Lowry Avenue Bridge lightings

Bridge lighting calendar

The county board has approved special lighting for holidays and other annual events. The county administrator has approved special lighting requests marked with an asterisk (*).

Upcoming lighting schedule

September 2024

September 1 – Minnesota Ovarian Cancer (turquoise*)
September 2 – Labor Day (red, white, blue)
September 3 – Join the Fight with Lights Against Pediatric Cancer (gold*)
September 4 – September is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Awareness Month (turquoise*)
September 9 – International FASday (red*)
September 10 – World Suicide Prevention Day (purple*)
September 11 – Patriot’s Day (red, white, blue)
September 14 – Ethiopian New Year (red, orange, green*)
September 15 – Commemoration of Republic of El Salvador Independence (blue, white*)
September 17 – National Voter Registration Day (red, blue, white*)
September 19 – Stillbirth Prevention Day (pink, blue*)
September 20 – Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month (blue*)
September 23 – Bisexuality+ Visibility Day (magenta, purple, royal blue*)
September 25 – National Childhood Cancer Awareness Day (gold*)
September 26 – Mesothelioma Awareness Day (blue*)
September 27 – ITP Awareness Week (purple*)
September 28 – Childhood Cancer Awareness Month (gold*)

October 2024

October 5 – World Meningitis Day (blue, light blue, purple*)
October 7 – October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month (blue*)
October 9 – October is PANS PANDAS Awareness Day (green*)
October 13 – October is OCD Awareness Week (turquoise*)
October 15 – International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day (pink, blue*)
October 23 – Red Ribbon Week (red*)
October 25 – Occipital Neuralgia Awareness Day (turquoise*)
October 31 – Halloween (black, orange)

November 2024

November 1 – Light the World in Teal for Alzheimer's Awareness (teal*)
November 2 – LGS Awareness (green, purple*)
November 4 – Color the World Orange for awareness of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome also known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (orange*)
November 5 – Election Day (red, blue, white*)
November 11 – Veterans Day (green)
November 12 – World Pneumonia Day (blue*)
November 13 – COPD Awareness Month (orange*)
November 18 – National Injury Prevention Week (green*)
November 19 – U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week (purple*)
November 20 – Transgender Day of Remembrance (light blue, light pink, white*)
November 23 – Deluxe 110-year anniversary (red, white*)
November 28 – Thanksgiving (red, orange, brown)

December 2024

December 24 – Christmas (red, green, white sparkle)
December 25 – Hannukah (blue, white)
December 26 – Kwanzaa (red, black, green)
December 31 – New Year's Eve (red, white, blue)

Previous lighting schedule

January 2024

January 1 – New Years Day (red, white, blue)
January 5 – Birth Defects Awareness Month (pink, light blue)
January 11 – Human Trafficking Awareness Day (blue*)
January 15 – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day (red, white, blue)
January 26 – National School Choice Week (red, gold*)
January 29 – Cervical Cancer Prevention and Awareness Month (turquoise*)

February 2024

February 2 – National Wear Red Day (red*)
February 12 – Epilepsy Awareness (purple*)
February 15 – International Angelman Day (blue*)
February 19 – Presidents' Day (red, white, blue)
February 20 – School Bus Driver Appreciation Day (gold*)
February 21 – Light it Green For CCA (cholangiocarcinoma) (green*)
February 23 – Solidarity with Ukraine (gold, blue*)
February 24 – Solidarity with Ukraine (gold, blue*)
February 25 – Promoting Positive Mental Health in Youth One Fish At A Time (turquoise*)
February 28 – Rare Disease Day (pink, green, blue*)
February 29 – Black History Month (red, gold, green, black)

March 2024

March 1 – Light the Night for Amyloidosis (red*)
March 2 – Kidney Cancer Awareness Month (orange*)
March 5 – Presidential Nomination Primary (red, blue, white)
March 8 – International Women’s Day (orange, purple*)
March 15 – SUDC (Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood) Awareness (orange, blue*)
March 16 – Big Ten Basketball Tournament (blue, purple*)
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day (green)
March 18 – National Poison Prevention Week (red*)
March 21 – World Down Syndrome Day (gold, blue*)
March 23 – World Young Rheumatic Disease Day (dark blue*)
March 24 – World TB Day (red*)
March 26 – National Epilepsy Day (purple)
March 27 – March is Red Cross Month and Giving Day (red*)
March 31 – Easter (pastel)

April 2024

April 1 – 100th Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force (blue*)
April 2 – Adrenal Insufficiency Awareness Month (light blue*)
April 3 – Transgender day of visibility (TDOV) (pink, light blue, white*)
April 4 – Twins Opener (red, blue)
April 5 – International OCNDS Awareness Day (green, blue*)
April 11 – World Parkinson Day (blue*)
April 13 – World FND Awareness Month (orange, blue*)
April 16 – National Work Zone Awareness Week (orange)
April 17 – World Hemophilia Day (red*)
April 19 – Global Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Day (blue, pink, yellow, gold*)
April 20 – Head and Neck Cancer Awareness week (maroon*)
April 21 – Esophageal Cancer (red, green, blue*)
April 22 – Sexual Assault Awareness Month (turquoise*)
April 25 – Limb Loss Awareness Month (orange*)
April 27 – National Infertility Awareness Week (orange*)
April 28 – Worker’s Memorial Day (red, white, blue)
April 29 – Worker's Memorial Day - MnDOT (orange*)
April 30 – National Donate Life Month (green, blue*)

May 2024

May 1 – International ME/CFS Awareness Month (blue*)
May 2 – Mental Health Month (green*)
May 3 – Ehler's Danlos Syndrome Awareness Month (orange*)
May 4 – Williams Syndrome Awareness Month (red, green, blue*)
May 5 – Fibromuscular Dysplasia Awareness Month (red, blue*)
May 6 – Nurses Week (red*)
May 7 – National Nurses Month - "Nurses Make the Difference" (orange, blue*)
May 8 – World Ovarian Cancer Day (light blue*)
May 10 – Minnesota Timberwolves (blue, green)
May 11 – International Lung Association's Lung Force Turquoise Takeover (turquoise*)
May 12 – Mother’s Day Observed (pink)
May 15 – ALSP Awareness Month (pink, purple*)
May 16 – National Stuttering Awareness Week (turquoise*)
May 17 – World NF Awareness Day (green, blue*)
May 18 – Fibromuscular Dysplasia (FMD) Awareness Month (red, blue*)
May 22 – Minnesota Timberwolves Playoff (blue, green)
May 23 – National Public Works Week (orange)
May 24 – Minnesota Timberwolves Playoff (blue, green)
May 25 – Eritrean Independence Day (red, green, blue*)
May 27 – Memorial Day (red, white, blue)
May 30 – Minnesota Timberwolves Playoff (blue, green)

June 2024

June 6 – Prince's birthday (purple*)
June 7 – World Caring Day (pink, purple*)
June 14 – Flag Day (red, white, blue)
June 16 – Father’s Day Observed (light blue)
June 19 – Juneteenth (red, black, green, gold)
June 20 – Show Your Stripes Day - promote awareness about the impacts of human-caused climate change (red, blue, light blue*)
June 24 – 40th Anniversary of Purple Rain (purple*)
June 25 – World Vitiligo Day (purple*)
June 28 – Twin Cities Pride (red, orange, gold, green, blue, purple)
June 29 – 2024 Gymnastics Olympic Team Trials (red, blue*)
June 30 – Loeys-Dietz Syndrome Disease Awareness Month (turquoise*)

July 2024

July 4 – Independence Day (red, white, blue)
July 22 – World Fragile X Day (turquoise*)
July 25 – World Drowning Prevention Day (blue*)
July 27 – Minneapolis Aquatennial (purple*)
July 30 – Gastroschisis Awareness Day (green*)

August 2024

August 1 – I-35 Bridge Memorial (blue)
August 3 – Oromo Festival (red, gold, green*)
August 11 – National 811 Day (green*)
August 13 – Primary Election Day (red, blue, white*)
August 22 – Light Up Amber for Appendix Cancer Month (orange*)
August 24 – Minnesota Guyana Day (red, gold, green, white, black*)
August 31 – National OD Awareness Day (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.