The highly anticipated Open Streets Minneapolis™ street festival, which closes city streets to motor vehicle traffic, is returning to Cedar Riverside on Sunday, September 13, 2026. Our Streets is excited to bring back the Open Streets Minneapolis™ Cedarfest event that residents know and love in partnership with the West Bank Business Association.
The free event is a hallmark of summer for many Minneapolis residents, highlighting small businesses while giving attendees a glimpse of streets as public spaces and the vibrancy of pedestrian-friendly boulevards. For more than a decade, Our Streets served as the community organizer for Open Streets Minneapolis events. In 2024 and 2025, the City of Minneapolis hosted its own version of Open Streets events through other community organizers. This year, Our Streets and the West Bank Business Association are co-hosting Open Streets Minneapolis™ Cedarfest event through independent and state funding.
Thousands of Minneapolis residents have flocked to Open Streets Minneapolis™ festivals to enjoy games, live music, shopping at small businesses, art, and more. These family-friendly events are free to attend and a great way to engage with the rich diversity of Minneapolis and learn more about the local community.
“We are very pleased to be working together again with Our Streets to bring the Open Streets Cedarfest to the neighborhood again in 2026,” says K.J. Starr, executive director of West Bank Business Association. “This event has become a beloved and much-anticipated, family-friendly event on the West Bank featuring food from our diverse local restaurants, the camel ride, a diverse array of local artisans and tons of music.”
Registration for Open Streets Minneapolis™ Cedarfest is open to partners, vendors, and interested participants. Those interested in supporting the event through sponsorship can learn more on the organization’s website. Open Street Minneapolis™ events are powered by volunteers. Interested volunteers can sign up online.
Our Streets prioritizes event corridors that lack existing public space or have been harmed by past transportation planning decisions. The return to Cedar Riverside comes at a pivotal moment in the Rethinking I-94 project timeline, as this street closure follows a tense meeting with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and elected officials requesting to pause the project. Cedar Riverside will be greatly impacted by the outcome of the Rethinking I-94 project, and many neighbors would like to see non-highway options move to the next step in the process. The agency has only recommended rebuild options.
Open Streets Minneapolis™ is sponsored by McKnight Foundation, The Butler Family Community Foundation, BlueCross BlueShield Minnesota, Trustone Financial, AAA, and the Minnesota State Arts Board.