MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis Aquatennial — a dayslong celebration that highlights the city — makes its return next week with free events and its signature parade and fireworks show.

Here’s what you need to know about the festival:

What is the Minneapolis Aquatennial?

The Aquatennial is the civic celebration of the City of Minneapolis. The annual event, which this year will take place from July 24 to July 27, features multiple events, including the Torchlight Parade, and culminates in a fireworks show.

The Torchlight Parade kicks off the celebrations. It starts at 12th Street South on Nicollet Mall at 7:30 p.m. on July 24 and ends on Fourth Street South. There will be floats and performances, and the parade will be emceed by K102’s Chris Carr and Company.

Who are this year’s Parade Grand Marshals?

The 2024 Grand Marshals are Nicole Hensley and Lee Stechlein, members of the Walter Cup Champion Minnesota Professional Women’s Hockey League team. 

Hensley was the first goaltender selected in the inaugural PWHL Draft and is a two-time Olympian. Stechlein, a Roseville native who played for the Unviersity of Minnesota and the Minnesota Whitecaps, is a three-time Olympic medalist.

What’s the history behind the Aquatennial?

The Aquatennial can be traced back to 1939, when a group of Minneapolis businessmen who wanted to promote the city as a summer destination and create a sense of civic unity came together to brainstorm what eventually became known as “The 10 Best Days of Summer.” 

Minneapolis in the 1930s had witnessed a Teamsters truckers strike and anti-union violence in which 67 were injured and two killed, and the businessmen believed that a celebratory spectacle would improve the city’s reputation, according to the Minnesota Historical Society.

The group pulled together a festival that featured more than 200 events, thanks to the help of volunteers from the St. Paul Winter Carnival. The inaugural festival was held in July of 1940. 

The name “Aquatennial” was chosen by contest and reflects the lakes and rivers of the city. The first parade had 86 floats, 15,000 marchers, 50 bands and drew in a crowd of more than 200,000, the historical society says.

Throughout the years, popular events have phased in and out: The Aqua Follies show, in which 24 women performed a choreographed aquatic revue on Lake Wirth, attracted crowds of roughly 6,000. For a while, all the women were required to be exactly 5’4″ and weigh 125 pounds, the historical society says. The show, which also featured stunt divers and comics, brought in revenue for the festival until the mid-60s, when it was cut for budgetary reasons. 

The Milk Carton Boat Race across Lake Bde Maka Ska was promoted by the American Dairy Association from 1971 until 2015, and the festival has seen skateboard competitions, sand sculpture competitions, and live shows.

The mainstays have been the Queen of Lakes pageant contest, as well as the Torchlight Parade and the fireworks that conclude the festival. The fireworks display on the final night is one of the largest in the country. 

In the early 2000s, the festival neared bankruptcy as programming costs rose, and the Minneapolis Downtown Council bought the rights to the Aquatennial in 2003. The “10 Best Days of Summer” became truncated, and the goal of the Aquatennial shifted to focus more on highlighting downtown Minneapolis.

How do you get to the Aquatennial?

Attendees can take Metro Transit to the Aquatennial Torchlight Parade by clicking here to download a free ride pass, which will be valid from 4 p.m. to midnight on July 24. 

Parking is also available in the ramps on 10th, 7th, 6th, and 5th streets. For more information click here.

For a full schedule of events, click here.