This field trip will provide an in-depth look at the evolution of the Madison Mercantile, a dynamic community-centered space fostering culture, connection, and innovation. We’ll learn how the Madison Mercantile has spearheaded a revitalization of the downtown, breathing new life into the economy and weaving a stronger social fabric. We'll also take a tour through downtown Madison to explore placemaking and collaborative economic development projects that are transforming public and private spaces. Join us as we peel back the layers of how a transformative initiative like this takes shape—from the initial vision to the real-world challenges and successes–and provide inspiration to drive change in your own community. Plus, stick around for The Meander Art Crawl, October 4-6, which showcases local talent throughout the Upper Minnesota River Valley.

Location: Madison Mercantile, 601 1st St, Madison, MN 56256

When: October 3, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This field trip is a new resource we’re offering in addition to the Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference. Stay tuned in the coming months for our next event in Northern Minnesota in spring 2025!

Event contact

Becca Leys, leysx006@umn.edu, (612) 756-9075.

Registration questions

Extension Registration, ext-reg@umn.edu

If you experience difficulties logging in

Contact the University of Minnesota IT Help Line at 612-301-4357. Please mention you are using a "guest account" to register for a non-credit event.

When you register for Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities: The Field Trip, you'll be prompted to create a UMN guest account. This will be your login for all UMN related events. Your password needs to be 16 characters long. For ease, you can use a sentence, as spaces are allowed. If you have an existing guest account you have not used in over a year, please perform a password reset to reactivate your account. 

Please start your registration by either logging in or signing in as a new user. If you are registering multiple people, you must select "I am registering one or more people."