Nicollet Commons Park Burnsville: History & November 2026 Events

How a Suburb of 60,000 Built Itself a Downtown

Nicollet Commons Park exists because Burnsville decided a suburb of 60,000+ people ought to have a downtown. The idea surfaced in the Partnerships for Tomorrow visioning forums of the 1990s, where residents named "a central meeting area" as a community goal.

What started in 1995 as a modest streetscape project along Nicollet Boulevard grew by 1999 into a full Development Framework — design manual, zoning ordinance, and all — for a 54-acre downtown called the Heart of the City. Metropolitan Council transit-oriented-development grants in 1999, 2000, and 2001 (totaling $5,724,634) paid for the park itself plus streetscape, housing, and public improvements.

City officials, residents, and developers broke ground together on August 1, with the park and the Grand Market Place development christened in the same ceremony. The design was ambitious for a suburb: a 2-acre town square with a stream meandering diagonally across a 17-foot grade change. It included an environmentally sensitive rain garden, an informal amphitheater, and public art including two obelisks carved with symbols of Burnsville's past. 

Bronze fish and frogs dot the streambed for kids to discover — and the whole composition won a 2006 Award of Excellence from the Minnesota Society of Landscape Architects.

🌳 TODAY — The Downtown's Living Room

The park anchors the Heart of the City at 12550 Nicollet Avenue (126th & Nicollet), open daily 5 a.m. to midnight. Its centerpieces are a 250-seat amphitheater for concerts and events, open green space, lunch spots, and the signature water feature. Note the water and restrooms run seasonally — third weekend of May through third weekend of September — so they're closed for the season now. 

The amphitheater is reservable for private events at $240 per 4 hours for residents ($286 non-resident) plus a $300 damage deposit;                call 952-895-4500

📅 NOW THROUGH NOVEMBER 30, One Big Night

Late fall is the park's quiet season — the summer series (Party on the Plaza, Flicks on the Bricks, Friday night movies, Art & All That Jazz) has wrapped. But the park saves its biggest night for the end of November: the Burnsville Winter Lighting Ceremony on Wednesday, Nov 25, 6:00–7:00 PM. It's the city's largest annual holiday event — 200,000+ LED lights, a 30-foot tree, local choirs, refreshments, and Mr. and Mrs. Claus, all free. After the 6 PM lighting, the square stays lit every evening through the season.

The tradition dates to the 1999 inauguration, and City Forester Dave Grommesch ran the lights every single year since — honored at a recent ceremony ahead of his retirement after 42 years of service. 

🚗 How to Ride MVTA Connect To and from Nicollet Commons Park @ 12550 Nicollet Avenue South 

You can easily reach this location using MVTA Connect, an affordable on-demand, curb-to-curb microtransit service within Burnsville.

• Curb-to-Curb II Service: Accessible vans or small buses drop you off directly at your destination.
• The Flat Cost: A budget-friendly $3.00 per person each way.
• Payment Methods: Payable via cash, Go-To Card.
• Service Hours: Operates daily from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM (plan ahead for late-night game conclusions).

How to Book Your Ride

• Order via Smartphone: Use the RideMVTA App (iOS and Android). Input your pickup location, track your driver's real-time ETA, and purchase tickets directly in the app.
• Order via Phone Call: Call MVTA Customer Service at 952-882-7500 to place a live ride request with a representative.