Every day is Neighborhood Day in the City of Minneapolis, but there is a special day set aside every year where all neighborhood organizations come together to increase engagement with all Minneapolis residents. The majority of the 84 organizations will celebrate Neighborhood Day on Saturday, May 3, with various events – from board officer elections and clothing drives to garage sales and tool swaps.
“I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: Our neighbors are our City’s most important asset,” said Mayor Jacob Frey. “When we show up for our neighbors, we're investing in the relationships that keep Minneapolis strong, resilient, and just a fun place to live. Get out to a Neighborhood Day event, meet someone new, and let's build community."
An interactive map
Residents and visitors to the City are encouraged to use an interactive map to see what their neighborhood organization has planned for Saturday. There are plenty of family-friendly events around town including:
- The annual Duck Race down Minnehaha Creek, hosted by the Field Regina Northrop organization.
- A kickball tournament through the Webber-Camden organization.
- A group trash pick-up with the Cedar-Riverside organization.
- A garden tool swap through the Folwell organization.
- A plant giveaway hosted by the Bottineau organization.
- An open house and “Really Really Free Market” with the Whittier Alliance organization.
“We’re on our phones, on our laptops, working from home—it’s hard to meet new people sometimes. Neighborhood Day is a great way to show up and feel like you belong somewhere,” said Anna Schmitz, executive director of the Whittier Alliance. “Connection is so important right now. I believe that a lot of people just want to get to know their neighbors better, and this is a great way to do it.”
A history of Neighborhood Day
Neighborhood Day started in 2021 as a way to encourage community throughout the City. It grew from 12 participating organization to around 40 this year. Residents can discover who represents them at this link.
“For the first time, all Minneapolis residents are represented by a neighborhood organization, and we’re so proud of that,” said Steven Gallagher, neighborhoods program manager for the City’s Neighborhood & Community Relations department. “These organizations are the most local, smallest forms of government. It’s an easy way for residents to be involved at the most grassroots level – in their own neighborhood, on their own street.”
Minneapolis neighborhood organizations are independent non-profits and have volunteer boards of directors. The goals of the organizations are to be communicative to residents in helping share City news, awareness of topics like housing and environmental concerns, and engage with one another. Minneapolis invests approximately $4.6 million a year in its residents and neighborhoods to make their areas better places to live, work and play.