How did Taste of Minnesota make its return to Twin Cities?

The Taste of Minnesota, which for years drew big crowds to St. Paul over Independence Day, returns this weekend after a long hiatus and a move to Minneapolis.

With the pandemic in the rearview mirror and the summer festival season primed to return in force, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he was excited when organizers approached him about hosting the event at Nicollet Mall.

"People were sad when it left for a number of years, and this was a great opportunity to bring the thing back and continue the momentum," Frey said. Last weekend saw crowds of thousands converge on Minneapolis for the Taylor Swift concerts and the Pride festival.

Co-organizer Taylor Carik, whose company bought the trademark for the festival name, said he was first approached in 2019 by planners about helping restart Taste of Minnesota. Blois Olson, a spokesperson for the organizers, said Minneapolis officials and boosters were "eager and excited" to host the event, which previously was held in St. Paul.

"The timing for the resurgence of downtown Minneapolis this year was just a good fit, and with all the interest and excitement we're seeing, we think this was the right choice," Carik said.

Aside from the venue change, organizers want this year's event to capitalize on what they see as a resurgence of "foodie" culture in the Twin Cities since the previous festival in 2015.

While past festivals emphasized more traditional fair-type food, this year will feature a diverse array of food trucks and restaurants while maintaining strong music offerings, Carik said.

"It made a lot of sense to relaunch the music portion as a festival, but to really increase the food component and tap into that foodie scene that we have," Carik said.

Taste of Minnesota started in St. Paul in 1983, offering food and free concerts outside the State Capitol. It was long associated with its co-founder, Ron Maddox, a former bar owner and St. Paul City Council member. The event began to decline in the late 2000s, and new owners filed for bankruptcy after Maddox passed away.

In 2014 and 2015, his widow Linda Maddox revived the event in Waconia, Minn., with some of its original founders, but it hasn't been held since.

To bolster the food lineup, organizers reached out three months ago to Minneapolis-based chef and restaurateur Andrew Zimmern to offer him a role as the event's food ambassador. Zimmern said he was "beyond excited" to celebrate the city, state and culture.

"I have been heartbroken that in so many ways we haven't done enough to restore and energize our downtown so that it can bounce back in a substantive way, and the moment I heard about Taste coming back I wanted to support it," he said in a prepared statement.

Part of the momentum behind bringing Taste back this year could be the desire to go out to events after COVID-19 led to two summers with reduced options. With the success of free events, such as Art-A-Whirl, and pricier options, such as Swift's concerts, Carik said he thinks this summer shows that organizers are trying new formats to capitalize on the renewed interest in festivals.

Aside from sponsorships, private funding and stakeholder support, the festival also secured state funding to help ensure the event can run in following years. A bill was introduced in the Legislature to allocate $1.8 million in a one-time grant to the Minneapolis Downtown Council to pay for buildouts, permits, waste disposal, staff, security, equipment, signage and insurance for the Taste of Minnesota.

The event remains free with two designated entrance sites: Nicollet Mall at the corners of Washington Avenue, and at 5th Street S.

Because of the high cost of running this type of festival, Carik said the funding is important to ensure the festival can be held next year and offset costs. Organizers hope to announce next year's Taste of Minnesota dates during this year's festival.

"We want to make this an annual tradition," Carik said.