Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey made an appearance. So did Ward 6 Council Member Jamal Osman. So did Somali presidential candidate Abdi Hoosow.
They joined tens of thousands who turned out Saturday for the Somali Day Festival on Lake Street, the culmination of a week of events celebrating Somali Independence Day, including an international soccer tournament, a town hall with Somali politicians, a multigenerational concert at the Ordway, and cultural events around the state.
This marks the sixth year of Somali Week, which drew 45,000 to the Twin Cities last year, according to organizers. The festival began in 2017, but took a two-year hiatus during the pandemic.
The festival closed off a section of Lake Street between Blaisdell and Stevens avenues, transforming the area into a street fair. Families, some waving Somali flags, others dressed head-to-toe in blue with the white star of the flag, lined up for food and browsed vendor booths.
Performers roused the crowd, including DJ Flaviooo, Brass Solidarity and traditional Somali performers.
Along the closed-off streets children took pony rides. Behind them a grown man rode on top of a camel. Laughter filled the air as young men fought for control over a soccer ball.
The mayor drew applause when he rolled out the proclamation, signed in 2024, making July 1 Somali Culture Day in Minneapolis.
For People in Action, which organized this year’s Somali Week’s events, the crowds summed up the week’s theme: unity.
