Grand Marshal and Ambassadors announced for 97th parade
As of this year, the Celebrate Northeast Parade is led by the Northeast Minneapolis Lions Club, a volunteer organization focused on Northeast Minneapolis and St. Anthony.
Christine Levens, alongside her family and friends, will serve as the 2026 Celebrate NE Parade Grand Marshal, honoring her nearly 20 years of dedication to Northeast Minneapolis. As a leader with the Minneapolis Downtown Chamber, Christine has been a steadfast advocate, connector and champion for the area. She has worked to preserve relationships for local businesses, artists and residents.
Recovery Bike Shop has been named the 2026 Celebrate NE Parade Business Ambassador. The shop processes over 5,000 bikes annually, rebuilding used bicycles from the ground up. The company is focused on Northeast Minneapolis, offering community-building activities such as weekly meet-ups, frequent group bike rides, yoga and empowerment-themed events designed to teach biking and explore community strengths. Recently, they successfully led efforts to purchase trhe historic John Cook House at 18th St. NE and Tyler St. NE.
This year’s Community Ambassadors is a group of neighbors. These individuals looked out for their neighbors during Operation Metro Surge, using a range of approaches: delivering groceries, keeping eyes on the street, taking children to school and more.
These efforts succeeded in part due to individuals like Alyssa Winter, who shared her unique skills to empower others during training sessions multiple times a week during the height of Operation Metro Surge.
Our 2026 Community Ambassadors reminded us that in times of disruption, we get through by leaning on one another.