Minneapolis leaders push for more events, pedestrian model on Nicollet Mall

For the third time in September, a several-block stretch of Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis closed for a large-scale event.

To start the month, Dinner Du Nord brought thousands together for an outdoor meal. Last week, the Flickr MODE Festival brought thousands to downtown. 

This Saturday, it was a free day-long concert festival hosted by the Dakota.

"This is the center of this city," said Dakota Co-owner Lowell Pickett. "The history, economic, commercial, the gathering."

Saturday's event marked a continued push to make Nicollet Mall the centerpiece of the city. The city's downtown council says the stretch is now pivoting to pedestrian-only nearly 100 times a year.

"A lot of the success of what's happening in the city depends on what's happening on Nicollet Mall. It's kind of the barometer — how active is downtown?" Downtown Council President Adam Duinick said.

Duinick and other civic leaders have pushed for a pedestrian-only model of the mall. He says the upcoming NFL draft, set to come to Minneapolis in 2028, is a date many are eyeing for making improvements to the space.