Minneapolis (Dec. 3, 2018) – With a light dusting of snow, Minneapolis sparkles, shines and shows why it is one of the coolest cities in the country. Visitors can easily find festive events from holiday lights to concerts and family fun in the Meet Minneapolis holiday resource guide. In addition, we’ve turned the holiday lights up all the way for the highlights of family fun, shopping and dining news in this Meet Minneapolis leisure travel round-up.

Five Top Holiday Activities in Minneapolis

· Holidazzle – This free holiday celebration already has become a tradition in Minneapolis with a marketplace, tasty treats and festive lights in Loring Park. This year visitors can experience the “silent disco” on the WinterSkate ice rink, enjoy s’more kits to roast your own marshmallows over a warm bonfire and get the perfect Instagram shot with a giant snow globe. Holidazzle runs Thursdays through Sundays through Dec. 23. Holidazzle.com.
· Tap Room Holiday Shopping and Markets Galore – Shopping is expected, but how about holiday shopping at a tap room? In Minneapolis, you can do that at more than a dozen drinkable spots, along with the more expected, delightful markets sprinkled between now and the end of the year. Make your shopping list and plan your route with this handy guide from Meet Minneapolis: Holiday Markets & Shopping.
· Gingerbread Wonderland at Norway House – In Norwegian, “Pepperkake” is a quintessential feature of the Norwegian holiday season. Friends, families and community enthusiasts create inspired gingerbread buildings and landmarks to delight visitors through Jan. 6, 2019. Admission is $5 with children under 12 free. NorwayHouse.org.
· Handmade Holidays at the American Swedish Institute – Inspired by their year of The Handmade, groups from Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Czech American guests have designed rooms that reflect each country’s handmade traditions. Visitors can also take in a weekend Christmas market and two new exhibitions: Tom’s Christmas Fish in the Family Gallery and Handpicked: Recent Acquisitions. ASImn.org.
· “Skate the Star” custom-built ice rink at the Mall of America® – This 12,000-square foot ice rink opens to the public during mall hours Dec. 8 and will be available, free to visitors, through Jan. 27, 2019. Skate rentals are available or bring your own. MallofAmerica.com/skate

Shopping News
Minneapolis has always been on the leading edge of retail trends, from the nation’s first shopping mall, Southdale Center, to its largest at the Mall of America and trendy “cheap chic” retailer Target, headquartered smack-dab in the middle of Minneapolis’ renewed thoroughfare Nicollet. The busy retail season offers visitors many new spots to shop, with a good dose of the heritage the area is known for.

· Faribault Woolen Mill Retail Shop Now Open in Minneapolis – The 153-year-old brand, based in Southern Minnesota, now has a store selling its signature blankets, throws, scarves and more on at 1029 S. Washington Ave. with retail hours Monday through Saturday. The Mill Store.
· Love Your Melon Studio – Founded in Minneapolis in 2012, Love Your Melon has experienced rapid growth while keeping to its mission of donating 50 percent of its profits to organizations fighting pediatric cancer and giving away more than 149,000 beanies to children battling cancer. A recently opened studio in Minneapolis’ North Loop serves as an occasional retail store and event space for the company. Shop and get more information at LoveYourMelon.com.
· Luxury Jeweler Opens Store-Within-a-Store – A downtown jewelry shop dating back to 1885 recently opened a miniature store called the Loupe inside the popular North Loop boutique MartinPatrick3. Offering a wide range of price points, the store at 212 3rd Ave. N. in the Colonial Warehouse Building is open daily. The Loupe.
· Teslas Available to Rent – Soon, you’ll be able to step off your flight at Minneapolis-St. Paul International and into your own (rented) Tesla via Trevls Inc., which signed a deal to become the first car-rental company to offer Teslas at the airport. Earlier this year, the first retail location at the Mall of America opened in time for the Super Bowl. You don’t have to wait to drive one; your electric vehicle can be delivered to your hotel to get you to any of the holiday activities in Minneapolis. Trevls Inc.

Food and Drink News
From James Beard nominations to national media exposure, Minneapolis' food, taproom and cocktail scene are consistently in the limelight. Recently, Hai Hai, Martina and Chef Jamie Malone's renewed Grand Cafe were included in a new Best New Restaurants list. Here are some of the newest highlights:

· Jamie Malone Takes Over Eastside in Downtown Minneapolis – Chef/owner Jamie Malone isn’t resting on her laurels with the success of her Grand Café. Her female crew took over the Mill District establishment recently where they serve dinner Monday through Saturday with a focus on large plates.
· Bachelor Farmer Has New Head Chef – The popular North Loop establishment known for its James Beard Award-winning, Scandinavian ways, now is led by Jonathan Gans, a Seattle native hired after a national search.
· Shipping Container-Themed Restaurant Opens at Target Center – Cargo Food Authority opened this month at the arena home of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx with graffiti-covered shipping containers throughout, live music daily and draft cocktails. Diners will sit around communal tables fashioned from shipping pallets and during warm weather months, the entire length of the restaurant will open to Sixth Street with raised garage doors.

More That’s New
· U.S. Bank Stadium Inline Skating and Running Season Begins – Work off the holiday treats by putting in a few miles running or inline skating on the smooth, indoor surfaces of the site of the last Super Bowl and next year’s NCAA Men’s Final Four. With various dates through Jan. 16, 2019, currently available, start inline skating or running now.

· Walker Art Center’s Elizabeth Price Exhibition – London-based artist Elizabeth Price creates richly layered, moving image works made specifically for gallery settings. Conceived in response to the architecture and past history of the Walker's gallery, this solo exhibition features two new moving image works—FELT TIP and KOHL—marking the artist's first commission for a U.S. museum. Elizabeth Price is on display at the Walker from Dec. 8 through June 30, 2019.

· Mill City Museum “Thank You For Shopping” – While the death of the department store may be exaggerated, shopping centers of yesteryear were once the center of social life. The Mill City Museum and Minnesota Historical Society launched an exhibit that revisits the heyday of Minnesota’s 20th-century department stores, beginning with their rise in the late 1800s. The free exhibit is available through Feb. 24, 2019, during museum hours. Details: www.mnhs.org/millcity/activities/exhibits.

For more information about what to see, do and eat in Minneapolis, visit www.minneapolis.org.