By Mitch Skinner
Murphy News Service
The 22nd annual Target Holidazzle parade will be the last. The Minneapolis Downtown Council, the group that organizes the event, is replacing it in favor of something new.
“We are committed, as are many other stakeholders in the community, to getting out a blank sheet of paper and figuring out what equally compelling and interesting and fun event during the holiday season might look like in the future,” said Steve Cramer, president of the council. “So Holidazzle as people know it is coming to an end, but then we’ll get right on our horse and figure out what the next iteration of the holiday season will be.”
Cramer said the change is part of the Minneapolis Downtown Council’s 2025 Plan, which includes “consistently compelling downtown experience” among its goals.
“It’s really part of a broader strategy for increasing the vibrancy of downtown in many different way, including the idea of more consistent, regular activation,” he said.
But the Downtown Council is unsure as to what the plan is just yet. Leah Wong, the vice president of events and marketing for the Minneapolis Downtown Council, said they’re waiting until after the holiday season to make any plans.
“We remain really committed that this season of Holidazzle is the experience that people have come to expect over the years,” she said. “And once we get past that, we’ll look at everything and put all of the options on the table, and we’ll think about what a full calendar year looks like for downtown Minneapolis.”
The Target Holidazzle parade runs down Nicollet Mall every Friday and Saturday night until Dec. 21. The grand marshal for the final parade has not yet been announced.
Mitch Skinner is studying journalism at the University of Minnesota.