Get Ready!

Northern Spark Bike Tour 2015, photo by Shawn Orton

Summer weather has arrived and Northern Spark is this Saturday! Get ready for all-night on the town with this festival prep checklist:

• Read about the festival art and make a customized “My Night” list of projects to visit

• Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for project highlights and last-minute updates

• Download a free Metro Transit pass and check out the festival maps to plan your transportation to, around and from Northern Spark along the METRO Green Line.

• Check the weather and prepare your adventure outfit! (comfortable shoes, layers for cooler night-time temperatures, rain gear if necessary)

• Find additional tips for what to bring (don’t forget a water bottle), street closures and all-night parking lots, where to eat, and more in the “Attending” section of the festival website.

• Charge up your phone so you can play our festival-wide game, Collective Action!

Food Highlights of this Year’s Festival

Northern Spark is a multi-sensory experience – and taste is no exception. Come to Northern Spark ready to savor the flavors of this year’s festival, as distinct as the neighborhoods they’re in.

MNIPL’s Interfaith Iftar and Warm Conversations at Northern Spark 2016

Break the Ramadan Fast at Northern Spark

Ramadan Mubarak!
Northern Spark falls during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. For the second year, we’re partnering with Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light to host a community break the fast Iftar in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.

After a poetic Adhan (call to prayer) from the roof above the Cedar Community Plaza, local Muslim-owned restaurant Ghandi Mahal will offer a full meal to ticket holders. Delicious dates will be distributed to all. Click here to reserve your free tickets. Everyone is welcome and invited to fast if you are able and so moved. Click here for more resources on fasting.

Little Mekong Night Market

The Little Mekong Night Market returns for its 4th year – this time at Northern Spark! Arrive in Little Mekong before midnight to enjoy the unique sights, sounds and tastes of this vibrant community celebration. If you haven’t gotten your fill by the end of Northern Spark, come back on the eve of June 11th for a second helping of the Night Market.

Refresh with a Fulton at The Commons

For 2017, Minneapolis’ own Fulton Brewing will host Northern Spark’s first-ever beer garden! Refresh your night with a Fulton as you take in the art and adventure at The Commons. Open until midnight only!

Launch Party, Northern Spark 2015, Photo by Kory Lidstrom

Sample the City’s Best at the Launch Party

Satisfy your palette at Northern Spark’s 7th annual Launch Party from 7 – 9 pm at Thresher Square. Before the festival kicks off, start your night with artful food created by 8 amazing local restaurants, and the Northern Spark 2017 specialty cocktail “Spark 75” crafted by Crooked Water Spirits. ZULUZULUU, voted Best Local Newcomer 2016 by City Pages, and awarded the best-of-2016 Minnesota album by the Star Tribune. After all of this, you walk outside to a sparkling sky and find that Northern Spark has begun. What could be a more exciting way to support the festival you love?

Alma, Cafe Latté, Eastside, French Meadow Bakery & Cafe, Handsome Hog, Mercy, Red Stag Supperclub, and Silhouette Bakery & Bistro are preparing some incredible bites to start the night right. Mouth-watering, colorful, creative, and unusual: these bites will showcase the talent of the chefs and their teams. Come see what they have imagined especially for the Launch Party.

Get your tickets today!