Lowry Avenue bridge lighting policy

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

June 2023

June 7 – World Caring Day (orange, purple*)
June 14 – Flag Day (red, white, blue)
June 15 – MNIC high school graduation (gold, black*)
June 16 – World Kidney Cancer Day (orange*)
June 18 – Father's Day observed (light blue)
June 19 – Juneteenth (red, black, green, gold)
June 20 – Show Your Stripes Day (dark blue, medium blue, light blue, light red, dark red)
June 21 – Alzheimer's Awareness Day (purple)
June 25 – World Vitiligo Day (purple*)

July 2023

July 4 – Independence Day (red, white, blue)
July 22 – World Fragile X Day (turquoise*)

August 2023

August 1 – I-35 Bridge Memorial (blue)
August 31 – National Overdose Awareness Day (purple*)

September 2023

September 1 – Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month (turquoise*)
September 4 – Labor Day (red, white, blue)
September 11 – Patriot's Day (red, white, blue)
September 23 –Bisexual (Bi+) Visibility Day (pink, blue, purple*)

October 2023

October 1 – Dysautonomia Awareness Month (turquoise*)
October 7 – International Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day (blue*)
October 15 – National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day (pink, blue*)
October 18 – Unity Day for National Bullying Prevention Month (orange*)
October 23 – Red Ribbon Week (red*)
October 31 – Halloween (black, orange)

November 2023

November 2 – Light the World in Teal (turquoise*)
November 6 – Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (orange*)
November 11 – Veteran's Day (green)
November 18 – National Injury Free Day (green)
November 23 – Thanksgiving (red, orange, brown)

December 2023

December 7 – Hannukah (blue, white)
December 25 – Christmas (red, green, white sparkle)
December 26 – Kwanzaa (red, black, green)
December 31 – New Year's Eve (red, white, blue)

Previous lighting schedule

January 2023

January 1 – New Years Day (red, white, blue)
January 13 – Vikings Playoff (purple, gold)
January 14 – Vikings Playoff (purple, gold)
January 15 – Vikings Playoff (purple, gold)
January 16 – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day (red, white, blue)
January 19 – Cervical Cancer Prevention and Awareness Month (turquoise*)
January 27 – National School Choice Week (red, gold*)
January 28 – Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome Awareness Day (SMAS) (purple*)

February 2023

February 2 – Black History Month (red, black, green, gold)
February 3 – Heart Disease Awareness Month (red*)
February 4 – World Cancer Day (purple*)
February 14 – Valentine's Day (red, pink, white)
February 15 – International Angelman Day (blue, light blue, white*)
February 16 – Cholangiocarcinoma Awareness Month (green)
February 20 – Presidents' Day (red, white, blue)
February 24 – Solidarity with Ukraine (gold, blue*)
February 28 – Black History Month (red, black, green, gold)

March 2023

March 1 – National Endometriosis Awareness Month (gold*)
March 2 – Eating Disorders Awareness Week (green, light blue*)
March 4 – Kidney Cancer Awareness Month (red*)
March 7 – Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month (blue*)
March 8 – International Women's Day (purple)
March 11 – Light the Night for Amyloidosis (red)
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day (green)
March 19 – National Poison Prevention Week (red*)
March 21 – World Down Syndrome Day (blue, gold*)
March 24 – Sudden Unexpected Death in Childhood (SUDC) Awareness Month (gold, blue*)
March 26 – National Epilepsy Day (purple)
March 29 – ALSP Awareness Month (pink, purple)
March 31 – Transgender Day of Visibility (pink, light blue, white*)

April 2023

April 5 – Second Chance Month (orange, white)
April 6 – Twins Opener (red, blue)
April 7 – Twins Opener (red, blue)
April 9 – Easter (pastel)
April 14 – National Donate Life Month (green, blue)
April 15 – Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month (light blue)
April 17 – FedEx 50th Anniversary (orange, purple)
April 18 – World Hemophilia Day (red)
April 19 – National Work Zone Awareness Week (orange)
April 22 – Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month (maroon*)
April 28 – Worker's Memorial Day (red, white, blue)
April 29 – World Wish Day (blue*)

May 2023

May 1 – Lyme Disease Awareness Day (green*)
May 2 – Ehler's Danlos Syndrome (EDS) Awareness Month (white, black*)
May 4 – Mental Health Awareness Month (green*)
May 5 – Mental Health Awareness Month (green*)
May 6 – Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters (red*)
May 7 – Nurses Week 2023 (red*)
May 8 – National Stuttering Awareness Week (green, blue*)
May 9 – FMD Awareness Month (red, blue*)
May 10 – National Fentanyl Awareness Day (purple*)
May 12 – University of Minnesota Graduate School Commencement (maroon, gold*)
May 13 – Williams Syndrome Awareness Month (red, blue, green*)
May 14 – Mother's Day observed (pink)
May 16 – International Celiac Awareness Month (green*)
May 17 – Neurofibromatosis Awareness Month (green, blue*)
May 21 – National Public Works Week (green, blue)
May 25 – Third Annual Remembrance of George Floyd (red, black, green)
May 29 – Memorial Day (red, white, blue)

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.