Taylor Swift, Pride Festival expected to draw big crowds in downtown Minneapolis this weekend
Big crowds expected downtown for Taylor Swift concerts
Minneapolis leaders are expecting over 600,000 people downtown this weekend and millions of dollars in economic activity during two major events.
City leaders call it a new era for downtown and they’re ready for it.
Day Block Brewing Company is working around the clock to prep for a busy weekend with wall-to-wall Taylor Swift fans.
Jeff Hahn, Day Block Brewing Company co-owner, explained it’s the first time they’re working around two back-to-back large events at U.S. Bank Stadium.
“We’re looking forward to that and it’ll be a challenge, but we’re ready for it,” Hahn said.
Both Friday and Saturday, fans will fill U.S. Bank Stadium for the Taylor Swift concert, which is a short walk from the brewpub.
Hahn is prepping for thousands of people to pass through the restaurant before the concert. He’s opening the restaurant early, offering limited reservations and walk-ins are welcome.
Swifties can expect a specialty pink lemonade cocktail called “Lover.”
“It’s happy stress,” Hahn said. “We’ve been through many Viking seasons and many concerts, so my staff are all well-versed on what we need to do to get prepared.”
The Taylor Swift concert is not the only major weekend event in Minneapolis.
The Twin Cities Pride Festival will return to Loring Park at the same time.
Meet Minneapolis is expecting over 600,000 people to pass through downtown.
“It’s a wonderful place to be in welcoming people back to downtown,” Melvin Tennant, Meet Minneapolis president and CEO, said.
The organization is expecting Super Bowl-level traffic and money.
“The Super Bowl for the week when that… was here generated over $450 million from the economic impact, so we’re looking forward to understanding what this weekend coming up it’s going to have for us,” Tennant said. “It’s going to be a big weekend.”
City leaders are urging people heading downtown this weekend to have a plan because of the road closures and heavy traffic.
RELATED: Metro Transit extends services for Taylor Swift concerts, Pride events
Metro Transit initially wasn’t planning to extend light rail service, but now they’ll be providing more bus and light rail services after the Taylor Swift concerts. They’re also offering free rides to the pride festival.
Looking ahead, city leaders will discuss safety plans on Wednesday ahead of these major events in Minneapolis.
Source: KSTP
