Minneapolis (Jan. 9, 2019) – Not content to sit back and chill after one, big, football game, Minneapolis keeps building momentum and enticing more visitors with new hotels, restaurants and major sports news in 2019. In this Meet Minneapolis leisure travel round-up, here’s more of what to look for in the coming year with our Top 9 for 2019.

1. Minneapolis hosts the 2019 NCAA Men’s Final Four: U.S. Bank Stadium will be featured in the follow up to March Madness as the top men’s college hoopsters take over April 6 – 8. Starting April 5, all fans – with or without game tickets – can check out the Final Four Fan Fest at the Minneapolis Convention Center and watch each team practice for free on Final Four Friday, plus the kids can show off their ball-handling skills in the Final Four Dribble. The featured act comes when the top four teams compete in the semifinal and championship games. www.finalfourminneapolis.com/
2. Allianz Field opens this spring: The new, soccer specific home of the Minnesota United FC will welcome Major League Soccer fans as the United take the pitch for the first time on April 13. Located on the METRO Green Line, it is an easy and fun trip from Minneapolis and just a few stops away from the University of Minnesota campus where the team played the past two seasons. This stadium will also host an important international double-header featuring Team USA in the Concacaf Gold Cup. The two matches will showcase some of the best players and teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean on June 18. www.mnufc.com/stadium
3. Peavey Plaza revitalization complete by July: Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012, this plaza on Nicollet will include updated fountains and water features, as well as environmentally friendly pavers, updated lighting and be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Designed by landscape architect M. Paul Friedberg in 1974, Peavey Plaza is a notable example of modernist architecture.
4. The Dayton’s Project food hall expected this fall: The historic building was the longtime home to Minneapolis retailer Dayton’s department stores (also the home to the beginnings of Target Corporation). It’s in the midst of a $190 million renovation with over 200,000 square feet of retail space across three levels. Chef, TV host and entrepreneur Andrew Zimmern and partners are the only announced tenants of a new food hall, which is expected to have 40 to 50 total vendors on the street and basement levels of the landmark building when it opens for business in the fall. www.thedaytonsproject.com/
5. The Sioux Chef to open Indigenous Food Lab: One of the most highly anticipated restaurant openings in 2019 is this nonprofit with a classroom kitchen and restaurant by Chef Sean Sherman (aka, The Sioux Chef). Sherman and partner Dana Thompson are also developing a new Mississippi riverfront yet-to-be-named restaurant that will be a part of the Water Works park on the West Bank of the Mississippi in 2020. Last year, Sherman (and Beth Dooley) won a 2018 James Beard Foundation Book Award for The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen.
6. Hot kitchens: Despite numerous James Beard Foundation awards and accolades for the city’s culinary talents, Minneapolis’ dining scene is as-yet undiscovered by many; but 2019 may change that.
   • This month, Gavin Kaysen (James Beard Best Chef – Midwest 2018) will open his newest hot spot, Demi, in an adjacent North Loop location to his well-loved Spoon and Stable restaurant.
   • Two-time James Beard semifinalist Chef Ann Kim is perfecting her tortillas as she expands her empire beyond pizza to Mexican food in the youthful Uptown neighborhood.
   • P.S. Steak recently opened in the former La Belle Vie space, where Chef Mike DeCamp promises homage to the famed French restaurant.
   • Chef Justin Sutherland, current Bravo Top Chef contestant, will move his Pearl & the Thief from Stillwater to downtown Minneapolis in July.
   • Throughout the year, expect Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport’s growing foodie rep to expand as it adds 30 new restaurants.
   • More bites of Minneapolis food and drink are here.
7. More heads in beds: Minneapolis welcomes the Canopy by Hilton Minneapolis Mill District with reservations starting April 4 for its 183-room hotel in the renovated former Thresher Square building and Moxy Minneapolis Downtown will open, with 153 rooms, this year in the Ironclad building. Both hotels are situated near U.S. Bank Stadium and the historic Mill District.
8. There’s no stopping us now: Nonstop flights to and from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport become more plentiful as Delta Air Lines adds Seoul, South Korea, in April and Mexico City, Mexico, on June 8 to the lengthy list of destinations from its second-largest hub. But that’s not all: Aer Lingus begins flying between Minneapolis and Dublin, Ireland, on July 1 for MSP’s sixth European nonstop. Plus, local carrier Sun Country Airlines expands its routes with eight new nonstops this spring, including one to Chicago O’Hare with a starting one-way price of $49. More on the nation’s 16th busiest airport.
9. Summer X Games returns for year three: The skateboards, BMX bikes and motocross cycles will again fly through the cavernous indoor space at U.S. Bank Stadium as the X Games return Aug. 1 - 4. Tickets are already on sale and the music line up for The Armory is set, including: The Blind Shake, Chevy Metal, Diplo, Incubus, P.O.S, SWMRS and Wu-Tang Clan. http://www.xgames.com/minneapolis/

For more information about what to see, do and eat in Minneapolis, visit www.minneapolis.org.