A Weekend in Bloom: Celebrating the Launch of Collective Magazine!
Community, creativity, and a weekend that hardly feels real.
BY EMMA GEARY
Photo by Stephanie Sunberg
Was last weekend even real?! We’re still reminiscing about the launch of our inaugural issue of Collective Magazine and the incredible community that showed up to celebrate with us. In case you missed it, Issue 01 is out now and available for *FREE* across the Twin Cities at local coffee shops, boutiques, and more. (Outside the metro area? We’ve got you!)
This past weekend marked a major milestone for us at Collective—what began as a vision to create a magazine that celebrates and elevates all things local has been years in the making, and we’ve spent months in production working to bring this first issue to life. Once the physical magazine arrived, it started to feel real…and it was time to celebrate! The magazine came to life through an unforgettable weekend of events, where the community we so adore was able to experience the first issue for themselves.
All the Friday Feels
Friday night photos by Stephanie Sunberg
We kicked off the weekend on Friday evening with a cozy dinner party honoring the community who helped bring Collective to life—our writers, contributors, photographers, partners, and the small businesses who have supported us from day one. It was a night of gratitude, connection, and celebration. The pages came to life across the walls of LAB’s Studio, where we created a life-sized collage
The evening began with a cocktail hour in The Clubhouse, complete with Southside Cassius cocktails from Du Nord Spirits and a springy mocktail from Lucille’s Bottle Shop. It was the first time our guests were seeing the magazine, and watching everyone page through their copy was surreal!
We moved into the LAB Studio, where we completed every table with carrot-infused floral arrangements and vegetable place cards, leaning into the fresh feelings spring brings. The intimate dinner felt like a true gathering of minds, brought to life by Chowgirls Catering, who brought the night to another level with locally grown and sourced food from our nonprofit partner, The Good Acre. We are proud to share that 98% of the food we enjoyed was local! We raised our glasses to a community of business owners and creatives who believe in our mission of supporting and sharing local stories.
My personal favorite part of the night (besides the dessert bouquets!) was when each attendee took a moment to introduce themselves and share their passion with the group—a reminder of the power of collaboration and what can happen when people come together with intention.
Saturday: A Public Launch Party Full of Creativity and Community
Saturday photos by Eleni Sophocleus
On Saturday, we opened our doors—and our magazine—to the public with a launch party that invited everyone to come celebrate with us. With a line out the door right when we opened, we knew it was sure to be an afternoon jam-packed with creativity and connection. Guests were greeted with a goodie bag packed with local favorites, including products from Odele Beauty, Illume Candles, and more. The room was buzzing, especially because we had the Hola Coffee crew pouring free coffee for everyone as they walked through the door (and I think I might have found my new favorite cold brew!).
A Collective Collage Bar, curated by local artist Eleni Sophocleus, invited attendees to get creative with scissors and glue, making art inspired by the pages of our first issue to create art of their own.
And of course, no party is complete without cotton candy! We were thrilled to welcome Candie Clouds, who brought a sweet surprise to our guests with a healthy dose of nostalgia.
Photo by Eleni Sophocleus
A Weekend Full of Gratitude
Collective Magazine’s launch weekend was a beautiful reminder that Minneapolis is filled with so many thoughtful, creative people who appreciate great design, local businesses, and gathering together in real life. We’re already counting the days until Issue 02’s launch festivities, coming in October!
To everyone who came, contributed, supported, and celebrated with us: thank you. Collective is for you—and because of you. We can’t wait to keep building this space together. Cheers to Issue 01!
Emma Geary
Emma is Collective Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief and LAB’s Brand + Editorial Manager. She loves getting lost in a story and is sharing her own on her Substack, Hot Girl Walk. Find her staring at the sun on her daily lap around Lake of the Isles.
