Buying a bench or brick helps bolster the Bandshell and beyond.
The Minneapolis Parks Foundation’s People for Parks Fund recently celebrated the spring installation of customized benches and pavers at the Lake Harriet Bandshell. This latest batch adds to the growing number of playful quips, inspirational messages, and heartfelt remembrances that are engraved in the wooden seating and paved walkways of the outdoor venue. The majority of people who purchase a bench or paver do so to honor or memorialize an anniversary or someone they love, at a significant Minneapolis landmark that is meaningful to many. At the same time, their purchase helps fund a variety of creative and community-driven projects and activities in Minneapolis parks, including those that take place at the Bandshell.
For the full list of grants awarded by People for Parks Fund in 2024, see here.
People for Parks (a predecessor of the Minneapolis Parks Foundation before the two organizations merged in 2020) has a long history of supporting improvements and activities at the Lake Harriet Bandshell in particular through bench and paver sales. In 1986, People for Parks managed the dedication program for the construction of the fifth and current bandstand at Lake Harriet. In a volunteer role, Ginny Craig led People for Parks in securing private funds for the project, which included a new sound system and 225 park benches which donors “bought” for $500 each. When the bandshell was revitalized in 2008-2009, People for Parks again provided financial assistance for an upgraded sound system and seating. It was also at this time that the dirt underfoot was replaced by permeable pavers, providing another opportunity for dedicated donations to help support the renovation.
Most recently, on May 22, donations to the People for Parks Fund supported performances by Southwest High School’s symphonic band, chamber orchestra, and wind ensemble at the Bandshell. The young musicians’ “Pops Concert” evoked those of the Minneapolis Pops Orchestra comprised of professional musicians. Only paces away from the stage, where the groups of teenagers and professionals alike have played, sits a small paver that honors the Southwest High School’s music director, Reid Wixson, which reads: “Thank you Mr. Wixson / for all of the memories / and music we created / ♡ the 2023 SW bamily.”
Thank you to everyone who has purchased customized benches and pavers in support of the People for Parks Fund. Benches and pavers can be purchased at https://mplsparksfoundation.org/benches-pavers/. For questions about the program, please email give@mplsparksfoundation.org. Custom pavers can be installed at Lake Bde Maka Ska in addition to Lake Harriet.