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Shakopee social district opens on Monday

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Published  September 1, 2025 8:37am CDT
Shakopee
FOX 9
Shakopee social district set to open

Shakopee social district set to open

Shakopee is set to open the second social district in Minnesota -- areas where you can consume alcohol in public.

The Brief

    • The window for Shakopee's social district opens on Monday, the second social district to open in Minnesota.
    • The social district allows for the public consumption of alcoholic drinks in public areas.
    • The drinks must be purchased from licensed bars and breweries and in a marked cup. You can't BYOB. 

SHAKOPEE, Minn. (FOX 9) - The window for Shakopee's social districts, designated areas where people can consume alcoholic drinks in public, is now open.

Shakopee social districts open

What is a social district?:

Social district zones are areas where people can openly consume alcohol in public areas. In Shakopee, they've approved two social district spots: one in the downtown area, running along 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue between Spencer and Atwood streets, and the other around Canterbury Park.

The social districts will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day from Sept. 1 until Halloween. A second window will open in December, during the city's Holiday Fest weekend, before the city does a full launch of the social district next summer.

Local perspective:

Bars and breweries must be licensed to sell social district drinks and social district drinks must be served in city-marked cups. You cannot bring your own beverages to the social district.

Drinks in the appropriate cups can be consumed anywhere in the marked social district area.

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Social district map for Shakopee downtown (City of Shakopee)

From: Supplied

Social districts in MN

The backstory:

Shakopee became the second Minnesota city to launch a social district after Anoka.

Anoka opened its first social district in 2022 after being granted permission by state lawmakers. In 2024, the legislature gave Shakopee and Stillwater permission to add social districts.

Last month, the Shakopee City Council approved the framework for its social districts. Stillwater's area remains in limbo after a survey showed residents were split over adding a social district.

During the past legislative session, lawmakers considered approving statewide social districts, but the bill failed to find enough support in the House.

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