Minneapolis, MN
Lucky Cat Records brings good fortune to iconic corner
Lucky Cat Records revives Minneapolis music history
When it comes to the evolution of Minnesota music, few intersections are as instrumental as 26th and Lyndale in south Minneapolis.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – When it comes to the evolution of Minnesota music, few intersections are as instrumental as 26th and Lyndale in south Minneapolis.
Michelle Swanson, Lucky Cat Records owner (FOX 9)
A new spin on a local landmark
What we know:
At Lucky Cat Records, vinyl heads can get their fix from the store’s new and vintage stacks of wax, but it is also a mini-museum for the local music scene.
“With all the history here, it’s really big shoes to fill,” said owner Michele Swanson.
Swanson opened the shop this past summer after learning the historic space was available, even though the retired Delta Airlines manager had never run a record store before.
“It’s something I never planned on. There’s a pie in the sky sort of idea that came to fruition and it’s just been fantastic,” said Swanson.
When it began
The backstory:
Back in the 70s and 80s, the space was home to Oak Folkjokeopus, which was a mecca for legendary local bands like The Suburbs, Soul Asylum and Husker Du, who hung out to listen to punk and post punk records, while also frequenting the CC Club across the street for a drink.
In fact, The Replacements were discovered here when their frontman Paul Westerberg handed the band’s demo to their future manager Peter Jesperson, who was working at Oar Folk.
After Oar Folkjokeopus closed in 2001, employee Mark Trehus ran Treehouse Records in the building until 2017.
The shop sat empty for 7 years until Swanson decided to bring another record store to the neighborhood.
“This space is so special and I really wanted to make sure to honor the past, not only Oar Folk and Treehouse and what came before, but all the artists and all the music community,” said Swanson.
Dropping the needle on a new era
What they’re saying:
There are nods to the past beyond just the posters on the wall.
The sign out front is in the same font as the one for Oar Folkjokeopus.
For opening weekend last July, Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson performed in the store with a surprise encore with the son of Minnesota legend Bob Dylan, Jacob Dylan and The Wallflowers, who happened to have a show in town.
Swanson named her shop after the items she saw in every storefront while traveling in Japan with Delta, but she hopes her focus on local music will hit a groove with a new generation of fans without skipping a beat.
“It’s been just amazing being able to open a record store in this kind of hallowed spot and this place. We just hope to continue to be part of the community and to be something that’s valuable and also a place where we can continue to educate people about the past,” said Swanson.
MINNEAPOLIS — Real Capital Solutions (RCS) has acquired 3701 Wayzata Boulevard, a 308,681-square-foot office property in the Urban West End neighborhood of Minneapolis, for $34 million. Situated on 25.8 acres overlooking Brownie and Cedar lakes, the nine-story asset is 99 percent leased and serves as the headquarters location for several companies such as Tactile Medical, SRF Consulting Group, Regis Corp. and MOBE.
Originally developed as a corporate headquarters campus for Prudential and later occupied by Target Corp., the property underwent a comprehensive renovation and repositioning in 2019. Amenities today include a fitness center, conference facilities, a golf simulator, onsite café, outdoor gathering spaces, a rooftop patio, bike storage and direct access to regional trail systems.
Big Honking Truck Parade heads to Minneapolis
A ?cavalcade of wheels? will line Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis on Thursday, July 31, for the first-ever ?Minneapolis Moves: The Big Honking Truck Parade? featuring vehicles from fire engines to snowplows.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Families can get up close to massive trucks and city vehicles as the Big Honking Truck Parade rolls back through Minneapolis on Thursday.
Big trucks take over Nicollet Mall
What we know:
The “Minneapolis Moves: The Big Honking Truck Parade” is set to line downtown with municipal, public safety, construction and big-wheel trucks in an effort to bring families together and highlight the people and equipment that keep the city running.
The event begins at 5 p.m. with a local vendor market featuring crafts and food. A parade then starts at 5:30 p.m., traveling down Nicollet Mall from East Grant Street to South Sixth Street.
Mayor Frey during the 2025 Big Honking Truck Parade. Credit: City of Minneapolis (Supplied)
Dig deeper:
The parade is said to feature City of Minneapolis cars, police and fire trucks, construction vehicles, semitrailers and more from local businesses and operators.
Two Minnesota Special Olympics athletes, Dequan Williams of Minneapolis and Niko Lichtscheidl of St. Francis will serve as grand marshals of the parade, ahead of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games which officially kick off in Minnesota on Saturday.
After the parade, all vehicles will be parked along the Mall until 8 p.m. for a “touch-a-truck” experience, giving families a chance to explore the trucks up close.
According to officials, the parade route will:
- Begin at East Grant Street
- Travel down Nicollet Mall
- End at South Sixth Street
Hoping to expand upon its first year in 2025, the parade is said to feature City of Minneapolis cars, police and fire trucks, construction vehicles, semitrailers and more from local businesses and operators.
What they’re saying:
“The Big Honkin’ Truck Parade is one of those uniquely Minneapolis events that brings families together while showcasing the people and equipment that serve our city every day,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a press release. “It’s fun, it’s educational, and it’s a great reminder of all the work happening behind the scenes to keep Minneapolis running.”
The Source: Information provided by a City of Minneapolis press release.
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