ST. PAUL — Gov. Mark Dayton has declared Friday as “Prince Day” across Minnesota to honor the legacy of the homegrown music legend, who died April 21st of last year of an accidental painkiller overdose.

The proclamation announced Wednesday coincides with memorial celebrations taking place at the First Avenue night club in Minneapolis and at Paisley Park in Chanhassen.

Dayton says Prince “showcased Minnesota to the world” and thanks the artist for making Minnesota his home.

The state-owned Interstate 35W Bridge across the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis will be lit purple on Thursday and Friday night, in recognition of Prince’s passing.

The bridge is equipped with a computerized lighting system that can bathe it with light in almost any color. It’s often lit in appropriate colors for significant regional and national events.