The Dakota has been celebrating its 40th anniversary as an internationally renowned pillar of the jazz and live music scene in the Twin Cities in 2025. That will reach its zenith next month, with a free 40th-anniversary block party in Downtown Minneapolis featuring performances from The Suburbs, Jamecia Bennett, and others.
The party will take place on Nicollet Mall from 2 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20. Held out on the street and inside the venue, the event will feature more than 10 performers alternating between the two stages.
“This anniversary is a celebration not only for Dakota but also for the incredible Twin Cities music community that has contributed so much to reaching this historic milestone,” Lowell Pickett, founder of The Dakota, says. “We’re celebrating 40 years of unforgettable music, and paying tribute to the New Orleans roots that have long inspired our stage and our kitchen.”
The celebration will center on music from local performers, focusing not just on jazz — what the venue is best-known for presenting — but other genres it frequently presents, including soul, funk, and Americana.
Here’s a look at the stacked lineup of local talent. Set times will be unveiled in the coming weeks.
- The Suburbs
- Glen David Andrews
- Jamecia Bennett
- Davina and the Vagabonds
- Kavyesh Kaviraj and Omar Abdulkarim
- L.A. Buckner
- MacPhail Faculty Ensemble
- Pat Donohue and Prairie All Stars
- Patty Peterson presents Jazz Woman All-Stars with Ginger Commodore, Connie Evingson, Mary Louise Knutson, Joan Griffith, Sheila Earley, and Stephanie Wiesler
- Room3 Collective
Beyond music, the festivities will include food specials inspired by New Orleans along Nicollet Mall, as well as a craft market and a kids’ activity area…