🌶️ What a Chili Fest! 🥣

Around 200 neighbors turned out on Sunday, February 22 at Bryant Square Park for the 27th Annual South Uptown Chili Fest — and what a wonderful afternoon it was! From savory bites to sweet conversations, the event was full of warmth, laughter, and community spirit. ❤️

Together, we shared great food, connected with neighbors, and supported both the South Uptown Neighborhood Association and Joyce Uptown Food Shelf. That’s what community is all about!

A huge thank you to our generous chili sponsors — Bryant Lake Bowl, Gigi's Cafe, Nightingale, and Uptown Diner — for donating the delicious chili that kept everyone coming back for seconds! 🌟

And thank you to the dozens of South Uptown volunteers who made this beloved annual tradition possible. We couldn’t do it without you! 🙌

Here’s to 27 years of chili, connection, and community — and many more to come! 🌶️🎉

🌎🌱 South Uptown Climate Adaptation Report

The South Uptown Climate Adaptation Report outlines how our neighborhood can prepare for the growing impacts of climate change — including heavier rain and flash flooding 🌧️, extreme heat 🌡️, and periods of drought 🌾. The report identifies practical steps the neighborhood association and individual residents can take to strengthen resilience, protect our homes and infrastructure, and care for one another during extreme weather events. We invite you to read the full report and learn how you can be part of building a stronger, more climate-ready South Uptown. 💚

🏠 You Asked How to Help Neighbors Stay Housed — Here’s How 💛

Many neighbors have been asking what they can do to help people stay in their homes. Here’s a direct, meaningful way to make an immediate impact.

A powerful new rent relief fundraiser through Neighbors Helping Neighbors is now LIVE — with an ambitious goal to raise $250,000 by Friday to help pay rent for 175 local families next week.

This effort relaunched with strong community backing, including fiscal sponsorship from the Family Housing Fund and pro bono legal support from Dorsey & Whitney, ensuring the process is trusted, secure, and ready to deliver. A soft launch last week confirmed that rent payments are already moving.

The average rent request is about $1,400. Every dollar raised goes directly toward keeping families housed. The bigger goal? $1.3 million to support 1,000 families by the end of the month.

If you’re able, please consider contributing and sharing with your networks. When neighbors show up for neighbors, we make an immediate, tangible difference.

👉 Donate here:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/a4ar9-twin-cities-ice-relief-fund

More money = more rent paid. Let’s do this. 💛✨

🌶️ 27th Annual South Uptown Chili Fest 🌶️

📅 Sunday, February 22, 2026

⏰ 12:00 – 2:00 PM

📍 Bryant Square Park Recreation Center- 3101 Bryant Ave S.

Grab a bowl and come warm up with your neighbors at one of South Uptown’s most beloved traditions! 🥣❤️ Join us for delicious chili, community connection, and a fun afternoon for all ages while supporting

the South Uptown Neighborhood Association.

🍲 Four local restaurants will be serving their signature chili varieties (meat & veggie), so you can sample and meet new friends along the way.

✨ What to expect:

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Fun for all ages

🧒 Free childcare & kids’ crafts

🎁 Door prizes

🤝 Learn more about your neighborhood association

🥫 Food Drive for the Joyce Uptown Food Shelf

Please bring non-perishable, non-expired items such as:

• Ramen, rice

• Canned protein like tuna, salmon and chicken

• Instant oatmeal packets

• Canned fruits & vegetables

• Beans

We also gladly accept personal care items like diapers & wipes, toilet paper, feminine hygiene products, toothbrushes, and toothpaste 🪥🧻

💛 Want to help make Chili Fest happen? Sign up for a volunteer shift here: https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/1192774658083/false#/invitation 

🙌 Sponsored by:

Bryant Lake Bowl, Gigi’s Cafe, Nightingale and Uptown Diner

🍀 South Uptown 1st Thursday Happy Hour is back! 🍻

Join us Thursday, February 5, from 5:30–7:00 PM as we kick off the first happy hour of the year at Morrissey’s Irish Pub (913 W. Lake Street). We’re excited to return to this great neighborhood hangout and longtime community partner.

💛 After several weeks of distressing events, this feels like an especially good moment to come together, reconnect, and be in community with one another. Whether you’re a familiar face or brand new, you’re welcome here.

✨ It’s a fun, low-pressure way to meet neighbors and learn a bit more about what’s happening in South Uptown.

🍽️ Free appetizers provided by South Uptown
🍺 Drinks available for purchase at the bar

All are welcome — bring a friend, grab a bite, and spend some time with your neighbors. We’d love to see you there 😊

💛 Uptown Neighborhood Community Care Night 💛

Join your neighbors on Wednesday, February 4, from 3:00–8:00 PM for an afternoon and evening of connection, care, and creativity during Uptown Neighborhood Community Care Night ✨

Hosted across Shop My Closet, True North Studio, and Queermunity, this event invites neighbors to slow down and support one another with:
👕 A clothing swap
🌿 Healing offerings
🎨 Art activities
☕ Free chai to keep you warm

Come for one activity or stay awhile—this is a welcoming, low-pressure space to be in community, care for yourself, and care for each other 💞

We hope to see you there!

🎵 Call for Performers: Music in the Parks 2026! 🎵

Do you (or someone you know) love performing live music in a beautiful outdoor setting? Applications are now open for musicians interested in performing during the 2026 Music in the Parks series at Bryant Square Park in South Uptown!

The South Uptown Neighborhood Association, in partnership with Minneapolis Parks, produces this beloved summer concert series at the Bryant Square Park amphitheater. Concerts take place most Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7:00–8:30 PM, running June 18 through August 13, and feature a wide variety of musical genres.

🎤 Why play Bryant Square Park?

One of the true highlights of summer in South Uptown ☀️

Engaged, neighborhood audiences

A beautiful amphitheater setting 🌳

$100 stipend for performers at Bryant Square Park only, thanks to our generous concert sponsors 💙

⏰ Application deadline: February 13 — don’t wait!

👉 Apply here:
https://form.jotform.com/253634477046159

Help us spread the word and make another amazing summer of music in the parks! 🎶✨

🤝💙 Neighbors Helping Neighbors – Get Connected to South Uptown Mutual Aid 💙🤝

The South Uptown Neighborhood Association is organizing a Neighbors Helping Neighbors/ mutual aid effort to support one another in practical ways. We’re looking for folks who can help with driving 🚗, grocery delivery 🛒, being extra eyes and ears 👀, and other neighborly support.

We’ve already established a secure network of neighbors who are taking action, and we’d love to connect more people who want to help or who may need support.

📧 Interested? Please email: info@southuptown.org

Together, we look out for each other 💙🏘️

#southuptown #neighborshelpingneighbors #getconnected 

Know Your Rights!

🌈 The South Uptown Neighborhood Association welcomes everyone to our community. We are deeply upset by the Federal government’s inclusion of ICE representatives and the fear and harm these actions cause to our neighbors.

With continued federal attacks on our community, it’s more important than ever to know your rights, make a plan, and understand how to respond if you, a neighbor, or a loved one is stopped or detained. 🛑📘 Below are trusted resources to help you prepare and stay informed:

• ⚖️ ACLU – Information on knowing your rights, especially when speaking up, protesting, or demonstrating.
  ACLU Know Your Rights

• 🏙️ City of Minneapolis – A collection of key local resources and guidance for community members.
  City of Minneapolis Resources

💛 We stand with our neighbors and believe safety, dignity, and belonging are for everyone.

🎶 Big News for Bryant Square Park Concerts! 🎶

Thanks to an incredibly generous anonymous donor, Bryant Square Park now has a brand-new $4,000 sound system! 🙌 The donor is a big fan of the Summer Concert Series and gifted the full amount needed to make this upgrade possible—no fundraising required. ❤️

Over the years, the concerts have relied on a mix of hand-me-down equipment and budget gear, and performers sometimes had to bring their own sound equipment to fill the gaps. That’s all about to change. 🔊✨ The new system will dramatically improve sound quality and reliability, creating a better experience for both performers and concertgoers.

We got a sneak preview during the final concert last summer on August 7, when we borrowed the very system that will now become ours—and it was fantastic! 🎤🎸 The sound was clear and strong, and it was much easier to use. It’s going to be a huge upgrade.

The South Uptown Neighborhood Association proudly partners with the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board and Bryant Square Park to produce the concert series each summer. Concerts are held at the Bryant Square Park amphitheater most Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7:00–8:30 PM. 🌳🎵

We can’t wait to share better sound—and even better summer evenings—with you next season! 🌟

🎁 Are you Lake Street Loyal? 🛍️

The Lake Street Loyalty Challenge is BACK for the holiday season — and now it’s bigger than ever! 🎉

From Nov 15 to Dec 15, shop or donate $25 or more at participating businesses or nonprofits along Lake Street or the expanded Uptown Hennepin Ave corridor (34th St to Franklin Ave) and you’ll earn a $15 gift card as a thank-you for supporting local! 🙌💙

Whether you’re grabbing gifts, enjoying delicious food, exploring bookstores, or giving to a nonprofit (including Give to the Max Day donations!), your purchase counts. Just upload your receipt at LakeStreetLoyalty.com and choose your reward from:
✨ Eat Street Crossing
✨ Moona Moono
✨ Midtown Global Market
✨ Sonora Grill
✨ Uncle Hugo’s & Uncle Edgar’s Bookstore

PLUS — everyone who enters is automatically entered to win a grand prize pack worth $250+ in local gift certificates! 🎁💫
(One entry per person. Up to 400 participants will receive gift cards by Dec 31.)

Let’s lift up our local small businesses this season. 🌟
Learn more about the Lake Street Loyalty Challenge here: https://www.lakestreetloyalty.com/

📚 Little Free Library Update

South Uptown’s two Little Free Libraries were relocated in November and will remain in place throughout the winter:

3140 Bryant Avenue S.

3212 Dupont Avenue S.

Neighbors are encouraged to stop by, leave a book, and take a book—winter is the perfect season to curl up with a great read. ❄️☕️📖

We’re also seeking volunteers to host the libraries in 2026. Hosting one in your yard or boulevard is a fun, simple way to share the love of reading with your neighbors. Hosts help keep the library in good condition and stocked with books.

Interested in learning more? Reach out at info@southuptown.org. 💌

🎶 Big News for Bryant Square Park Concerts! 🎶

Thanks to an incredibly generous anonymous donor, Bryant Square Park now has a brand-new $4,000 sound system on the way! 🙌 The donor is a big fan of the Summer Concert Series and gifted the full amount needed to make this upgrade possible—no fundraising required. ❤️

Over the years, the concerts have relied on a mix of hand-me-down equipment and budget gear, and performers sometimes had to bring their own sound equipment to fill the gaps. That’s all about to change. 🔊✨ The new system will dramatically improve sound quality and reliability, creating a better experience for both performers and concertgoers.

We got a sneak preview during the final concert last summer on August 7, when we borrowed the very system that will now become ours—and it was fantastic! 🎤🎸 The sound was clear and strong, and it was much easier to use. It’s going to be a huge upgrade.

The South Uptown Neighborhood Association proudly partners with the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board and Bryant Square Park to produce the concert series each summer. Concerts are held at the Bryant Square Park amphitheater most Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7:00–8:30 PM. 🌳🎵

We can’t wait to share better sound—and even better summer evenings—with you next season! 🌟

🎄✨ Holidays on Hennepin is here! ✨🎄

🎄✨ Holidays on Hennepin is here! ✨🎄

Road construction is finally over, and it’s time to celebrate and support our amazing local businesses along Hennepin Avenue! This year, the entire corridor will be lit up with extravagant decorations, dazzling lights, and nonstop holiday cheer. Uptown is back—and brighter than ever! 💡💚

🗓️ From Black Friday through New Year’s, pick up your FREE Holiday Passport at any participating business. Then explore magical light displays, sip festive seasonal drinks, shop for unique gifts, and enjoy exclusive holiday deals.

Each stop brings something new—quirky surprises, cozy winter vibes, and the warm community spirit that makes Hennepin shine. ✨🎁

💡 Holiday markets, live music, movies, theater, crafts, tattoos, wellness events, Santa photos, and more—there’s something for everyone in Uptown this season!

Support the small businesses you love and help us bring the sparkle back to Hennepin! 🌟

Holidays on Hennepin is a project of the Hennepin Joint Committee, a nonprofit, volunteer-run collaboration of local residents, neighborhood associations, and businesses.

📩 info@holidaysonhennepin.com https://www.holidaysonhennepin.com/ 

🌨️ Snow Season Is Here! 🚗❄️

With winter already underway—and a Snow Emergency in effect—the City of Minneapolis makes it easy to stay informed. Visit their snow information page for street parking rules, Snow Emergency updates, and to sign up for text, email, or phone alerts: https://www.minneapolismn.gov/getting-around/snow/

If your car gets towed, you’ll also find details about the City Impound Lot and how to retrieve your vehicle. 🚘

And don’t forget—shoveling your sidewalk is required by law and is one of the most neighborly things you can do! 🥾💙 Clear snow down to the pavement as early and often as you can. Keeping up with it prevents ice buildup and helps reduce or even eliminate the need for salt, which keeps our waterways cleaner. 🌍💧

🚍 Celebrate the Grand Opening of the New E-Line Rapid Bus! 🎉

🚍 Celebrate the Grand Opening of the New E-Line Rapid Bus! 🎉

Join your South Uptown neighbors on Saturday, December 6 as we take a group ride to try out Metro Transit’s brand-new E-Line Rapid Bus route! We’ll meet at 2:00 PM at the Hennepin Ave & W. 36th St Station, hop aboard together, and ride up to the 25th St Station. From there, we’ll take a short stroll over to Tii Cup (2645 Hennepin Ave) for tasty beverages and snacks. 🧋🍟

Tii Cup features delicious Taiwanese street food and Boba — a perfect stop to warm up, chat, and connect with neighbors. 💬✨

Best of all, Metro Transit is offering FREE rides all day to celebrate the launch! 🙌

Come check out the new service, make some new friends, support a local business, and experience how the E-Line will connect South Uptown to Linden Hills, Southdale, Downtown, and the U of M with a faster, more reliable, and more comfortable ride. 🚏💨

We hope to see you there! Check out more info about the E-Line here: https://www.metrotransit.org/e-line-project

🎉🎄 1st Thursday South Uptown Happy Hour — Last One of 2025! 🍻✨

🎉🎄 1st Thursday South Uptown Happy Hour — Last One of 2025! 🍻✨

Join us on Thursday, December 4 from 5:30–7:00 PM at Gigi's Cafe (824 W. 36th Street) for our final happy hour of the year! It’s a cozy, holiday-themed chance to meet your neighbors and connect before the season gets too busy.

☕️🍷 Gigi’s has something for everyone — coffee, tea, soft drinks, beer, wine & more.
🍕 South Uptown will provide light appetizers, including Gigi’s delicious, shareable pizzas.

Bring a friend, grab your favorite drink, and help us wrap up 2025 with good company and neighborhood cheer. No RSVP needed — just stop by! 🎁❄️

🌟 Give to the Max Day is almost here — but you don’t have to wait!

💛 Early giving is open now, and every contribution (big or small!) helps the South Uptown Neighborhood Association continue our work to foster a safe, equitable, and connected community.

👏 Huge thanks to Riley Co. and KRC Apartments for their generous early gifts recognizing our impact!

💚 Give early, give local, and help us reach our goal today!: https://www.givemn.org/organization/South-Uptown-Neighborhood-Association

🌆 Meet Cheba Hut Coming to Uptown!

South Uptown Land Use & Transportation Committee

Wednesday, November 5 at 7:00 PM

3501 Aldrich Avenue S., 1st Floor Conference Room

Zoom Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86791321960?pwd=Sksr0U68ZjvXFNRaRB9r9mTu0LXxti.1

Join us for the next Land Use & Transportation Committee meeting! We’ll be welcoming representatives from Cheba Hut, the new toasted sub shop opening soon in the Asher Building at Lake Street and Emerson Avenue S (1128 W. Lake St.).

Franchise owners Nick Reckinger and Matt Alexander—who also run Georgia Boys BBQ in Colorado—will introduce themselves, share their plans for the Uptown location, and talk about what’s next as they prepare to open their doors later this year.

Cheba Hut recently received approval for a liquor license and permission to stay open until 2 AM on weekends, so this is your chance to learn more, ask questions, and meet the team bringing a new flavor to Uptown.

🥪 Come join the conversation and help welcome Cheba Hut to the neighborhood!

🌟 Give to the Max Day is Coming — Support South Uptown! 🌟

South Uptown Neighborhood Association is excited to participate in Give to the Max Day on Thursday, November 20 — Minnesota’s one-day celebration of giving where nonprofits statewide come together to seek support and strengthen our communities. 💚

Building Community.
South Uptown Neighborhood Association brings neighbors together to make our community stronger, safer, and more connected.

Our Mission:
“Improve the well-being of the South Uptown Neighborhood by fostering a safe, equitable, and connected community.”

This year, your support helped us:
✅ Host beloved community events like the Luminary Skating Party, Chili Fest, the Bryant Square Park Concert Series, the Garden Tour, monthly happy hours, and Clean Up Days.
✅ Promote safety and connection through Home Security Grants, Personal Safety Workshops, and crime discussion forums.
✅ Support local businesses through partnerships with the Uptown Farmers Market and the Uptown Futures Forum.
✅ Advocate for you by championing better design for Seven Points and supporting a safer, more people-friendly Lyndale Avenue.
✅ Add neighborhood charm with art wraps, little free libraries, and dog waste stations.

Your donation keeps South Uptown vibrant, inclusive, and welcoming — all year long. 🌳
💚 Give today or anytime this month — and help us continue building community, right here at home.

👉 [Click here to donate! https://www.givemn.org/organization/South-Uptown-Neighborhood-Association