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Block Party Will Feature Beer, Music, Food Trucks… And Trees

Two years after it was originally supposed to happen, a free North Loop block party is in the planning stages again for a section of 3rd Street North, featuring a beer garden in the parking lot between Bookmen Lofts and the back of Modist, a music stage next to Rise Bagel, food trucks at 3rd Street and 5th Avenue and a bunch of activities celebrating the importance of trees.

It’s the annual Arbor Day block party, organized by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and its partners, set for April 29th, 4-8pm.

Just before Covid hit, MPRB had selected the North Loop for its 2020 Arbor Day block party, coinciding with the planting of 130 new trees in the neighborhood, mostly along 3rd Street. They had to cancel the party but still went ahead and planted the trees.

Philip Potyondy, the MPRB’s Sustainable Forestry Coordinator, said people attending this year’s party will still have a chance to plant trees while they’re there. “It’s a satisfaction of putting those roots into the soil and having that tree get established and having the optimism of this thing that could outlive you and provide a lot of benefits,” he said.

Modist will run the beer garden, but beers from several different breweries will be served. “The Arbor Day Fest is kind of like a symbolic, ‘hey we get to do things again'” said Modist co-owner Dan Wellendorf. “And then we’re going to keep following it up with even more cool stuff.”

Two bands have already been announced: Wailing Loons and Brass Messengers. There will also be a 5k Fun Run as part of the Minnesota Brewery Running Series. More details will be announced in the coming weeks.

By Mike Binkley, North Loop volunteer



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