Over 1,000 line up for tickets to Obama speech

Lining up for tickets to hear Pres. Obama
People lined up at the Lake Harriet Bandshell Wednesday, June 25, 2014 to get free tickets to see President Obama speak there Friday morning.
Mark Zdechlik / MPR News

Minnesotans lined up for nearly a mile Wednesday morning to get free tickets to hear President Obama speak at the Lake Harriet Bandshell on Friday.

More: Minneapolis woman key to Obama visit

Martin Donovan, 16, was the first in line. He arrived at the bandshell at 4:30 a.m.

By noon, when organizers started handing out the 2,000 available tickets, the line Donovan started had grown to over 1,000 people.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

"It's, like, a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the President of the United States within a mile of my house," Donovan said. "It's awesome."

The White House says Obama's visit will be the first of several around the country. He's expected to talk about ways to improve the economy.

Waiting for tickets
Janet Mills of Minneapolis waited a little more than four hours Wednesday, June 25, 2014, for her ticket to see President Obama on Friday at the Lake Harriet Bandshell.
Mark Zdechlik / MPR News

Janet Mills, 53, of Minneapolis waited a little more than four hours for her ticket.

"I think everyone's frustrated by the road block in Congress," Mills said. "I think that starting in Minneapolis is a great place to show where there could be improvements, where a great city could be better if things were changed nationally."

In addition to the Lake Harriet speech Friday, Obama will hold a town hall style meeting and a fundraiser in Minneapolis Thursday