UMVA has learned that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz chose to spend Memorial Day 2026 at George Floyd Square instead of honoring fallen service members at the state’s largest veterans’ cemetery, where he was officially scheduled to speak.
On the day the nation paused to remember our veterans who were lost, Walz appeared at the Rise & Remember Festival in south Minneapolis, a gathering that commemorated the sixth anniversary of George Floyd’s death.
At the festival, the governor laid flowers, joined the crowd for music, and was filmed dancing while joking, “Not bad for an old white guy,” a moment that sparked sharp reactions from attendees.
Despite being listed as a speaker in the official lineup for the Fort Snelling National Cemetery Memorial Day program, Walz never showed up, a fact confirmed by multiple people with direct knowledge of the ceremony.
Observers noted a stark contrast: while the city’s social media honored George Floyd, many felt the governor’s absence from the veterans’ tribute was a profound omission.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that the Rise & Remember Festival, organized by caretakers of George Floyd Square and Floyd family members, ran from May 23-25 and featured a full-day street festival, music, food trucks, and community events at the intersection of 38th and Chicago.
No explanation or apology from Walz’s office has been released as of Tuesday, leaving questions about the decision to prioritize one memorial over another.
