Mayor Jacob Frey announced Wednesday that Minneapolis would be renamed “Swiftiapolis,” the day Taylor Swift took the stage for the first of her two shows at US Banks Stadium.
The new moniker — which will only last Friday — is in honor of the star and her fans, known as Swifties, who will gather for highly anticipated concerts on Friday and Saturday in the city formerly known as Minneapolis.
Frey’s ad, which is filled with 13 hidden references to Swift’s songs at Wednesday’s press conference, honors the wishes At least some SwiftiesBut it was just an advertisement. Minnesota’s largest city has not officially changed its name, and its fleeting life as Swiftieapolis is not enshrined in any kind of executive order or mayor’s proclamation.
However, Fry is expected to officially announce this Saturday as Taylor Swift’s Day in Minneapolis.
Fry’s foray into Swiftmania came about during a press conference where he and other city and civic leaders sought to look at this weekend as an opportunity to showcase a city in revival, in an attempt to ignore the mass exodus wrought by the pandemic and the ensuing civil unrest and crime. Wave.
“We’re embarking on what’s going to be one of our most exciting weekends in Minneapolis,” he said, stopping by performances by Swift, the Twin Cities Pride Festival, several stage performances and the usual trappings of a summer bar-and-restaurant activity.
A wave of people and a host of road closures have prompted city leaders to urge the public to be patient and plan ahead. Metro Transit runs additional trains and buses, and has extended its hours to accommodate the crowds leaving Swift’s concerts.
“We’re expecting crowds in excess of half a million people, and we’ll be prepared,” Frey said.
Community Safety Commissioner Cedric Alexander said city police, firefighters, EMS personnel and others are coordinating plans to address a range of potential challenges, from heatstroke to crime. He said he seeks a “nice balance” where law enforcement is visible but not in a “police state” setting.
“You’re not going to see an enormous amount of it,” Alexander said.
He added that he had not decided to activate the city’s emergency operations center in Fridley. A central response for the city is placed at the Police Department’s first headquarters downtown, with Deputy Commander Kathy Witt serving as Incident Commander.
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