.
It all kicks off July 23rd-26th. You can see a full list of events here but these are the traditional major gatherings for Aquatennial:
Aquatennial Torchlight Parade - July 23rd starting at 7:30 p.m. It will travel down Nicollet from 12th Street to 4th Street.
River Rats Ski Show - July 23rd and July 24th along the Mississippi between the Broadway and Plymouth Avenue bridges.
Aqua Jam - July 25th on West River Parkway at 4:00 p.m. It's an Aquatennial 80s classic that is back as skateboarders show off some amazing tricks with food, beverages, shopping, live music and more.
Aquatennial Ambassador Coronation - July 26th, 4:00 p.m. at Tedd Mann Concert Hall on the University of Minnesota Campus. See who the new Aquatennial Queen of the Lakes, Commodore, Princesses and Captains are who will represent the festival over the next year!
Target Fireworks Show - July 26th at 10:00 p.m. over the Mississippi riverfront. Always one of the top five annual fireworks displays in the nation, come early for music and activities that run from 6:00-10:00 p.m. on West River Parkway.