Events operations that weathered the surges and storms in the last couple years are forging onward to new frontiers with venues opening new sister sites, planners putting their expertise into blueprints, and restaurants expanding to encompass new event spaces. Inspired by unprecedented demand, new venues aren’t dreamed up by novices but chiseled and elevated by industry experts. Read on for new locales we’re falling in love with.
The Whim
From the smarties behind local planners Blush and Whim comes Northeast Minneapolis’s newest locale (pictured above).
Two words for this space: natural light. Call it a blank slate—the venue’s brick walls are doused in white, capped in 14-foot ceilings, and sprinkled with black-accented windows. Built-in arched shelves and modular light fixtures soften the industrial vibes and provide a display area for photos or layering in textured florals. The whole space holds 350 people for a seated reception and 600-plus standing.
Dreaming of silk robes and champagne? Two suites are ready-made for makeup and mimosas. And two mixed-use spaces can serve as cocktail hour digs, photo booth stations, dessert displays, or a quiet rest area. It offers on-site parking, which, in Minneapolis, is the exception, not the rule. And can you have a patio without string lights? The Whim says no.
655 19th Ave. NE, Mpls., 612-202-9207, thewhimevents.com
Equestria West
You’ve met her older sister, the Edward Anne Estate. Sharing the sprawling 270-acre Bavaria Downs property in Chaska, Equestria West is slated to open next spring. The mansion includes two ballrooms, both with stone-clad floor-to-ceiling fireplaces. Glass doors in each ballroom spill out into the courtyard with a fountain, gardens, and trees swathed in lights. (Hint: The courtyard can serve as a ceremony location!)
Another ceremony location is tucked into the estate’s forest, complete with wooden benches and not far from the Equestria building. An indoor-outdoor bar is at your service for your signature cocktails.
Dual getting-ready suites are the new standard for venues, and here, the Belmont Suite for the bride has a wall of mirrors, gold swivel chairs, and its own private Tuscan garden—just say “Cinderella.” 3913 Bavaria Rd., Chaska, 952-443-2968, bavariadowns.com
Noa
You’ve posted up at Fairgrounds Coffee in the North Loop so many times, they know your name. For a change of space, meet Noa: the new face by the team behind FG, inside the former Mission American Kitchen in the IDS Center. We’re here for the Cali coast–inspired menu and earthy look (no shortage of plants and boho décor here!) at this restaurant event space that can hold 250 people. Psst—the new Cardigan Donuts is also inside the IDS. Do we hear dessert calling our name?
The citrus wheel garnish on top: The Noa team will quite literally bring the party to you via their catering operation.
77 S. 7th St., Mpls., 612-886-2194, noaminneapolis.com
Northwest Greenway Pavilion
On the 350-acre wooded nature preserve of Northwest Greenway in Plymouth, the newly built open-air park pavilion opened last year and is now available for rentals. The greenroom is available for events, and cool photos are guaranteed with nearby boardwalks overlooking the Elm Creek wetlands. 5250 Peony Ln. N., Plymouth, plymouthmn.gov
Four Seasons
Much well-deserved pomp has surrounded the opening of Minneapolis’s first five-star hotel. But the luxe hotel also houses two ballrooms and several smaller event spaces, gathered on the second level with skyway access and trimmed in elegance characteristic of the Four Seasons name.
For a sky garden party, the fourth-floor outdoor Riva Plaza has lounge furniture, trees, and lush landscaping. The whole terrace—including pool plaza and restaurant—can be reserved for bigger bashes.
The hotel’s 200-plus rooms are begging for a return to slumber parties with a side of posh amenities, plus nosh from Gavin Kaysen’s newest kitchens, Mara and Socca, within the Four Seasons. 245 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 612-895-5700, fourseasons.com/minneapolis
The Lowlands
When Paikka’s new venture first landed on our radar, it was slated for a spring 2022 opening. That has been pushed to this fall, and the space is finally coming together. Textured walls, exposed wood ceilings, and cement floors whisper “West Coast,” and natural light beams through floor-to-ceiling windows.
The finished celebration spot will have a custom stained-glass window and a curved grand staircase for all the dramatic entrances and photos your artsy heart could desire. The lower-level bar will have a glowing indoor terrarium—sounds like our kind of plant paradise. Speaking of flora, two Green Rooms serve as loungey getting-ready spaces.
This is a big beauty, holding 250 seated and 400 standing, plus an outdoor terrace with views of downtown St. Paul. 160 S. Wabasha St., St. Paul, thelowlands.com
Woodhaven
Vaulted ceilings, huge windows, and minimalist design with clean lines—how did this swoon-worthy space slip past us? On a golf course in southeastern Minny, Woodhaven opened in May 2021, complete with an indoor ceremony space and reception area for up to 350 guests.
The wedding party lounge space has shuffleboard and a smart TV. Two suites on-site ensure plenty of space for pre-party primping. And with golf nearby, we don’t have to ask where the guys will be.
Bonus points for design here: The windows are run higher along the walls, meaning you get blank walls for a backdrop but plenty of natural light still washing over the space. 26155 Nicolai Ave., Cannon Falls, 507-263-2507, woodhavenmn.com
Tap In
The newest development of New Rules, a collective working to develop overlooked and underused spaces in Black communities, is Tap In on Lowry Avenue in north Minneapolis. The former site of a SuperAmerica is being transformed into a space for craft cocktails and conversation, with an event space inside—on track for a July open as of press time. Mpls., newrulesmn.com/new-tings