It’s the last day of Taste of Minnesota in Downtown Minneapolis and thousands are expected to attend after organizers revamped the festival to accommodate more people.

Organizers said at least 70,000 people came out on Saturday for food, fun and entertainment.

They’re expecting a big turnout Sunday with some big-name artists Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and Morris Day and the Time take the stage.

Organizers revamped the food festival this year to make it bigger and better. 

“It kind of felt like the mini ‘Minnesota Get Together’ in a sense. Super busy, a lot of family a lot of fun. Our line didn’t stop the entire time and so it was super fun and the weather was great,” Amira Osman, of Pharaoh’s Gyros food truck, said.

Thousands of Minnesotans prepared their taste buds and lined up for the Taste of Minnesota on Saturday.

Organizers switched things up this year adding more food vendors and artists while doubling the festival’s footprint.

Over 50 vendors showcased their best menu items and some visitors took advantage of the new zip line ride on Washington Avenue.

Last year, event organizers ran into a few hiccups with the hot temps and unexpected high attendance, but this year, festival leaders say they’re prepared.

“It takes a little bit to grow the festival, but we’re hoping each and every year we can make it a little bit better and more improved and more fun for everybody,” Scott Gerlicher, Taste of Minnesota head of security, said. “We have just fantastic weather and we had fantastic music, tons of great food and a big crowd.”

Festival organizers said were no major incidents on Saturday, but there were a few minor heat-related incidents.

Last year, the event drew more than 100,000 people over the course of two days.

With the new flavor, organizers hope this year they can top that number.

EXCLUSIVE: The snowy streets of Minneapolis are seeking to snatch Sundance from the snowy slopes of Park City.

Leading with a tagline of “You Could’n’t Cast A Better Location,” Minnesota’s most populous metropolis is among the select cities and jurisdictions that has submitted a detailed bid for the Robert Redford founded film festival.

With CEOs from Target, Best Buy and the parent company of U.S. Bank backing Minneapolis’ proposal, the host committee is promising at least $2 million annually “to sustain and grow the festival,” says Film North Executive Director, Andrew Peterson.

“With our thriving arts and entertainment scene, diverse cultural heritage, and passionate film community, Minneapolis is the ideal backdrop for the Sundance Film Festival,” City of Lakes’ Mayor Jacob Frey tells Deadline.

Pitching itself in a slick coffee table overview presentation as “home to one of the largest urban Native American communities” and having a “long history of inclusion, forward thinking policies, and of being a proud pioneer in embracing the LGBTQ+ and Two-Spirit community,” the hometown of Prince may also have the distinction of being one of the few contenders that’s colder than Park City in January.

But look at the other geological upside.

Sure, the city is a three-and-a-half-hour flight from LA, but along with the prestige of Purple Rain and giant murals of state native Bob Dylan, Minneapolis lacks the altitude of Park City and the corresponding ailments that has brought for many a filmmaker and festivalgoer low over the years.

The midwestern city is also seeking to plug into the ethos of Redford’s festival – something that many prove a hard sell for other contenders.

“We know festival goers want to be able to meet each other and connect, as is the long-standing tradition of Sundance’s commitment to fostering a network which will continue throughout the year,” Ben Johnson. Minneapolis’ Director of Arts & Cultural Affairs says. “Hosting the Sundance Film Festival would showcase what those who live here have long known – that Minneapolis is a world-class destination for arts and cultural expression,” adds McKnight Foundation President Tonya Allen, who is backing the bid.

With all that, Sundance is “nowhere near a decision” on a potential new home, a festival insider tells me. However, a search committee, which includes board member and founder scion Amy Redford, is already going through the proposals and plans to visit candidate cities like Minneapolis over the next few months.

Officially Sundance is saying nothing right now.

Still, Minneapolis could prove a serious player.

Along with the support of corporate chiefs, local and state officials, the city of nearly 500,000 has a variety of venues amidst its downtown historic theaters, as well as public transportation and other infrastructure that address some of the very issues that have bedeviled SFF in Park City over the last five years. “The festival has outgrown Park City,” a Sundance insider says. “Price point, parking, venues, it’s all gotten out of control,” they note.

Sitting aside the Mississippi River and neighboring state capitol of St. Paul, Minneapolis reckons they can more than easily accommodate Sundance’s requirements, financial and otherwise, and enlarge the franchise, so to speak.

“There is no city that embraces the arts quite like we do – and Minneapolis already has a long history of supporting independent filmmakers and their art of storytelling,” the two-term civic leader added. “Sundance would be a welcome addition to our theater community, and we’re excited to throw our hat in the ring to host this world-renowned festival.”

After the past few years of declining attendance, shaky sponsorship and a revolving leadership door, Sundance finally said the quiet thing out loud in April and announced it was looking to set up shop in a new location – as Deadline exclusively reported in July 2023.

Under Sundance’s current contract with Park City, which has be the festival’s home for decades, the shindig will stay in the tony Utah resort town for 2025 and 2026. Wherever Sundance eventually ends up, or if the united and well-funded Utah bid keeps the festival, nothing changes until 2027.

Deadline first reported back in May that Minneapolis was among the potential contenders that had put in a Request for Information submission. Culling down those submissions to a Request for Proposal process that ran from May 7 -June 21, the Sundance Institute received comprehensive bids from Minneapolis as well as from a trio of Hollywood South a.k.a. Georgia cities (Atlanta, Athens and Savannah), Boulder, CO, Santa Fe, NM, Nashville, TN and others. Sundance also received a muscular Utah Sundance Film Festival Host Committee pitch that aims to shift the focus of the fest from Park City to Salt Lake City, as Deadline has detailed.

A decision on where Sundance may move, or not, in 2027 is expected to be made public near the end of the 2025 festival.

To that, the 2025 Sundance Film Festival will take place from January 23–February 2 next year with screenings in Park City and SLC.

Minneapolis police are providing more information regarding the arrests made for the dangerous fireworks activity over the Fourth of July holiday.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara discussed the department’s response in a press conference on Friday.

“Starting Wednesday night, the Minneapolis Police Department began monitoring social media and found invitations on social media platforms,” O’Hara said. “They encourage people to come to Minneapolis and commit these egregious, dangerous and just frankly, stupid acts.”

On Saturday, police provided updates about the specific incidents, resulting in 30 confirmed arrests and five citations. Eight of the suspects are minors, with all of them between 15 and 23 years old.

The majority of the arrests were for felony-level PC Riot and/or assault.

“I am thankful to the Minnesota State Patrol, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, the Minneapolis Park Police, and the University of Minnesota Police. Through a coordinated effort, dozens of arrests or citations related to illegal firework activity were made and illegal fireworks were recovered.”    

Police say that around 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, a large group of people were throwing fireworks at each other and at vehicles near the 4900 block of Lake Nokomis Parkway. According to police, two people, a 19-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman, were cited for fireworks violations.

Just before midnight, a group of people were shooting fireworks at officers near 14th Street and Fourth Avenue South. According to police, two 18-year-old men and one 19-year-old man were arrested for riot, and another 18-year-old man was arrested for riot and assault.

Then at about 12:31 a.m. Friday, people in a vehicle were driving near the 600 block of 12th Avenue Southeast and aiming mortar-style fireworks at pedestrians. An 18-year-old man and two 15-year-old boys were arrested for riot.

Police say that around 1:15 a.m., a group of men were throwing mortar fireworks at officers near 11th Avenue Southeast and Sixth Street Southeast. One 18-year-old man was arrested for assault, an 18-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy were arrested for riot and fleeing on foot and a 17-year-old boy was arrested for assault and riot.

At around 1:25 a.m., officers saw fireworks being thrown out of a vehicle at pedestrians near 11th Avenue Southeast and Fourth Street Southeast. Four women — aged 18, 20, 20 and 21 — were arrested for riot.

Then, around 1:41 a.m., a large group of people was seen shooting fireworks at people, vehicles and apartment buildings near 12th Avenue Southeast and Sixth Avenue Southeast. Officials say a 16-year-old boy was arrested and cited for curfew, while 11 people ranging from 18 to 21 years of age were arrested for riot.

Minneapolis police say at about 2 a.m., a group was seen throwing fireworks at police and firing mortar rounds. An 18-year-old man was arrested for riot.

At around 3 a.m., a group of people were shooting fireworks at squads near Cedar Avenue and West Lake Nokomis Parkway. A 21 and 23-year-old man were arrested for assault.

There were also two 16-year-old boys and one 17-year-old boy cited for curfew.

Minneapolis police say the number of arrests will likely increase as more reports are completed. O’Hara added that probable charges will be tallied in the coming days from other agencies that helped MPD respond.

Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers at policetips@minneapolismn.gov or call 612-673-5845.