Mystic Lake Amphitheater Mystic Lake Amphitheater to open in Shakopee in 2026
SHAKOPEE, Minn. – The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community has purchased the naming rights to a new outdoor music venue under construction in Shakopee, Live Nation announced.
The 19,000-seat venue will open in summer 2026 as the Mystic Lake Amphitheater, located about five miles north of the tribe’s casino and hotel of the same name.
Live Nation estimates the amphitheater will contribute more than $70 million to the local economy and create about 700 jobs. The venue will host national headliners, international performers, and local talent, according to the company.
Live Nation Entertainment, parent of Ticketmaster, is a multinational company specializing in live events.
Grand Casino Arena renamed
ST. PAUL, Minn. — State Rep. María Isa Pérez-Vega joined Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Chief Virgil Wind, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and Minnesota Wild CEO Craig Leopold Sept. 3 at a ceremony renaming the city’s NHL arena.
The downtown venue, formerly the Xcel Energy Center, is now the Grand Casino Arena under a new partnership with the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. It remains the official home of the Minnesota Wild.
Tribal Flag Plaza opens at MN Capitol
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Gov. Tim Walz, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and the Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board joined tribal leaders September 5 for a historic flag-raising ceremony at the Minnesota State Capitol.
The new Tribal Flag Plaza permanently displays the flags of all 11 sovereign tribal nations whose land overlaps with Minnesota. State officials said the plaza honors tribal sovereignty and affirms government-to-government relations between the state and tribal nations.
The event, held on the Capitol’s Lower Mall, marked the first time all 11 tribal flags were raised on the Capitol grounds.
Minneapolis launches first mobile medical clinic
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.— The city’s first Mobile Medical Unit is now on the streets, offering health care, addiction treatment and recovery resources in underserved neighborhoods.
Mayor Jacob Frey and city leaders introduced the state-of-the-art vehicle Aug. 22 at Elliot Park before it headed to the Summer Health Fair on East Lake Street. The clinic is funded with more than $1 million from national opioid settlement dollars and is part of the city’s response to the fentanyl crisis.
“Healthcare shouldn’t be a privilege tied to your ZIP code,” Frey said. “Our Mobile Medical Unit is breaking down barriers, saving lives and making sure every Minneapolis resident can get the care they deserve.”
Run by the Minneapolis Health Department’s Opioid Response Team, the unit provides screenings, wound care, mental health referrals, youth services and, soon, medications for opioid use disorder and vaccinations. Officials said it will focus on neighborhoods with the greatest health care gaps.
Zimmermans win Heartland Booksellers Award
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Travis Zimmerman and his cousin Sam Zimmerman, or Zhaawanoogiizhik, have won the 2025 Heartland Booksellers Award in the Children’s Picture Book category for How the Birds Got Their Songs, published by Minnesota Historical Society Press.
The bilingual book, in English and Ojibwemowin, retells a traditional Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa story passed down through the Zimmerman family about a contest among birds judged by the Creator.
Travis Zimmerman manages the Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post, while Sam Zimmerman is a Duluth-based artist whose work is widely exhibited. The award, presented by the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association and the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association, recognizes outstanding regional storytelling.
The authors will be honored at the Heartland Fall Forum in Indianapolis, Oct. 14–16.
