Mayday Minneapolis celebrates 50 years, drawing large crowds to Powderhorn Park
On the first Sunday in May, thousands flooded the neighborhood streets around Powderhorn Park in south Minneapolis to celebrate the 50th annual Mayday Festival.
Cyclists, colorful clothes, and moving artwork made its way down Bloomington Avenue through Powderhorn Park, with the route ending at a block party.
Attendees say this was a welcome celebration of spring.
"I feel like the last time I was with this many people it was under very different circumstances, so it just feels so good to be celebrating and not bundled up and everything. I've just been itching for this positive gathering," said Lindsay Afsari, who attended the festival.
Thousands filled the park and nearby streets, and the crowd size felt as congested as the Minnesota State Fair.
"Whoever thinks Minneapolis is not a safe space or is falling apart... they're wrong and you can see why here," said Claire Knudten, another attendee.
Visitors and vendors are thriving in this space.
"It was a complete career change for me, actually. I started as a molecular biologist, and I just fell in love with art," said Zoe Lautz, owner of Moxie Design.
This was Lautz's second year bringing her business to Mayday.
"It was life-changing, honestly. It was my best single-day event last year, which is huge and is definitely one of the reasons I definitely wanted to come back," said Lautz.
What started as an event to celebrate art and foster dialogue in 1975 has grown into a large nonprofit festival that also kicks off the warmer seasons.
Toni Hauser celebrates Mayday by giving away free seeds in the front yard in the center of the festivities.
"Especially kids or people who don't have a lot of expendable income, having free seeds means you can experiment, try new things, have some fun," said Hauser. "It's something I plan to continue doing because it's been received so well and it's great seeing how happy people are."