After two major events kicked off in downtown Minneapolis for the first time since the pandemic, city officials call the weekend a success.

“It was energy. It was fun. It was people. It was a party,” Daniel Larson, Twin Cities Pride Festival attendee, said.

From the Swifties packing into U.S. Bank Stadium to Twin Cities Pride bursting at Loring Park, downtown Minneapolis was the main attraction this weekend.

City officials expected over 600,000 people to hit the streets of downtown, which is Super Bowl level high.

Sgt. Garrett Parten, Minneapolis Police, told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS it was a nice and quiet weekend with no major issues and the only challenges were traffic and weather.

“It feels joyful. What I experienced myself and what I’ve heard other people talk about and read on social media, people just had a wonderful time,” Steve Cramer, Minneapolis Downtown Council president and CEO, said.

Cramer explained this is the first big weekend for the heart of the city in the last 3.5 years post-pandemic. 

He said the jam-packed weekend was a test for the city and it passed.

“It’s an inflection point for downtown. We’ve had positive momentum for a couple of years now, but this really accelerates that,” Cramer said.

Minnesotans see the weekend as a sign of a bright future in Downtown Minneapolis.

“It’s been really quiet the last few years and this weekend has been like, ‘Oh, we’re back to life again, so it’s been really nice,” Clay Forester, downtown resident, said.

The next big event downtown is the Taste of Minnesota on July 2-3, which is making a comeback after a seven year break.

This is the first time the festival will be held in Minneapolis instead of St. Paul.