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North St. Paul Arts Commission narrows focus for Autumn Arts Festival, keeps family activities
Summary
Commission members debated whether the Autumn Arts Festival should emphasize visual and performing arts or be a broader community fair, and suggested ways to keep arts central while including family-friendly draws such as a petting zoo and interactive art-making.
North St. Paul Arts and Culture Commission members spent the bulk of their March 5 meeting refining the purpose and elements of the city’s annual Autumn Arts Festival, seeking to keep art at the core while allowing family-oriented activities to boost attendance.
Commissioners said the event should prioritize opportunities for local artists to show and sell work while including interactive and family activities that connect visitors to art. Jordan, the city staff liaison, summarized the commission’s question for event planner Ava: whether the festival should “focus and celebrate the arts, or are we also trying to create a community fair type of event.”
Why it matters: The commission sets direction that staff and the event planner will use when booking performers, vendors and attractions; those choices affect vendor revenue, family turnout and how the festival is branded across the Twin Cities.
Commissioners described the festival—held at Casey Lake Park in September—as an art fair with ancillary events such as food trucks, children’s activities and cultural performances. Commissioner Laura Strang (senior living professional) and Commissioner Amanda Black (artist) said vendors and makers should remain central so artists who pay booth fees can expect customer attention. Commissioner Eliza Verma (project manager) and Commissioner Carrie Neto (director of operations, Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute) favored keeping an arts-first identity but welcomed theme-based programming and interactive art-making.
Several members endorsed including family draws that can be tied to art: a small petting zoo of bunnies paired with a drawing or “bunny portrait” activity, longer hours for face painting and balloon artists so more children can participate, and interactive stations such as button- or button-making and canvas-painting that produce an art object to display.
Student Commissioner Ued Orozco and others argued a bounce house reliably attracts families; commissioners recommended if non-art attractions are booked, staff should incorporate an art-related activity next to them so the overall focus remains arts-centered. Nora, a resident who spoke during public comment, urged commissioners to “check the weather before we plan outdoor events,” a reminder about contingency planning for outdoor programming.
The commission asked Jordan to take guidance back to the event planner: prioritize arts and artists while permitting a limited number of family-oriented draws, and to seek ways to incorporate art into each attraction. Jordan said Ava has budgetary discretion but requested clearer direction from the commission; members agreed the planner should bring final recommendations back to the commission.
Looking ahead: The commission did not adopt a formal motion at the meeting but gave staff and the planner clear guidance to preserve an artist-focused festival identity while using family-friendly elements to broaden attendance and participation.
