Aquatennial 2021
Aquatennial, or The Best Days of the Summer as the festivities are known, is returning to Downtown Minneapolis! In celebration of this uniquely Minneapolis tradition, we looked back through the history of the past 81 years of Aquatennial.
HISTORY
Aquatennial proved to be wildly popular, and grew to include events such as concerts, stunt divers, and synchronized swimmers known as the Aqua Dears. Aquatennial became known as The Best Days of the Summer, or The Ten Best Days of the Summer. In 1971 the famous Milk Carton Races began, promoted by the American Dairy Association, with participant building boats out of milk cartons and racing each other against what was then known as Lake Calhoun. For many years the Queen of the Lakes pageant happened with Aquatennial, with the Queen traveling internationally representing Minneapolis.
Aquatennial was founded in 1940 by civic minded business men who wished to show off just how spectacular Minneapolis is- and to compete with nearby Saint Paul, who boasted the Winter Carnival. Fitting for the City of Lakes, Aquatennial was designed to be a celebration of the waters of Minneapolis. The first Aquatennial included parades with over 15,000 marchers and a 500 person drum line, an airshow and sermon in Powderhorn Park, and the finale of the Paul Bunyan Canoe Derby, a 450 mile canoe race down the Mississippi River from Bemidji to Minneapolis.
Aquatennial has hosted politicians, celebrities, and news attention throughout its history. Since 202 Aquatennial has been produced by the Minneapolis Downtown Council, and is sponsored by local businesses.
Aquatennial was a virtual event in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is returning in person for 2021, including free concerts, the CenterPoint Energy Torchlight Parade, and The Target fireworks display, which is one of the largest fireworks shows in the United States Aquatennial continues to delight visitors and to boost the civic pride in Minneapolis.
This year’s Events
Centerpoint Energy Tourchlight Parade
Wednesday, July 21st, 2021 down Nicollet Ave from 12th Street to 4th Streets
Target Fireworks
Target Fireworks: Saturday, July 24, 2021
Twin Cities River Rats demonstration
Thursday, July 22nd and Friday, July 23rd at 7pm along West River Road between Broadway and Plymouth bridges