Lowry Avenue Bridge lightings

Bridge lighting calendar

The county board approved special lighting for holidays and other annual events. Additional special lighting requests are approved by the county administrator.

Upcoming lighting schedule

February 2026

February 1 – Black History Month (red, gold, green, black)
February 2 – Feeding Tube Awareness Week (blue, purple)
February 14 – Valentine’s Day (red, pink, white)
February 16 – Presidents’ Day (red, white, blue)
February 22 – 2025 Ice Fishing Festival (green, turquoise, white)
February 25 – National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (green, blue)
February 28 - Rare Disease Day - Dysautonomia Awareness (purple)

March 2026

March 1 – Kidney Cancer Awareness Month (orange)
March 6 – National Wear Red Day (red)
March 7 - Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) Awareness Month (gold, blue)
March 15 – International Long COVID Awareness Day (turquoise, white)
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day (green)
March 20 - Loeys-Dietz Syndrome Awareness Month (turquoise)
March 26 – International Multiple Myeloma Awareness Day (red)
March 27 - Opening of "True North: The Art and Activism of Philip Murphy" (orange)

April 2026

April 1 - Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) (turquoise)
April 5 - Easter (pastel)
April 11 – Spark the Night/World Parkinson’s Day (blue)
April 17 – Head & Neck Cancer Awareness Month (maroon)
April 19 - Global Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Day (pink, blue, yellow)
April 29 - World Wish Day (blue)

May 2026

May 1 – Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month (purple)
May 10 – 100-year Anniversary of The Historic Ritz Theater (gold)

June 2026

June 21 – The Longest Day of the year-come together to fight the darkness of Alzheimer’s (purple)

July 2026

July 1 – World Bronchiectasis Day (blue)

August 2026

August 11 – Primary Election Day (red, white, blue)

September 2026

September 1 - Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month (turquoise)
September 15 – National Voter Registration Day (red, white, blue)
September 18 – First Day of Early Voting (red, white, blue)

October 2026

October 15 – International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day (pink, blue)
October 27 – National Vote Early Day (red, white, blue)

November 2026

November 3 – Election Day (red, white, blue)

Previous lighting schedule

January 2026

January 1 – New Year's Day (red, white, blue)
January 7 – Birth Defects Awareness Month (blue, pink)
January 11 – Wear Blue Day (blue)
January 19 – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day (red, white, blue)
January 23 – Maternal Health Awareness Day (purple)
January 26 – National School Choice Week Awareness (red, yellow)
January 27 – International Holocaust Remembrance Day (yellow)

December 2025

December 7 – Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (light blue)
December 14 – Hanukkah (begins) (blue, white)
December 25 – Christmas (red, green, white sparkle)
December 26 – Kwanzaa (red, black, green)
December 31 – New Year’s Eve (red, white, blue)

November 2025

November 1 – Epilepsy Education Everywhere (purple)
November 2 – Color the World Orange™ for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) (orange)
November 3 – Light the World in Teal for Alzheimer's (teal)
November 4 – General Election Day (red, blue, white)
November 5 – "Purple Rain" musical opening performance (purple)
November 8 – MN United playoff (blue, white)
November 10 – Epilepsy Recognition Month (purple)
November 11 – Veterans' Day (green)
November 13 – COPD Awareness (November) (orange)
November 14 – World Diabetes Day (blue)
November 17 – Crash Responder Safety Week (red, orange, green, blue, gold)
November 18 – U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week (USAAW) (purple)
November 19 – Give to the Max (green)
November 20 – Transgender Day of Remembrance (pink, light blue)
November 22 – Safe Sleep Week (pink, blue)
November 23 – Deluxe 110-year anniversary (red, white)
November 26 – National Children's Grief Awareness Month (blue)
November 27 – Thanksgiving (red, orange, brown)

October 2025

October 1 – Filipino American History month (red, gold, blue, white)
October 6 – STOMP out bullying (blue)
October 9 – National Liver Awareness Month (green)
October 10 – World Mental Health Day (purple)
October 12 – International OCD Foundation (turquoise)
October 13 – #LightUpMBC - Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day (pink, green, blue)
October 15 – International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day (pink, blue)
October 20 – Domestic Violence Awareness Month (purple)
October 23 – Red Ribbon Week (red)
October 24 – Dysautonomia Awareness (turquoise)
October 25 – Occipital Neuralgia Awareness Day (turquoise)
October 27 – Filipino American History Month (red, white, blue and yellow)
October 28 – Decoding Dyslexia MN (red)
October 31 – Halloween (black, orange)

September 2025

September 1 – Labor Day (red, white, blue)
September 2 – Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month (turquoise)
September 3 – Sickle Cell Awareness Month (maroon)
September 4 – Recovery Awareness Month (purple)
September 5 – National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month (turquoise)
September 7 – Fight With Lights - support for families amid their battle with pediatric cancer (gold)
September 9 – FASD Awareness Day (red)
September 11 – Patriot's Day (red, white, blue)
September 12 – Folic Acid Awareness Month (green)
September 13 – Walk to End Lupus in Minnesota (purple)
September 15 – Commemorate the 203rd anniversary of El Salvador's independence (blue, white)
September 16 – National Voter Registration Day (red, blue, white)
September 17 – Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month (blue)
September 18 – Aortic Disease Awareness Month (red, purple)
September 19 – Oromo Irreechaa Festival (red, white, black)
September 20 – COVID Remembrance Wak 2025 (gold)
September 23 – Bi+ Visibility Day (dark pink, purple, royal blue)
September 25 – Team Protectors Blue Out to bring awareness to National Missing and Trafficked Foster Children Awareness Week (blue)
September 26 – Mesothelioma Awareness Day (Meso Awareness Day) (blue)
September 30 – MN Dystonia Support Group (blue)

August 2025

August 1 – I-35W Bridge Memorial (blue)
August 12 – August State Primary Election (red, blue, white)
August 14 – Celebrating the 90th anniversary of Social Security (red)
August 16 – Light Up Amber for Appendix Cancer Awareness (gold)
August 21 – National OD Awareness Day (purple)
August 23 – 6th Annual Minnesota Guyana Day (red, gold, green, white, black)
August 24 – Solidarity With Ukraine (gold, blue)
August 31 – International Overdose Awareness Day (purple)

July 2025

July 1 – Canada Day (red, white)
July 4 – Independence Day (red, white, blue)
July 8 – In honor of Speaker Emerita Melissa and Mark Hortman and their dog Gilbert (green)
July 22 – World Fragile X Day (turquoise)
July 25 – World Drowning Prevention Day (blue)
July 30 – Gastroschisis Awareness Day (green)

June 2025

June 1 – Loeys-Dietz Syndrome Awareness Month (turquoise)
June 4 – Migraine and Headache Awareness Month (purple)
June 5 – CMV Awareness Month (turquoise, purple)
June 6 – National Naloxone Awareness Day (purple)
June 8 – Prince’s Celebration Event (purple)
June 7 – Leakweek (June 1-7, 2025) (purple)
June 12 – MNIC High School Graduation Ceremony (gold, white)
June 14 – Flag Day (red, white, blue)
June 15 – Father’s Day (light blue)
June 19 – Juneteenth (red, black, green, gold)
June 20 – 2026 Special Olympics USA Games One Year Out Celebration (gold)
June 21 – The Longest Day - coming together to fight the darkness of Alzheimer’s (purple)
June 25 – World Vitiligo Day (purple)
June 26 – Cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) Awareness Month (red, white)
June 27-28 – In honor of Speaker Emerita Melissa and Mark Hortman and their dog Gilbert (green)
June 29 – World Scleroderma Day (turquoise)

May 2025

May 1 – National Mental Health Awareness Month (green)
May 2 – Jury Appreciation Week (red, blue, white)
May 3 – National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend (red)
May 4 – Ehlers Danlos Awareness Month (orange)
May 5 – Fibromuscular Dysplasia Awareness Month (red, blue)
May 6 – Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month (blue)
May 7 – Lung Force Turquoise Takeover (turquoise)
May 8 – MN Timberwolves playoff (blue, green)
May 9 – Nurses Week 2025 – May 5-12 (red)
May 10 – Williams Syndrome Awareness Month (blue, red, green)
May 11 – Mother’s Day (pink)
May 14 – MN Timberwolves playoff (blue, green)
May 15 – ALSP Awareness Month (pink, purple)
May 17 – World NF Awareness Day (green, blue)
May 20 – MN Timberwolves playoff (blue, green)
May 21 – Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (red, blue, gold, green)
May 23 – MN Frost playoff (purple)
May 22 – Eosinophilic Disorders Awareness (purple)
May 24 – MN Timberwolves playoff (blue, green)
May 26 – Memorial Day (red, white, blue)
May 30 – World Multiple Sclerosis Day (orange)

April 2025

April 3 – Twins Home Opener (red, blue)
April 10 – Blue & Green Day (green, blue)
April 11 – World Parkinson Day (blue)
April 12 – National Donate Life Day (green, blue)
April 14 – Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month (blue, purple)
April 15 – National Telecommunicators Week (gold)
April 17 – Light it Up Red! For World Hemophilia Day (red)
April 18 – National Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month (maroon, white)
April 19 – Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) Awareness (pink, gold, light blue)
April 20 – National Infertility Awareness Week (orange)
April 21 – National Volunteer Recognition Week (blue)
April 23 – Go Orange Day - National Work Zone Awareness Week (orange)
April 25 – MN Timberwolves playoff (blue, green)
April 27 – MN Timberwolves playoff (blue, green)
April 28 – Worker’s Memorial Day (red, white, blue)
April 29 – World Wish Day (blue)
April 30 – End of Sexual Violence Awareness Month (turquoise)

March 2025

March 1 – Loeys-Dietz Syndrome Awareness (turquoise)
March 2 – Glow of Hope: Shining Light on Autoimmune Disease (pink, blue)
March 3 – Kidney Cancer Awareness Month (orange)
March 10 – SUDC Awareness Month (dark blue, yellow)
March 13 – World Kidney Day (orange)
March 14 – Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week (orange)
March 15 – 5th Annual Rami’s Heart Lighting Ceremony (gold)
March 16 – National Poison Prevention Week (red)
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day (green)
March 21 – World Down Syndrome Day (gold, blue)
March 24 – World Tuberculosis Day (red)
March 26 – Epilepsy Awareness Day (purple)
March 30 – Loeys-Dietz Syndrome Awareness (turquoise)
March 31 – Transgender Day of Visibility (pink, blue, white)

February 2025

February 1 – Black History Month (red, gold, green, black)
February 7 – Wear Red Day- A Day to wear red to spread awareness for heart disease and stroke (red)
February 10 – World Epilepsy Day (purple)
February 14 – Valentine’s Day (red, pink, white)
February 15 – International Angelman Day (blue)
February 17 – Presidents’ Day (red, white, blue)
February 18 – School Bus Driver Appreciation Day (gold)
February 20 – "Light It Green" for World Cholangiocarcinoma (green)
February 23 - 2025 Fish Hut Largest Free Ice Fishing Event: Promote Positive Mental Health through Fishing (turquoise)
February 24 – Solidarity with Ukraine (gold, blue)
February 26 – Eating Disorders Awareness Week (#EDAW) (green, blue)
February 28 – Rare Disease Day (pink, orange, green, blue, light blue, purple)

Official lighting policy

Hennepin County Lowry Avenue Bridge lighting policy

Adopted December 3, 2013

Hennepin County re‐opened the Lowry Avenue Bridge, located at the Lowry Avenue crossing of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis in October 2012. The new bridge is equipped with multi‐color L.E.D. lighting options to illuminate the arches. This guideline is to address external requests for special lighting requests.

Criteria

Lighting of the Lowry Avenue Bridge promotes the county, its civic institutions, state and federal holidays, and other public events of community significance. Hennepin County may accept community requests for special lighting to recognize a specific cause or to commemorate or enhance a specific event consistent with this purpose. Specifically excluded would be lighting to celebrate birthdays, personal anniversaries, or events that are primarily private in nature.

Application process

All requests must be submitted in writing (electronic submission preferred), along with contact information for the organization. Requests must also include a description of the event, date of the event, and color of lighting requested. Requests should be submitted at least 14 days before the date on which the bridge would be lit. The county administrator may waive this requirement in instances where 14 days' notice is not practical such as school or professional sports championships.

Approval process

Each request will be reviewed by county administration. The county administrator's decision is final.

Annual bridge lighting plan

The Lowry Avenue Bridge annual lighting calendar lists normally scheduled events that do not require an external request. The bridge's default color will be blue. See the calendar for standard lighting events.