Welcome to Holidazzle!
Holidazzle is bringing a little Up North fun to Loring Park! Join us as we celebrate the holiday season together in true Minnesota fashion. Enjoy family-friendly programming, delectable treats, music, entertainment and much more. Make lifelong memories with you and yours at the 2015 Holidazzle!
EXCLUSIVE Holidazzle Brew Debuts Thursday!
Fulton Brewery is the official beer of Holidazzle, and this weekend they will be debuting an exclusive Holidazzle beer! It’s an ode to the holiday season and will be a festive treat for Holidazzle guests to enjoy. The beer, a Holidazzle Stout, is Fulton’s Worthy Adversary infused with vanilla, cacao nibs, cinnamon, clove and cardamom. This is a limited edition beer, so be sure to stop by while supplies last. In addition to the Holidazzle brew, Fulton staples Lonely Blonde, Sweet Child of Vine and The Ringer are all available on site!
[FUN FACT Holidazzle is jam-packed with performances from local bands, choirs and entertainers each day. A great example is Borealis Dance, which combines the spirit of the season with costumes and a dance routine—all providing great camera visuals. They will perform Sunday at 3 pm and 3:45 pm. Check Holidazzle.com for the full schedule!] So Much Is New This Week!
Holidazzle will provide surprises and exciting new features each weekend throughout the holiday season. This week, Minnstameets Holidazzle Gallery featuring Minneapolis-centric photography in the Holidazzle Warming House courtesy of CenterPoint Energy. They selected 75 photos by Instagrammers across the area that depict Minneapolis’ people, lakes, views, bridges, museums, events and culture. Also this week, Fire & Flour Community Bread will be doing one of its famous bread drops between 5-7 pm on Sunday, December 6! Stop by for Daily Bread, City Loaf, Seeded and a Holidazzle Special loaf. And be sure to stop by Wintercraft’s tent for a FREE demonstration on how to make their Globe Ice Lantern Kits—they’ll begin their presentation on Sunday, December 6 at 2 pm.
Our nightly Holidazzle bonfires have been a big hit as they offer a place to enjoy the festive sounds while taking in a great views of the city. This weekend, Holidazzle guests can add to their bonfire experience by enjoying S’Mores! Stop by Specialty Mini Donuts to pick up S’Mores, then roast away!
Enjoy Holidazzle’s Robust Food Options!
Holidazzle’s food scene was a big hit during the first weekend, and there is something for everyone right on site. Stop by and try out the Pierogis by Polish Bistro and the Kimchi Fries from K-Town Street Foods. Stay warm with goulash from Black Forest Inn, and dive into the sweet and savory spaetzle options at Spatzi by Venus. The Cinnamon Roasted Nuts by Cindy’s are a delectable treat you can smell from afar, and the lefse by Mrs. Olson’s is a Scandinavian’s delight. Of course, the special Holidazzle sausage from Kramarczuk’s—exclusive on site and featuring cranberries, wild rice and incredible seasoning—is a must try. And there’s much more on hand to try!
Stop, Browse and Shop!
There are several great opportunities to shop local here at Holidazzle. Take a moment to browse through Minnesota Awesome’s t-shirt collection—a collection of images ranging from “MN Nice” and “Babe the Blue Ox” to “Duck, Duck, Gray Duck” and “Kirby Puckett” that all Minnesotans will enjoy. Browse the “Winky” bags and hats at Moshiki, test out the Nordic Cinnamon Sprinkle on your tasty treats, bring home a bottle of Three Rivers Farm Maple Syrup, build your own ice lanterns with Wintercraft, or grab a bottle of Heather’s Dirty Good Seasoning!
Your Favorite Holiday Movie Classics
One of the best feelings of the holiday season is enjoying a treasured holiday movie with your friends and family. At Holidazzle, you’ll be able to enjoy that feeling while you’re enjoying the festivities in Loring Park. Join us each Sunday at 5 p.m. for a holiday classic, including this week’s movie Polar Express. The full list of movies and Holidazzle programming is available at Holidazzle.com/schedule
Don’t miss Santa Claus on site from 5 pm – 9 pm on Thursday, December 3 as he’ll be taking present requests and posing for photos throughout Holidazzle! And be sure to bring your skates and enjoy the Downtown Skating Rink, which is open during Holidazzle operating hours and provides a great activity for you and yours to enjoy under the downtown skyline!
Best Ways To Arrive
There are several ways to arrive at Holidazzle, including parking at several $5 or less flat rate locations around Loring Park (Minneapolis Community & Technical College, Parade Park, Walker Art Center and IDS Center Parking Garage), taking Metro Transit bus routes (4, 6, 12, 17 & 18 all directly service Loring Park) or light rail lines (blue and green toward Target Field Station, then connect with 4, 6, 12, 17 or 18 bus routes at Warehouse District stop), a pick-up and drop-off location (Yale Place/Willow Street). For full directions and a detailed map, visit Holidazzle.com/directions.
Follow the Walking Paths
All arrival options lead to three Holidazzle Walking Paths supported by North Memorial Clinics. Follow these paths to Holidazzle when you enter Loring Park at Grant Street/Willow Street, Maple Street/Harmon Place or Hennepin Avenue & Lyndale Avenue/Oak Grove Street.
Visit Holidazzle on Saturday and ride Metro Transit for FREE. Metro Transit is offering free rides from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. both to and from Holidazzle on Saturdays with a printed Metro Transit free ride voucher. Each rider must have a printed voucher with them to receive free ride. Simply visit Holidazzle.com’s home page and follow the Metro Transit link to print off your voucher.
Coverage Tips
- Holidazzle is located at Loring Park with three main entrances located at Harmon Place/Maple Street South, Hennepin Avenue/Oak Grove Street and Grant Street/Willow Street. Closest parking locations to Holidazzle are metered or non-metered parking spots located on Willow Street, Spruce Place, 14th Street and 15th Street that provide easy access to Holidazzle Walking Paths supported by North Memorial at the intersection of Grant Street and Willow Street. There are also metered parking spots available on Maple Street and Harmon Place, which can be used but encouraged more for morning or non-peak hours. For live shots, please consult a member of the public relations team for that day’s best available options.
- Hours:
- Holidazzle runs Thursdays through Sundays from Friday, November 27 (the day after Thanksgiving) through Sunday, December 20
- Hours on Thursdays and Fridays: 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
- Hours on Saturdays and Sundays: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Holidazzle is a magical and festive experience for all ages. Be sure to stop by during operating hours to enjoy skating on the downtown skating rink, browsing and sampling among our local vendors, music and entertainment throughout the day on our Holidazzle stage and movie days (November 27, November 29, December 6, December 13, December 20).
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, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 292, North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters, Painters and Allied Trades International Union, Laborer’s Union Local 563, Egan, Fraser-Morris Electrical Co., Swanson & Youngdale, Hirshfield’s, North Memorial Clinic, CenterPoint Energy, Xcel Energy, Fulton Brewery, NELSON, RipBang Studios—a division of NELSON, DigitalParc, Comcast Business, Indulge & Bloom, dotcom.printing.inc., Warning Lites, Minneapolis Recycles, Premium Waters, Inc., Metro Transit, Star Tribune and Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine. The Downtown Skating Rink is a collaborative effort by the Minneapolis Downtown Council, Minneapolis SafeZone Collaborative and Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board, and is sponsored by VEIT, Kraus-Anderson, Minneapolis Building & Construction Trades Council, Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District, U.S. Bank and Love Your Melon.
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 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.
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.
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For all media inquiries, please contact:
Lou Ann Olson
C: 612-747-0105
lolson@tunheim.com
Katie Welch Len
C: (612) 720-9374
katiep@newsworthycommunications.com