MN GOP Suggests Arriving Early Thursday Morning To Get Into Trump Rally
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The city of Minneapolis and state of Minnesota are preparing for the tens of thousands of people who are expected to show up for Thursday's President Trump rally at Target Center.
The Republican Party of Minnesota says more than 70,000 people have expressed interest in lining up tomorrow to attend the rally. But even if you're not attending, the closures, traffic and slowdowns could still affect many.
The doors at Target Center open at 4 p.m., but if you don't show up early, odds are good you might not get in.
"A ticket does not guarantee entry into the rally. It's a first-come, first-served basis," Jennifer Carnahan, chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota, said.
The Republican Party of Minnesota recommends arriving Thursday morning if you want a spot inside the Target Center, but they say they've heard some people want to camp out here overnight. While they've sent out confirmations, you don't have to have a ticket if you want to come. You just have to arrive early enough.
Meanwhile, most of the roads around the Target Center will be shut down starting at 8 p.m. Wednesday. Parts of First and Second Avenue, as well as the Sixth Street, and the Interstate-394 exit ramp will all close at 8 p.m. as well.
City parking ramps and lots will be open Thursday, but private lots could be different.
"We often see when we have any kind of major event downtown that sometimes we have an overlap of the commute home and people arriving for the event," Robin Hutcheson, director of the Minneapolis Public Works, said.
Metro Transit says things will operate as usual but people need to allow extra time to get around. Passengers can check Metro Transit social media for real time updates on Thursday.
Electric scooters in Minneapolis will be locked, and Nice Ride stations near the Target Center will be out of service.
"This event is a little bit different in that we have a set of known closures, but we also anticipate some unpredictability in travel patterns," Hutcheson said.