Minneapolis' Holidazzle canceled for 2023, planning underway for 2024 return

It's back to the drawing board for the Minneapolis Downtown Council as officials are already getting to work on finding a way to bring back Holidazzle in 2024.

But while the celebration is gone for this year, officials are asking people to go to Holidazzle.com to share their favorite memories of past celebrations as a way to keep the 31-year tradition alive.

People can also offer suggestions on how to make the beloved event in downtown Minneapolis' Loring Park featuring music and dance performances, art, shopping, food and visits from Santa Claus better next year, said Leah Wong, vice president of external relations for the Downtown Council, the organization that has put on the party since its inception in 1992.

On Tuesday, the council canceled this year's celebration, saying they don't have enough money to put on the festival.

"It's sad," Wong said about scrubbing this year's festivities. "This was a difficult decision for the community, but also because of the impact to all of our vendors and partners who bring Holidazzle to life. This is something we will definitely miss."

Holidazzle is funded with a combination of government dollars and private donations, and Wong said the council worked "tirelessly" to pull funding together, but in the end could not raise the money needed to put on the fete.

Wong did not specify how much money was needed, but "we waited until the very last minute to get it over the finish line."

That is what led to Tuesday's announcement that the 2023 celebration would take a one-year hiatus.

Holidazzle's absence will leave a void for scores of families from across the state who have attended the free festival that in recent years ran from Thanksgiving weekend until just before Christmas. Last year guests posed for 16,000 photos with Santa and attendance was estimated at 200,000, Wong said.

The Downtown Council started Holidazzle in 1992 to keep shoppers downtown after the Mall of America opened. The spectacle featured nightly parades featuring comic-book characters riding holiday-themed floats, music and light shows on Nicollet Mall.

In 2014, the council reformatted the event into a marketplace showcasing local businesses and works by local artists and moved it to Loring Park. The celebration also offered a broader choice of activities. In recent years that included a 17-foot yeti, a beer tent and fireworks.

It's unlikely a substitute event for this year will be put into place, said Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board spokeswoman Dawn Sommers. She said the Park Board already puts on several holiday programs geared for families at its recreation centers.

Wong said the funding challenges facing Holidazzle are similar to those faced by other celebrations. She said putting on Holidazzle "is a big lift" and the council will spend the next year looking for ways to ensure the event returns.

"We are grateful for partners who are committed to do what we need to do," Wong said. "We don't do that alone."