Basilica Block Party returns to Minneapolis with new location and new weekend
Updated 12:50 p.m.
What is it that Bruce Springsteen said? “Everything dies, baby, that’s a fact, but maybe everything that dies someday comes back.”
Springsteen was singing about the decline and hoped-for revival of his beloved Atlantic City, but Minneapolis is about to enjoy its own rebirth.
The Basilica Block Party, which has been canceled the past two years, is coming back for an encore.
The Block Party’s Facebook page has been teasing this fact for a few days, quietly changing the event’s logo on Tuesday after an extended radio silence dating back to Feb. 3, 2022. (Commenters immediately noticed, posting celebratory gifs.) Then, on Wednesday, the page promised a big reveal: “Just popping on to share that we've got some exciting news on the horizon...the kind of news that's been brewing for the past two years! Mark your calendars and check back on Thursday for the big reveal!”
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Today it became official. With a few changes.
It will no longer take place in July. Instead, the event has been rescheduled to Aug. 2-3. And it will no longer take place at the Basilica of St. Mary, but instead Boom Island Park alongside the Mississippi in Minneapolis.
The Rev. Daniel Griffith, pastor and rector at the Basilica, explained the announcement is the result of a year-and-a-half long process that included reassessing the event in the wake of COVID. “One of the things that we hear is that coming out of COVID — people really are yearning for these sorts of experiences, where they can come with their friends and their family and take in a wonderful evening or a weekend.”
Griffith said there were several reasons for changing the venue. “One is the Xcel Energy lot that the Basilica Block Party would utilize as its main stage is under renovation and construction. So that was not available to us.”
This caused organizers to look to other venues. “Boom Island really rose to the top of the list,” Griffith said.
For one, the site can house more attendees. Additionally: “We love the fact that it is by the river and has a beautiful view of the skyline.”
According to Griffith, the block party has increased its focus on partnering with local businesses, “whether it be the food, whether it be Surly Brewing and different vendors to make sure that this is really a local celebration and a local festival.”
At the moment, there are no specifics regarding performers.
The block party’s return comes in the wake of several other music events coming to an end in the Twin Cities in recent years — including Rock the Garden and Twin Cities Summer Jam — and the introduction of new music events. The Minnesota Yacht Club, a two-day festival featuring Gwen Stefani, Alanis Morissette and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, is set for July 19-20 on Harriet Island in St. Paul.
Last summer, Target Field announced plans for a new music festival, called TC Summer Fest. The inaugural event, hosted by the Minnesota Twins and 555 Events, featured musical acts The Killers, Imagine Dragons, Death Cab for Cutie and The Flaming Lips. No announcement has been made about a 2024 event.
