Event Info
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Columbia Park
3300 Central Avenue NE
Minneapolis, MN 55418
Transit and Parking
The Kidney TRUST will be offering Free CKD Testing from 9 AM to 1PM.
Registration/Check-in Time: 8:30 AM
Opening Ceremonies/Walk Start Time: 10:00 AM
About
Minneapolis often tops the charts when it comes to ranking the best places to live, work, and enjoy life. Minneapolis, located on the Mississippi River in southeastern Minnesota, is the largest city in the state, with a population of around 400,000. It and adjacent St. Paul were dubbed "the Twin Cities" by Mark Twain. St. Anthony Falls, the only waterfall on the Mississippi River, supplied electricity for dozens of Minneapolis flour and lumber mills built in the late 19th century. Within a short time, the city was the flour milling capital of the world; industry giants Pillsbury and General Mills are still based there.
Today, Minneapolis is a modern city with more skyscrapers than mills, and additional Fortune 500 companies Target, Best Buy, Northwest Airlines, Xcel Energy and Medtronic based in the area.
The Twin Cities are well represented in professional sports, with 4 major league teams. In downtown Minneapolis, the Metrodome hosts major league baseball's Minnesota Twins, the NFL's Minnesota Vikings and University of Minnesota college football. The 19,000-seat Target Center, also located downtown near the Warehouse District, is home to the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves. In St. Paul, the 18,600-seat, ultra modern Xcel Energy Center holds the home ice of the NHL's Minnesota Wild.
Minneapolis is home to the Minnesota Orchestra and the Minnesota Opera and quality museums such as the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum and the Walker Center, whose huge and varied collection of American and European art makes it the fifth-most visited museum in the country. The city's top architectural attraction is the IDS Center, a 51-story, octagonal skyscraper in front of which Mary Tyler Moore tossed her hat during the opening credits of her 1970 sitcom.
After decades of being thought of across America as a cold, dull area, Minneapolis is now recognized as one of the country's hippest cities. With a nightlife that doesn't take a back seat to any of America's larger cities, Minneapolis ranked #14 on Forbes Magazine's List of the Best Cities For Singles. The Warehouse District and First Avenue Area, made famous by Prince (a Minneapolis native) in Purple Rain, are loaded with good restaurants, trendy bars and clubs offering great music.