Mayday parade
SUNDAY, May 4, 2025 / 12PM / bloomington Ave, Mpls
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WATCH THE PARADE!
See below for more information about the time, location, and what to expect.
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parade route map
The parade will go down Bloomington Avenue from 28th to 34th Street.
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JOIN THE PARADE!
All groups and individuals must register to be in the parade by April 27th.
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volunteer for the parade
We need parade volunteers! Don’t worry - you can still watch.
Community driven since 1975
For 50 years, South Minneapolis has celebrated Mayday with an annual parade, ceremony and festival to honor the coming of Spring on the first Sunday in May.
In the past, artists at In the Heart of the Beast Theater (HOBT) envisioned a theme for the parade and ceremony through community conversations, and then opened the doors for hundreds of community members to gather during the month of April at HOBT to bring the theme to life with spectacular puppets and music.
Today, the creation of parade puppets is decentralized with spectacular and free-flowing visions created in basements, garages, studios, schools, and backyards.
watch the Parade!
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Sunday, May 4, 2025
Parade Start 12:00pm
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The Parade begins at noon at Bloomington Avenue and 28th Street.
The parade will proceed down Bloomington Avenue to 34th Street, turn East, and enter Powderhorn Park between 34th and 35th Streets on 15th Avenue.
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To watch the parade, bring blankets/chairs, water, snacks (no coordinated food trucks), bubbles, sidewalk chalk, a garbage bag (and help pick up trash) and dress for the weather!
Feel free to costume yourself for the occasion, many do!
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Pets that would be fearful of giant puppets, stilters, loud noises, or children.
Please keep all pets leashed and controlled at all times! Help to keep puppeteers and stilters safe!
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The beginning of the parade route is always less crowded, so head North of Lake Street if you like some space or are arriving near noon.
If you are watching the parade, please stay South of 28th St and not interfere with parade line-up. Thank you!
The area from 32nd Street to the end of the route becomes VERY crowded, especially as you get closer to the park, and folks put down their blankets and chairs EARLY. Head this way if you like crowds and excitement!
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Puppets, activist street bands, stilters, art cars, puppets, choirs, protest art, dance music, BattleTrain, puppets, costumes, dance, and PUPPETS!
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Keep the Mayday Parade alive by volunteering! Fill out this form to sign up to volunteer for the Parade.
Volunteer spots will be on the route and you can watch the parade!
Any questions? Email us at ourmaydayparade@gmail.com
Make art and join
the 2025 Mayday parade!
Come solo or in any size group!
Bring your puppetry, music, dance, song, marching band, poetry, street theater, or any form of artistic expression and parade it in the streets!
Questions or comments?
Email us at ourmaydayparade@gmail.com.
JOIN the Parade!
All groups and individuals must register by April 27th.
Registration deadline extended to April 27.
Please register immediately so you receive your lineup information!
Register at the button above or through this link.
Your group will receive a confirmation and follow-up information once registered.
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Line-up information, line-up numbers, parade safety guidelines and liability waivers will be provided by email to group leaders after April 20, 2025, when all groups have registered for the parade.
Keep an eye out for this important information and have a plan to share this info with all members of your group.
It will take time for everyone to find their spot in the line-up and get ready to go, so please arrive NO LATER than 11:00am.
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Bring everything you need to keep yourself and your group safe and comfortable!
Bring snacks, water, folks to attend to your group’s safety needs (especially for kids, stilters and large puppets), and dress for the weather.
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No pets are allowed in the parade for the safety of puppeteers and stilters. If you have a service animal, let us know in your registration form.
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Mayday Parade Workshops
What: An ancient group of Mayday artists, one of many such groups, hosting open workshops to make it easier for our neighbors and friends to be involved this year! Make your own stuff or join our 'evil section' and we'll have plenty for you to plug into and do!Where: Adventures in Cardboard, 4501 Hiawatha Ave
When: Begins Saturday, April 19th, from 11am-4pm! We'll run workshops on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-9pm and Saturdays from 11-4pm.
Make a Wearable Art Car for the MayDay Parade
What: Be in the MayDay Parade with the ArtCars and ArtBikes! Work with artists Tara Fahey and Kallie Melvin to create a fanciful structure from cardboard – from batmobiles to spaceships. A free family workshop.
Where: Fairmount Ave. United Methodist Church
When: Saturday, April 26, 2025 - 1:30-3:30 pm
Registration Deadline: April 21, 2025. Learn more about ArtStart classes here!
What: Come help us make a giant communal heart growing in the garden of care and diversity--also an entourage of animal-masked defenders giving the fascists the push-back they deserve. Then join us in the parade on May 4th!
Our section rises in defiance of the rulers’ attempts to intimidate and silence our diverse (equitable, inclusive) and caring community. We will speak-out and defend our neighbors!
When: Join us any time, Tues/Wed/ Thurs, 7pm—9pm and Saturdays 1pm-5pm
Where: Big Animal Studios 2714 27th St East Minneapolis MN 55408
Questions? Call: Christopher Lutter-Gardella (612) 695-6871
You are also welcome to make Parade Art in your home, garage, or basement and register your own section in the Parade!
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Keep the Mayday Parade alive by volunteering! Fill out this form to sign up to volunteer for the Parade.
Volunteer spots will be on the route and you can watch the parade!
Any questions? Email us at ourmaydayparade@gmail.com