Following the Aug. 27 tragedy at the Parish of the Annunciation, Minneapolis residents and community members showed an outpouring of support and solidarity by displaying thousands of green and blue “Bows of Love” throughout the city. 

As winter approaches and the bows begin to fade, fall to the ground or become affected by street cleaning and snow removal, the community group Bows of Love is working to collect bows from across town with the intention of turning them into a future creative memorial.

The City is supporting this effort by sharing the following information:

• Between now and Oct. 30, residents are encouraged to remove any bows hanging on public property near their homes and in their neighborhood, including on trees, light poles, and street signs in or on public spaces.
  • To contribute to the collection efforts, please reach out to Bows of Love
  • Follow Bows of Love on social media as the group provides updated information.
  • Residents may also move the bows to their own property, out of the way of street sweepers and snowplows.

It's important to note that Annunciation is not a drop-off location for collected bows. Please do not bring bows there, as the parish has no room on campus to collect or store them. If people wish to save bows for future collection, the City asks they do not attempt to bring them anywhere before confirmed collection information is available.

Fall Clean-Up

• Beginning Friday, Oct. 31, Public Works crews may collect any remaining bows found on the ground or on public property, such as boulevard trees and light poles.
• While Minneapolis City ordinance limits how long memorials can be displayed, the City will not proactively remove the bows – but may take them down if they come across them during their regular routes or routine maintenance.
• The City supports the goal of creating memorials to reflect the community’s shared experience and healing journey. City teams will help share information about any future effort to collect the bows as it becomes available.