Minneapolis (Oct. 1, 2024) – Elevated air service continues to take off for Minneapolis-St. Paul International as the awards and accolades pile up sky high at this world-recognized best airport. On the ground in Minneapolis, visitors will find tastes from around the world at dozens of new restaurants that continue to open throughout the city—many owned and headed by Black, BIPOC and female restauranteurs.

Here’s what’s new and notable in Minneapolis right now:

Air Service

• Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) has continued winning awards and receiving recognition as a top airport:
  • MSP is the #1 mega airport according to J.D. Power. The airport regained supremacy in the “mega” category (more than 33 million annual passengers) after MSP was second last year and took the title in 2022 for the first time.
  • The Airports Council International-North America honored with the inaugural AirportNEXT top award in the services category.
  • The first batch of sustainable aviation fuel made from Minnesota- and North Dakota-grown crops arrived at MSP, a landmark in efforts to reduce air emissions. That camelina-based fuel helped Delta Air Lines flight 2732 from MSP to New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Sept. 25. Delta aims to one day make MSP the first airport where all of its flights use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
• New program MSP RESERVE allows travelers to book a place in the airport security line for themselves and their companions ahead of time online as early as one week before a flight at www.mspairport.com/msp-reserve.
• Delta will offer four seasonal, nonstop flights a week from MSP to Rome beginning May 23 through Oct. 24, 2025.
• Currently, MSP has 163 nonstop routes and a total of 197 domestic and 23 international active routes.

Dining + Drinking

• Vinai from chef Yia Vang is the second Hmong restaurant to open in Northeast Minneapolis this year (after Diane Moua’s Diane’s Place in April). This much anticipated full-service restaurant from the James Beard Best Chef Midwest finalist is named after the refugee camp in Thailand where his parents met and he was born, and it is already turning heads and satisfying tastes with his family recipes.
• Du Nord Cocktail Room reopened in the Historic Coliseum Building after an extensive renovation to the 1917 structure in South Minneapolis. Lagniappe (pronounced LAN-YAP), a new restaurant where the charm of New Orleans meets the vibrant spirit of Minneapolis’ Lake Street, is expected to join the cocktail room this fall.
• Gatherings Café, reopened in the newly renovated Minneapolis American Indian Center. The indigenous restaurant is led by executive chef Vernon Defoe. He’s crafted a healthy menu, which is mostly made from ingredients native to the Americas and includes items such as cranberry French toast, turkey sausage, hominy cakes, chia seed pudding and a bison melt sandwich.
  
• Wild Child, from Minneapolis’ restaurateur Kamal Mohamed and Dampfwerk distillery’s Bridgit Loeffelholz, is a cocktail-driven bar in Northeast Minneapolis, and a sister spot to Mohamed’s StepChld restaurant next door.
• Darling, a bright new café from Prince’s former personal chefs, opened with 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. hours serving breakfast and lunch now, with dinner to come later.
• PinKU by Chef John Sugimura opened July 27 inside Eat Street Crossing food hall on Nicollet with a built-in sushi counter that is only open for ticketed dinners Fridays and Saturdays, with a chef-curated, five-course meal and drinks.
  
• Staff Meeting also at Eat Street Crossing, is headed by longtime Las Vegas chef Louross Edralin and chef Thai Nguyen, who fuse modern Hawaii street food vibes with the comforting flavors of Chef Louross's Filipino heritage.
• Black Duck Spirits & Hearth opened in Northeast Minneapolis. Chef and owner Jason Sawicki has dedicated an entire section of the menu to smoked fare, with every element of the dining experience centering around the hearth, from the flavor of the food to the warmth and congeniality of the gathering space.
• Located in Minneapolis’s Armatage neighborhood, Gia’s two female chef/owners, Jo Seddon and Lisa Wengler, offer fresh, seasonal cooking inspired by travels in Italy and southern France.

Events & Sights

• The world-renowned, Tony award-winning Guthrie Theater will present its 50th production of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” a beloved Minneapolis holiday tradition, from Friday, Nov.15 through Sunday, Dec. 29.
• The 15th Annual Twin Cities Film Fest will screen more than 140 movies in a hybrid format, Oct. 17-26. Celebrity appearances will include actress Daisy Ridley on Oct. 21 presenting the Centerpiece film "Magpie" and NorthStar Award Honoree Josh Duhamel on Oct. 24.
• Hotel Ivy, a Luxury Collection Hotel, conducted an extensive, multi-million-dollar renovation. Phase one of the transformation is now complete and includes renovated guest rooms, meeting and event spaces, and the hotel’s new restaurants, Breva Bar & Grill and Masa & Agave. The final phase of the renovation will be completed this fall.
• The “City by Nature” added another park. Graco Park opened its first phase recently. The new 9-acre park is located just north of the Plymouth Avenue Bridge, between Boom Island Park and Graco Inc. headquarters. It includes Hall’s Island, which was restored in 2018, plus new trails and walkways, a river landing, public art, and gathering spaces surrounded by hundreds of new trees and native plants.
  
• The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA) debuts the largest collection of nesting dolls in this country, Oct. 5 through March 9, 2025. TMORA’s unique collection includes some of the earliest dolls ever created and traces the development of the craft through the 20th century.
• Minnesota United FC, a Major League Soccer team, recently installed a giant loon sculpture outside its home at Allianz Field. “The Calling” has a wingspan of nearly 90 feet of stainless steel, created by California-based Scottish artist Andy Scott.

Check out what ALL the fuss is about in Minneapolis here. Or learn about the Minneapolis Cultural Districts here.

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