Mpls. Aquatennial celebrates 70th anniversary

Display location: Mississippi riverfront
City:MINNEAPOLIS
State:Minnesota
Date:July 25

(AP) — MINNEAPOLIS - The Minneapolis Aquatennial celebrates its 70th anniversary this year.

The nine-day summer festival kicks off Friday night with a downtown block party featuring a free concert by the Gin Blossoms on Nicollet Mall.

Sunday's beach bash on Lake Calhoun features a sandcastle competition and milk-carton boat races.

Minnesota Supreme Court Justice and former Vikings great Alan Page and former "American Idol" finalist Paris Bennett are grand marshals of Wednesday's torchlight parade through downtown Minneapolis.

The Queen of the Lakes and two princesses will be crowned next Friday night.

Festivities wrap up Saturday night, July 25, with fireworks on the Mississippi riverfront. To celebrate the festival's 70th anniversary, the fireworks will be set to a soundtrack of seven decades of music.

On the Net:

Minneapolis Aquatennial: http://www.aquatennial.com