Music moguls Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were stranded in Los Angeles with airplane troubles but that didn’t dampen the excitement at the IDS Center Friday afternoon.

Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges and several members of the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee started the 100-day countdown to the game with a public event inside the center’s Crystal Court. The event started with a Native American dance, followed by speeches from several members of the committee.

Afterward, the action moved outside, where they were photographed in front of an ice sculpture in the shape of LII, the Roman Numerals signifying Super Bowl 52.

While the game is 100 days away, Super Bowl Live, presented by Verizon, is 90 days off. That’s the free, 10-day party spreading across six blocks of Nicollet Avenue that will lead up to the game during which fans and media will descend upon downtown for the various pre-game events.

Twin Cities executives Marilyn Carlson Nelson and Richard Davis, co-chairs of the committee, talked of embracing the “Bold North” lifestyle, including cold weather and snow, and showing the rest of the world that fun can be had by all stakeholders in the northern winter climate.

“We need you to pray every night for about 26 degrees, sunny and a nice recent fresh snow, because we are going to showcase this place like nobody can imagine,” says Davis, the recently retired CEO of U.S. Bank.

Maureen Bausch, CEO of the committee told attendees there would be nightly outdoor concerts as part of the event. There will also be light shows and ice sculptures outside, with the new Dayton’s Project currently under construction planned as an indoor attraction.

The events will include the Super Bowl Experience Driven by Genesis, an interactive theme park, which will be located at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, serving as the Minnesota Music Ambassadors for the event, will return in a couple weeks with some specific details, she adds.

“It’s an honor to be a part of welcoming the eyes and ears of the world to our home state of Minnesota,” say Jam and Lewis in a statement.

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

“We are proud to be born and raised Minnesotan and even more proud to be able to showcase and share the wonderful gift of our music and culture with the world.”

Speakers also touted the economic development opportunities related to the Super Bowl, which is expected to bring in thousands of national media covering both the sporting event and unrelated activities. More than a million visitors are expected.