May Day Parade and Festival
Powderhorn Park
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Admission is Free
In the spring of 1975, In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre began the Minneapolis tradition of the MayDay Ceremony, a celebration to honor the return of spring.
Now the MayDay Ceremony in Powderhorn Park has become a joyous annual ritual for nearly 50,000 people in the Twin Cities. Each year, a 200-person pageant re-tells the story of that year's parade, with children and adult dancers, puppeteers, a live orchestra and four giant serene puppets who represent the Prairie, Sky, River, and Woods.
Minnesota Atheists participates every year, marching in the May Day Parade and staffing an information booth on the grounds of the festival.
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Last Weekend in June
Minneapolis GLBT Pride Parade and Festival
Downtown (Parade)
and Loring Park
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Admission is Free
The Parade: The Ashley Rukes GLBT Pride Parade is held on Sunday, beginning at 11 a.m. along Hennepin Avenue in Downtown Minneapolis. According to public estimates, the Parade drew an estimated 110,000 spectators in 2006, making it one of the largest parades in the Upper Midwest, and the largest in all of Minneapolis according to Mayor R.T. Rybak. It begins at 3rd Street & Hennepin Avenue and follows Hennepin Avenue to Loring Park.
The Festival: Featuring three stages of all-live entertainment, three food courts, fireworks, history pavilion and a Family & Children's area, the Pride Festival is one of the largest Pride events in the United States. The festival attracted an estimated 310,000 people in 2005.
This has been a great event for Minnesota Atheists over the years, where we always receive a warm welcome and a strong level of interest in our organization. We plan to continue marching in the parade and maintaining our presence at an information booth every year.
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Last Saturday in July
Rochester GLBT Pride Festival
Central Park, Downtown
2nd Street NW and 1st Avenue NW
Rochester, Minnesota
Admission is Free
Another great opportunity to meet the public in a welcoming setting for atheists, agnostics, and all freethinkers. This event gives us a yearly presence in southeastern Minnesota, and we encourage all our members from the area as well as all those interested in Minnesota Atheists to meet us there.
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If you would like to participate in any of the events described above, please contact us.