WCCO: 2 Big Events Officially Returning to Twin Cities
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Written by Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — It’s official: Hundreds of thousands of visitors will be making their way to the Twin Cities.
Two major announcements on Tuesday made that official.
The Ryder Cup will be back at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska. Organizers of the international tournament were pleased with the 2016 Ryder Cup, and say they’ll be back in 2028.
The X Games also announced they’ll be staying at U.S. Back Stadium for the next three years at least.
It now seems like these event announcements are becoming a regular thing in Minneapolis, and we got some insight on the latest announcement. ESPN decided to bring the X Games back to U.S. Bank Stadium because it’s large enough and weatherproof.
It seems the when it comes to major events like this, the Twin Cities are building quite the reputation. Sometimes, it feels like this part of the country is infamous.
But more and more, the Twin Cities are getting attention for the right reasons. From the Super Bowl, to the Ryder Cup, to the X Games and the upcoming Final Four.
“I think that we have developed a nice reputation in the sports market,” Melvin Tennant, the CEO of the Meet Minneapolis Visitor’s Association, said.
He’s helped recruit the action, and it’s becoming an easy sell.
“When event organizers see that you’ve done a Super Bowl, that you’ve done a Major League Baseball All-Star Game, that you’ve done an X-Games, it really gives them confidence that they can bring their event here and have it to be successful,” Tennant said.
And that success is shareable.
“The more things that happen down here, the better it is for all of us,” Zelo Owner Rick Webb said.
Rick Webb owns Zelo, a restaurant and bar that sits near hotels, and sat in the middle of the Super Bowl rush.
“How was business? It was just off the charts,” Webb said.
Burgers, fish and pasta were top sellers, and it wasn’t their first recent boom.
“Up until Super Bowl, Ryder Cup was our busiest week that we’ve ever had,” Webb said.
It seems cold Minnesota has become a hot destination.