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Blog > The Twin Cities Turned Green on Saint Patrick's Day and It Was Beautiful
The Twin Cities Turned Green on Saint Patrick's Day and It Was Beautiful
Mar 23, 2019
On Saint Patrick's Day, the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul both lit up in green to celebrate the holiday. Instead of drinking green beer or kissing the Irish, I grabbed my photography gear and shot some photos to capture the beauty this shade of green created. There are those who have said that the Minneapolis skyline is Oz-like. Adding the green to the city may just prove a point to those who believe in that resemblance to the Emerald City.
My first stop of the night was to the east side of downtown Minneapolis where I could get a shot of US Bank Stadium lit up in green. This stadium is the primary home of the Minnesota Vikings, and the stadium is frequently lit up in purple for that reason. Those who follow the National Football League know that the Vikings main rival is the Green Bay Packers. This is now the 2nd time that I have photographed this stadium lit up in green. I do think it looks beautiful, but could you ever imagine seeing Lambeau Stadium lit up in purple?
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I then drove over to the University of Minnesota where I went to one of my favorite spots to photograph the Minneapolis skyline. That place is Bridge No. 9, which is an old train bridge that is now a pedestrian and bike bridge that spans the Mississippi River. This bridge not only gives a great view of the skyline but as you can see in all of the photos from this spot, the colors from the 35W bridge reflect off of the Mississippi and help create a very colorful photo. The bridge was obviously lit in green for the holiday, and all that green in the river looks amazing. The photo that I took from this spot is the lead in photo that starts off this blog. You can get a close look and more info on this photo by clicking here.
From there, I drove over to the other half of the Twin Cities and took in the St. Paul Skyline and seeing their First National Bank building having it's iconic 1 lit up in green instead of its usual red. For the two photos that I took from here, I was at the top of the High Bridge that is finally finished with its reconstruction project. The first photo from here features the St. Paul skyline, while the 2nd photo also features the Minnesota State Capitol building.
My last stop brought me back to Minneapolis to photograph Target Field. As I drove by this scene on my way to the first stop, I made a note to stop here on the way back home. Target Field is a fantastic baseball stadium, but it is very difficult to photograph as it is tucked into the city tight and snug. I may need to get myself a drone to get a better photo of this stadium, but for now, this view still gives a great look at what may be the view that most resembles the Emerald City of Oz. Target Field really stands out when it is lit up in green.
That was the last photo I took on my 2019 Saint Patrick's Day tour, but I do have one bonus image for you. This is an image from 2018. I woke up early the morning after St. Patricks Day last year and figured I'd go get a photo of the Grain Belt Premium sign and hope for a colorful dawn sky behind it. I did get the colorful dawn, but I was surprised when I found the sign still lit up for St. Patrick's Day and was all green. It is a very beautiful and tranquil photo.
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Thank's for reading, and let me know in the comments what you think. Do you like how the Twin Cities looks in green?
