MINNEAPOLIS (November 11, 2015) — The Minneapolis Downtown Council in partnership with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board announced today the schedule of events and new look for the 2015 Holidazzle, which will include a downtown Minneapolis skating rink located in Loring Park.

This year’s Holidazzle is free and open to the public, and it will take place in Loring Park. Holidazzle will begin the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 27 and run Thursdays through Sundays, concluding on Sunday, December 20. Operating hours will be 5-9 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

“Holidazzle creates a community gathering place and holiday destination, and it offers an incredible opportunity to create memories for those who take part because of the variety of activities and festive atmosphere,” said Leah Wong, vice president of events and marketing, Minneapolis Downtown Council. “Holidazzle is all about stories unique to Minneapolis, and we’re thrilled to have many featured during this annual Minneapolis holiday tradition. This year’s Holidazzle will highlight stories of local people, products and places that showcase the food scene, arts, active lifestyle, local entertainment and community groups that make our city special.”

The downtown skating rink, a collaborative effort between the Minneapolis Downtown Council, Minneapolis SafeZone Collaborative and Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, will be available for use beginning Friday, November 27. There will be no cost to skate at the rink, and it will be open for use during posted hours. Construction of the skating rink will begin this week. The rink is provided by many organizations and will be built with support from Veit, Kraus-Anderson, and the Minneapolis Building and Construction Trades Council.

A Holidazzle Ceremonial Opening will take place on Friday, November 27. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. and will include a musical performance by longtime Holidazzle participants MN Chorale, brief comments from local leaders, and fireworks. The Ceremonial Opening will officially launch the Holidazzle season which will be jam-packed with free activities for all ages.

Minneapolis-centric vendors will be providing options for prepared and packaged food, beverages and unique gift and craft items. This year’s programming lineup will include the outdoor skating rink, visits from Santa Claus, musical performances from bands and choirs, weekly movies featuring holiday classics, themed days, giveaways, surprise and delight moments, a Holidazzle Minnstameets gallery, and more.

More of this year’s on-site vendors will be announced throughout November, but there is an emphasis on local products. Key vendors that will be part of the 2015 Holidazzle include Kramarczuk’s sausages, Fulton Brewery beer, Käthe Wohlfahrt holiday ornaments, Holidazzle Love Your Melon hats, Minnesota Awesome t-shirts, Barkley’s Bistro dog treats and more.

Holidazzle also unveiled new creative that will help to provide the right feel to this year’s holiday experience in Loring Park. The design, created by NELSON and RipBang Studios—a division of NELSON, focuses on Holidazzle’s local roots and is home to various characters including Vikings, abominable snow men, moose and more. The festive, wintery atmosphere brings an “Up-North” feel to downtown Minneapolis.

“Holidazzle is one of the great traditions that make Minneapolis so special,” said Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Superintendent Jayne Miller. “We Minnesotans embrace the winter months, and parks are the place where families, friends and neighbors come together to make memories. With construction along Nicollet Mall, we are honored to partner with the Minneapolis Downtown Council and to have Loring selected as the site of this wonderful event this season.”

Additional programming and vendor details will be unveiled leading up to Nov. 27, including during a “12 Days of Holidazzle” social media series beginning November 16. Follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and use the hashtag #Holidazzle.

New Holidazzle imagery will be available for use at Holidazzle.com/media.

About Holidazzle

Holidazzle is managed and produced by the Minneapolis Downtown Council in partnership with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. Holidazzle is sponsored by Minneapolis Building & Construction Trades Council, North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 292, Painters and Allied Trades International Union, Laborer’s Union Local 563, Egan Company, Veit, Kraus-Anderson, CenterPoint Energy, Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District, Xcel Energy, U.S. Bank, Love your Melon, Fulton Brewery, DigitalParc, NELSON, RipBang Studios – A division of NELSON, Fraser-Morris Electrical Co., dotcom.printing.inc., LPM Apartments, Swanson & Youngdale, Hirshfield’s, and Mpls.St.Paul Magazine.

About the Minneapolis Downtown Council:

Founded in 1955, and one of the oldest central business associations in the nation, the Minneapolis Downtown Council (MDC) is a membership-based entity that works to create an extraordinary downtown. The MDC’s collaborative developments of Intersections: Downtown 2025 Plan was designed to help downtown businesses, community leaders and citizens build on downtown assets and implement future goals. For more information, please visit www.downtownmpls.com.

About The Minneapolis SafeZone Collaborative:

The Minneapolis SafeZone Collaborative is an initiative that brings the public and private sectors together to make the heart of downtown safe and welcoming for those who live, work, and visit here. In December 2004, the downtown business community approached city leadership to ask for efforts to increase downtown safety. As a result, the Minneapolis SafeZone Collaborative for downtown was formed by the Minneapolis Police Department. In July 2009, SafeZone became a subsidiary of the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District. The organization focuses on public safety through leveraging collaborative partnerships, technology, communication resources and strategic initiatives.

About the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board:

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is an independent, semi-autonomous body responsible for the Minneapolis park system. With 251 park properties totaling 6,790 acres of land and water, the Park Board provides places and recreation opportunities for all people to gather and engage in activities that promote health, well-being, community and the environment. Its Grand Rounds Scenic Byway, neighborhood parks, recreation centers and diversified programming have made the park system an important component of what makes Minneapolis a great place to live, play and work. More than 21 million annual visits are made to the nationally acclaimed park system, which was named the number one park system in the nation in 2013, 2014 and 2015 by The Trust for Public Land’s 2015 ParkScore® Index.

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