New and improved Bde Maka Ska Pavilion to open this month
Bde Maka Ska Pavilion under construction on September 7, 2023 (Courtesy of Minneapolis Park and Recreation)
The much-anticipated opening of the Bde Maka Ska Pavilion is just a few weeks away.
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board will open the Bde Maka Ska Pavilion area to the public on Oct. 20. The lakeside attraction has been completely rebuilt and expanded over the last 15 months.
The old Bde Maka Ska concessions pavilion was built in 1930 but burned down in 2019.
The $6.5 million project features two new buildings that will host a restaurant and market from the team behind Pimento Jamaican Kitchen. The buildings will also feature Indigenous art and the return of naval artifacts previously displayed at the lake.
Related stories:
- Iconic long-standing building on Bde Maka Ska ‘unsalvageable’ after fire
- Demolition of pavilion at Bde Maka Ska brings curtain down on building’s long history
- Construction on new Bde Maka Ska concessions pavilion to start Monday
- Bde Maka Ska bike trail to open Monday
- Bde Maka Ska boat launch to close Sunday due to pavilion reconstruction project
The project also includes improved outdoor seating with 3,000 square feet of open covered space, a small performance stage, new landscaping and trail safety, and a six-stall year-round restroom area.
“We could not be more excited to open the new Bde Maka Ska Pavilion and provide another welcoming, open space in our park system,” said Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Superintendent Al Bangoura. “As beloved as the original pavilion was, I believe this new building will quickly become a favorite gathering space and a Minneapolis icon.”
Pimento Jamaican Kitchen partnered with Lola on the Lake — which ran the former concessions building before it burned down — to create a new lakeside restaurant called Pimento on the Lake. It will be open seasonally in the north building at the pavilion.
The Pimento Market — open year-round in the south building of the pavilion — will offer a variety of goods, gifts and treats from local businesses.