Minneapolis, MN
Uptown Minneapolis businesses, advocates hope to ride wave of Uptown Art Fair
MINNEAPOLIS – The Uptown Art Fair is back, for just its second time in four years.
More than 300 artists, six-miles worth, stretch along streets like Hennepin Avenue in south Minneapolis.
Kristi Abbott, a northeast Minneapolis artist who’s originally from Sydney, Australia, specializes in mixed-media collage.
“When I moved here a decade ago, everyone’s like ‘You have to go to Uptown.’ You know, it was the place to come,” Abbott said.
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Safe to say, Uptown has changed, even in the last couple years.
“We’re trying to bring life back to Uptown,” she said.
Abbott is hoping the art fair will do just that.
“I think we broke some records in attendance,” said Jill Osiecki, director for the Uptown Art Fair. “It felt basically back to what the Uptown Art Fair was many years ago.”
Osiecki said crowds have improved since last year, which was the first post-COVID art fair. She said there were upwards of 100,000 people at the fair on Saturday alone.
“It’s exciting to see so many people back here on the streets in Uptown, which is exactly what we want and where we want to be,” she said.
Arts & Rec Uptown, which later was known as Uptown Collab, is just the latest Uptown business to meet its demise. You don’t have to look far to find more.
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It’s either feast or famine for Uptown businesses during the fair. Some flourish, while others completely close down. Hoban Korean had locked doors Sunday.
“It’s really hard to function because of the traffic, because of just the foot traffic,” Osiecki said.
Employees at Daisys Uptown said business has tripled during the fair. They’re hoping for new, returning customers after this weekend.
“Prince loved Uptown and I’m like yeah, he even sang about Uptown!” Abbott said.
She says the energy returned to Uptown over the weekend. She has faith it’s here to stay.
“Hoping that this can kind of lift Uptown again,” Abbott said.
Minneapolis, MN
Increased patrols, curfew for teens after increased violence in downtown Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Minneapolis Police and violence prevention groups are stepping up patrols and setting a curfew this weekend. The changes come after several deadly late-night incidents earlier this month.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara tells FOX 9 there are multiple agencies on standby in case more violence breaks out. They have also set an 11 p.m. curfew for teens in hopes of preventing another tragedy.
“The last two weekends the problem we’ve been seeing particularly at 5th and Hennepin is a lot a teenagers that are down here hanging out throughout the afternoon and late at night when really there’s nothing for them to get into but trouble,” said O’Hara.
O’Hara is looking for a peaceful weekend in the city.
Last weekend a shooting at 5th and Hennepin left two men dead and two teenage girls injured. In that same area two weeks prior, a woman drove a car into a crowd, killing another teenage girl.
O’Hara is now looking for everyone to come together and stop the violence.
“There’s several community-based violence interrupters that are out here, several different groups,” said O’Hara.
One of the community groups involved in this weekend’s efforts is T.O.U.C.H Outreach.
“The plan right now is just to come out and meet some of these young people where they’re at. Identify some of the young people we already have relationships with,” said Muhammad Abdul-Ahad, the Executive Director of T.O.U.C.H Outreach.
“We’re taking mostly a community engagement approach because these are some of the kids that are from our communities that we come from,” said Abdul-Ahad.
Friday night’s curfew is at 11 p.m. for teens in downtown Minneapolis. The shooting last weekend happened just before two in the morning.
“3 o’clock in the morning kids need to be home and be in bed by that time, waking up to do something the next weekend morning. Get into some fun activities.,” said Abdul-Ahad.
The violence interrupter groups plan to be out in the community until three in the morning.
Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says city-approved funds for homeless shelter don’t exist
MINNEAPOLIS — Without major repairs, the Agate homeless shelter in Elliot Park would permanently close in less than two weeks.
However, a recent City Council action allocating $1.5 million dollars of surplus funds, combined with matched money from an anonymous donor, is set to save the 95-bed space that serves 135 people.
Agate Executive Director Kyle Hanson said the shelter will still close on Oct. 9. After that, work will be done to repair things like plumbing and heat, while adding air conditioning.
Hanson said the shelter will reopen in eight to 12 months.
“The City Council stepped up and made sure that we funded a shelter to prevent its permanent closure,” said Minneapolis City Council Member Jason Chavez.
But Minneapolis Mayor Frey said there’s just one problem: That money is already allocated.
In a letter to council members Thursday, Frey wrote that the funding decision lacked proper vetting and was based on point-in-time budget projections.
The council’s action will either cut $350,000 for a Minneapolis park, or will cut city staff, according to Minneapolis’ Chief Financial Officer Dushani Dye.
“They didn’t talk to anybody that actually knows what they’re talking about with respect to the budget, and the repercussions are they ended up cutting things that they didn’t realize they were cutting,” said Frey.
“To those claims, I’ll say the money is there and if the money isn’t there, did the mayor’s administration share inaccurate information to the public a couple days ago?” said Chavez.
According to Chavez, the shelter funds are coming from surplus dollars from city departments that regularly underspend. The 2024 city budget projects underspending, he said.
While the funding was approved and Frey did not veto it, the mayor said, in his letter to council members, that his administration will work to find “…a less disruptive source of funding.”
“Our team is going to continue to dig in on this to figure out how we make lemonade out of lemons,” said Frey.
Minneapolis, MN
Prince's 'Purple Rain' House in Minneapolis Coming to Airbnb
Prince fans have a chance to stay in his famous “Purple Rain” house in Minneapolis, because it’s heading to Airbnb … in celebration of the movie and soundtrack’s 40th anniversary.
The late singer bought the place back in 2015 and it’s been closed to the public ever since … but now it’s finally opening its doors, courtesy of a couple members of Prince’s Revolution bandmates.
Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman are hosting the overnight stay, and the lucky guests will be able to spend a night in the life of The Kid.
Airbnb tells us the “Purple Rain” house is newly restored and decked out with pieces and memorabilia from Prince’s personal collection … including a closet full of his most legendary outfits.
The home’s downstairs is adorned with purple velvet wallpaper, and there’s a vintage 1980s stereo loaded with songs inspired by Prince.
The spa looks straight out of the “When Doves Cry” music video … complete with a claw-foot tub and stained-glass windows … plus a plush, purple robe and some lavender bath bombs.
Inside the music lounge, guests can play the drums, shred the guitar, tickle the ivories and sing the “Purple Rain” chorus along with pre-recorded audio from Prince himself.
Prince’s bedroom looks just like it does in “Purple Rain” … and it’s decked out with his personal tape collection — remember those things?!? — plus one of Prince’s original demo recordings.
Folks can request to book the “Purple Rain” house on Airbnb starting October 2 at 6 AM PT through October 6 at 11:59 PM PT … and guests will be randomly selected.
Good luck!!!
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