Two members of Minnesota's Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) championship-winning team will serve as grand marshals of the 2024 Minneapolis Aquatennial Torchlight Parade.

‍The four-day Aquatennial officially kicks off next week with the nighttime parade along Nicollet Mall on July 24 at 7:30 p.m. Goalie Nicole Hensley and defender Lee Stecklein will represent PWHL Minnesota as the parade celebrates the team's recent victory in the league's inaugural championship, Aquatennial organizers announced this morning.

Stecklein is a Roseville native who played for the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Whitecaps. She's won three Olympic medals and three national championships with the Gophers.

Hensley is a two-time Olympian from Colorado. She was the first goaltender selected in the first-ever PWHL Draft last September.

Activities and events will take place across downtown Minneapolis through July 27, when the Aquatennial culminates with the Target Fireworks display over the Mississippi River at 10 p.m.

The Aquatennial is a water-themed celebration of the City of Minneapolis. It's produced by the Minneapolis Downtown Council, which ran the Holidazzle for many years until it was canceled in 2023 due to lack of funding.

You can take Metro Transit to the parade and/or the fireworks for free. Get there by bus or light rail using a free ride pass found here.