Under new leadership, the beloved Minneapolis Aquatennial festival will return for its 87th year after all.
The Minneapolis Downtown Council announced it would stop producing both the Aquatennial and Holidazzle in October last year, citing budgeting difficulties and shifting priorities as the organization searched for a new group to take over planning the events. The future of the summer celebration remained unknown until now: Local leaders announced on Tuesday that the city’s official civic celebration now lies in the hands of the Aquatennial Ambassador Organization (AAO), with community involvement and volunteer recruitment to preserve the annual tradition.
“We are delighted to maintain this beloved Minneapolis tradition that has been bringing the community together since 1940,” said the 2026 Aquatennial commodore of AAO Marie Carrell in a statement. “The AAO and a team of civic volunteer leaders serving as the Aquatennial advisory board we’ve assembled are committed to preserving and progressing this treasured tradition for the next generation.”…