Winter 2022-23 Hometown Messenger

A Look Back

In 1982, Minnesota voters paved the way for the development of one of Shakopee’s premiere destinations and helped establish a defining characteristic of the City of Shakopee by voting for a constitutional amendment allowing parimutuel betting in the state Just two years later, ground would break for Minnesota’s first horse racing track, Canterbury Downs, and in the 40 years since that vote, Canterbury Park continues heating up despite a slower initial start as the horseracing industry grew throughout the state In the decades that followed, Canterbury Park has grown to include more than horseracing and gambling, and the most recent redevelopment of the horse barns in anticipation of the new 19,000-person amphithe ater just one indicator of the growth the area has seen This region was not always as lively and successful as it has been in recent years Canterbury Park struggled initially and would end up closing from 1992–1995 after facing legislative uncertainty before renewed enthusiasm and new ownership propelled an initial public offering forward The decision to embrace off-season functions proved to be a wel come addition to the winter months, with Canterbury Park hosting the Holiday in Lights family events, which included light displays, a sledding hill, ice skating and dog sledding events Canterbury would continue to build on their momentum by introducing the Claiming Crown, a national championship event for claiming horses, and the Canterbury Card Club, which innovated gambling in Minnesota by being the only location in Minnesota allowed to have a card club In the last few years, Canterbury Commons has focused on cultivat ing an area where residents can work, live and play from the comfort of their own backyards In addition to the projects above, the Canterbury Southwest Planned Unit Development has intro duced new local amenities such as Next Step Learning Cen ter, a new childcare center; Greystone Construction’s corpo rate office, the Omry Apartments—a 55+ luxury apartment complex, and new locations for both Badger Hill Brewing and Bravis Restaurant Join the Shakopee Chamber and Visitors Bureau on Saturday, Dec 3 in downtown Shakopee for Holiday Fest, an open streets celebration to kick-off the holiday season This fun-for-the-whole-family event will feature a Winter Vendor Marketplace, pictures with Santa, a walk through parade, tree lighting and fireworks! Visit shakopee.org/events/2022-holiday-fest for additional informa tion, and be sure to follow Downtown Shakopee on Facebook for the most up-to-the-minute event and business information 2–5 p.m. Winter Market (Lewis Street Parking Lot) Holiday Activity Stations (Downtown Businesses) Walk-Through Parade (First Avenue East) Photos With Santa (Location TBD) 5:30 p.m. Tree Lighting (First Avenue East, in front of River City Centre) 5:45 p.m. Fireworks in Huber Park Kick off the holidays in downtown Shakopee

Canterbury Park was known as Canterbury Downs when it first opened in the 1980s Photo credit: Canterbury Park

Introducing John Sullivan The City of Shakopee is thrilled to introduce its new Economic Development Coordinator, John Sullivan

Sullivan comes to Shakopee with more than 20 years of community development experience in both the public and private sectors Previously, he has worked for the Minnesota cities of Virginia, Prior Lake and Cambridge, and for Carver County

“Working for the City of Shakopee is a fantastic opportunity and also a privilege,” Sullivan said “Shakopee is experiencing rapid growth and has an extremely strong job base with numerous diverse companies This city is exciting and is rapidly becoming the entertainment hub of the Twin Cities!” Sullivan can be reached at jsullivan@ShakopeeMN.gov

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