Whether you come to watch the sunset on the shores of Powderhorn Lake, bite into a prime contender for the city’s original Jucy Lucy, or stop by the annual Powderhorn Art Fair, you’ll be sure to make memories in Minneapolis’s Powderhorn Park neighborhood.

Enjoy a bit of nature in the city at Powderhorn Park, a nearly 66-acre public park surrounding Powderhorn Lake that offers something for everyone all year long. In the summertime, catch a catfish in the lake, play with the kids at the playground or wading pool, work up a sweat with some tennis, volleyball, or basketball, and catch a movie in the park after sundown. As the leaves turn, enjoy a stroll around the lake to take in the autumnal colors—and when the lake freezes, break out the ice skates or don a parka and watch local artists compete in the Art Sled Rally.

If you’re up for even more outdoor fun, check out the Midtown Greenway, a former railroad corridor-turned-bike path that offers a smooth ride protected from street traffic. The 5.5 mile long trail is open 24/7 and runs through Powderhorn Park and connects with other city-wide bike paths (like those encircling the Chain of Lakes and running along the Mississippi). In the market for a new bike? Head to Powderhorn Park’s Full Cycle bike shop for quality used bikes.

For 30+ years, the Powderhorn Art Fair has brought some of the region's best artists together for a juried fine art and fine crafts show in the park (along with dozens of food vendors).

The celebration of Mayday also happens here every spring. A day to commemorate the struggles and gains made by labor workers has now become a community-made festival with fun and unique events, a parade, performances and installations.

If appreciating arts and culture indoors is more your style, Powderhorn Park is home to several performing arts venues and music hubs. Pillsbury House and Theater offers mainstage shows that challenge obstacles to a more just society. Blackbird’s Music Store, a locally owned musical instrument shop, offers music lessons and hosts regular adult “learner’s jam” events in Powderhorn Park.

Chicago Fire Arts is a non-profit arts organization focusing on art forms produced using heat, spark, or flame. Think blacksmithing, enameling, glass, jewelry making, metal casting, neon, sculptural welding, and more. But the spot also hosts a gallery featuring work on consignment year-round and hosts regular exhibits and events.

While largely a residential neighborhood, the blocks surrounding Powderhorn Park have a few great shopping destinations.

On the northern border of the neighborhood you’ll find Midtown Global Market, a bustling hub of 45 businesses spanning over 22 cultures where you’ll find a whole globe’s worth of food, gifts, and services. From arepas and handmade Moroccan home goods to the Indigenous Food Lab, eyebrow threading, Middle Eastern spices, and South American blankets. With regular live music and cultural events, it’s a must-visit whenever you’re in Minneapolis.

A few blocks to the east, Mercado Central offers a one-stop shop for all things Latinx with over 35 restaurants, grocers, bakeries, sweet shops, clothing boutiques, jewelry stores, gift shops, and services from salons to law offices.

Ingebretsen's Nordic Marketplace is a fourth-generation family-owned business in Powderhorn Park celebrating being in business for more than 100 years. This packed shop is filled with ingredients, gifts, and crafts from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark (try the Swedish meatball mix).

Lauded as one of the best vintage furniture stores in the state, Flamingos Divine Vintage offers an eclectic mix of home deco from a wide array of historical eras—curated and sold by a few dozen vendors collaborating on a dreamy vintage experience. They’re only open 3 days a month, so if you’re a treasure hunter, time your visit accordingly! For more truly old-world vibes, Vintage Music Company, is your stop for 78 rpm records produced between 1898 and the late 1950s, cylinder recordings, and restored phonographs.

Matt’s Bar has been a Minneapolis hangout since around 1954, and is one of two local joints claiming to have invented the official burger of Minneapolis, the Jucy Lucy. Whether or not it’s really the first—or if the 5-8 club owns the title—Matt’s take on the molten cheese-stuffed burger patty is legendary. (Where’s the “i” in Jucy? According to Matt’s, if it’s spelled correctly, you just might be eating a shameless ripoff!)

Mama Sheila’s House of Soul will fill you up on fried chicken wings, meat loaf, candied yams, collard greens with turkey, jerk spaghetti, red beans and rice, and so much more at the all-you-can-eat buffet—and the sweet tea is included. For more meaty goodness, head to Smoke in the Pit, where owners Dwight & Ivy Alexander—and their kids—have been bringing their family barbecue recipes from Little Rock, Arkansas to Minneapolis since 1998. Grab some smoked wings and brisket to go and enjoy at a picnic table in the park.

If plant-based food is more your jam, all-vegan eatery Reverie Cafe + Bar is a great place to order take-out to enjoy on their patio dubbed the “graffitti garden”. Try the cauliflower tacos or a housemade burger patty loaded with tomato jam and kimchi aioli.

Offering a menu loaded with hearty organic and vegan/vegetarian options, artsy and eclectic Modern Times Cafe is a local go-to for brunch and lunch. (Check out the series of local artist-designed tees and a bottle of house hot sauce for some truly unique Minneapolis swag.)

For a quick bite May Day Cafe offers from-scratch baked goods (think pies, croissants, cinnamon rolls, muffins, and sweet and savory scones—with loads of vegan and guten-free options), healthy deli-style nosh, and coffee. For some sweet treats, stop at the Candy Jar for nostalgic confections.

For even more amazing eats, be sure to visit Midtown Global Market and Mercado Central, highlighted above!

Powderhorn Park is one of four neighborhoods that meet at the corner of 38th Street and Chicago, known as George Floyd Square since Floyd was killed in police custody on May 25, 2020. At the confluence of the Powderhorn Park, Central, Bancroft, and Bryant neighborhoods, this space has served as a community memorial site and gathering spot for grieving, mutual aid, protest of racial injustice and demands for justice, public art, and collective remembrance of George Floyd’s life. Learn more about the space and its community memorial installations here.

(Starting point of Meet Minneapolis Visitor Center on 5th & Nicollet)

If you’re driving, the Powderhorn Park neighborhood is largely residential, so street parking is prevalent (few businesses have dedicated parking).

From the Meet Minneapolis Visitor Center in Downtown Minneapolis, the quickest way to get to Powderhorn Park on public transport is to catch the Metro Transit Route 14 Bus, which runs from Downtown’s 6th Street south along Bloomington Blvd. Stop at 35th St E to explore the park and the neighborhood. It’s about a 25 minute ride in good traffic

Public Transit Routes:

Route 5
Route 21
Route 22
Route 23