Minneapolis funnels folks downtown for 4th of July for fun & safety
Minneapolis funnels folks downtown for 4th of July for fun
Fourth of July fireworks will light up the Mississippi River in Minneapolis Friday night to culminate a big party near the Stone Arch Bridge. But while that’s all fun and games, the city is limiting access to some of its parks because of holiday shenanigans and some recent violence.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Fourth of July fireworks will light up the Mississippi River in Minneapolis Friday night to culminate a big party near the Stone Arch Bridge.
But while that’s all fun and games, the city is limiting access to some of its parks because of holiday shenanigans and some recent violence.
Boom goes the riverfront
Fireworks fun:
They’re funneling folks to the Red, White, and Boom! event and expecting as many as 50,000 people to watch the fireworks over the river at 10 p.m.
In the 12 hours leading up to it, they’re keeping people busy with music, food and even pickleball on West River Parkway.
Buskers and yoga and beer, oh my.
The Red, White and Boom! party got started Friday morning and red, white and blue outfits and body paint took to the street.
"It’s awesome to walk around like this," said Tim King of Minneapolis. "Walk in, walk out, go back, cool off, come back down for the fireworks, it's fantastic."
"We just did a little shopping over here, so it's a great event," said his wife, Michelle King.
Downtown parks preview
Mini-events:
Yoga usually fills the Water Works park area on weekends, but it moved downstream on this holiday, clearing the space for a park market like the one the city will do on Nicollet Island in a few weeks.
And the pickleball demonstration previews a much larger tournament taking over West River Parkway in September.
"What we tried to do this year is give folks a sample of some of the fun things that we do on a regular basis at our parks in downtown Minneapolis," said Kristina Anderson with Minneapolis Parks & Recreation’s downtown parks division.
Funneling folks downtown
Some parks limited:
But some of the parks people use on a regular basis are harder to access on this holiday.
Boom Island is closed to cars in a spot where a woman was shot and killed last month.
Bde Maka Ska Parkway is closed to cars in a spot where Minneapolis police have gotten the most 911 calls the last couple Fourths of July.
So Mill Ruins is the city’s focus.
"We do want to see folks coming in down here to the riverfront," Anderson said.
Staying safe
Patrols and water:
Police and park staffers are patrolling the other parks, which are accessible by bicycle and on foot.
And they’ll be all around the West River Parkway celebration from 4th to 11th Streets.
The heat didn’t keep a crowd from coming early, but the city is ready to hydrate them if they’re staying late.
"So there's a keg, but it's a water keg," a reporter said.
"A water keg, but we will have beer right here on the Waterworks Pavilion patio," Anderson said.
Where to watch!
What you can do:
We got a little inside scoop on where to watch the fireworks for the best views, too.
The stairs by Waterworks Pavilion are supposed to be good, but there’s also up on the Third Avenue Bridge and on the trail between that bridge and Hennepin.