Greetings friends and neighbors.

Please mark your calendars for Saturday, Sept. 12th, from 5-10 pm!

36thART is thrilled to host a special one-night lighting event focused on the iconic Brackett Park Rocket, in partnership with the Midtown Greenway Coalition and the Greenway Glow Bike Ride and Arts Festival. Bring a blanket, a picnic, flashlights, lawn games and your curiosity!

The former 1962 playground structure is now a beloved landmark in the community. In 2007, artist Randy Walker transformed the rocket into Return Journey, a 35-foot sculpture that dominates the intersection of 36th Avenue and E. 28th Street.

Please join us for the BYO community picnic, starting at 5 p.m. Enjoy live music, lawn games, gigantic bubbles and hear stories about the rocket from members of the original “Rocket Boosters,” guest artist Randy Walker, community leaders and Duane “Digger” Carey, a Minnesota-born astronaut who travels the country on his motorcycle delivering presentations to STEM schools.

Once it’s dark, about 8:00 p.m., TigerLion Arts and a team of young performers will present a unique kind of flashlight flash-mob, with fog, sound effects and dozens of flashlights. Join in the countdown to a simulated liftoff!

Additional outrageousness and audience engagement follows, featuring presentations by artists Paige Dansinger, Eva Adderley and Peter Geibink, from shadow puppets and costumed characters to deep space animations, virtual art, and more!

Like the original effort to turn the playground rocket into Return Journey, we need your help to lift this project up! Please consider making a gift of any amount to help us launch this event.

UPDATE: We've received a generous grant from the Minneapolis Foundation for $5,000, and are now seeking donations from you to match that amount so we can meet our goal!

About 36th ART:

36thART is a resident-led initiative that seeks to creatively build community, bridge cultures and improve the safety, accessibility, wayfinding and aesthetics along the 36th Avenue corridor north of Lake Street. We’re proud to partner with the Midtown Greenway Coalition, Longfellow Community Council, Hiawatha Collegiate High School and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.

About the Midtown Greenway Coalition:

The Midtown Greenway Coalition is a grassroots nonprofit that empowers communities to develop, improve, protect and enjoy the Midtown Greenway as a green urban corridor to improve people's lives.