From 11AM to 7PM, the riverfront transforms to an outdoor cultural stage, and will become a gathering place for live music, food, art, and community. This is the first of its kind on the Northside—and it’s built to happen every year.

North Minneapolis holds a documented but underrecognized role in the history of Black American music. In the mid-20th century, Northside institutions including Phyllis Wheatley Community Center provided housing and hospitality to Black artists touring through Minneapolis who were excluded from downtown hotels under segregation-era policies.

This tradition of cultural stewardship laid the groundwork for a generation of Northside-raised artists who significantly shaped American popular music, including Prince (born and raised in North Minneapolis), Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Jellybean Johnson, and the Grammy-winning ensemble Sounds of Blackness under the direction of Gary Hines. KMOJ 89.9 FM — Minnesota's oldest Black-owned radio station, founded in 1976.