If you were planning a pull-out-all-the-stops, 10-day, outdoor party in January for thousands of your friends, where would you hold it? The Caribbean? Arizona? Of course not! You鈥檇 plan it in St. Paul, Minnesota! And you鈥檇 call it the St. Paul Winter Carnival.
Planning events like the St. Paul Winter Carnival is what Rosanne Newville Bump 鈥�92 does for a living as President and CEO of the Saint Paul Festival & Heritage Foundation鈥攚ith support from the community, of course鈥攁nd from plenty of volunteers, who work tirelessly behind the scenes. Honored to be part of the festival鈥檚 history, Bump loves brainstorming regularly about what 鈥渇un factors鈥� to add to the next year鈥檚 event. For example, this year鈥檚 event included three parades, a half marathon, an ice- and snow-carving competition, the country鈥檚 largest jigsaw puzzle competition, and an outdoors Birthday Bash in Rice Park to celebrate the festival鈥檚 130th birthday. As part of the fun, Bump partnered with Kemps Ice Cream to provide Birthday Cake Ice Cream samples for all attending. In addition, this year鈥檚 festival included a performance, also in Rice Park, by roots-rock band GB Leighton. Standing outdoors on a lovely winter evening with 1000+ others, singing along with the performers, near the ice castle and sparkling trees (all lit), was 鈥渕agical,鈥� says Bump.
Bump has learned that, each year, about 20% of the carnival plans are unlikely to go as planned, primarily because of unpredictable weather, so she and her colleagues need to figure it out as they go, making for 鈥渟ome adrenaline-filled days.鈥� Unusually warm weather leading up to this year鈥檚 event meant that, in order to build the ice palace (this year, a mini version), ice had to be purchased, instead of harvested from local Lake Phalen. Even so, the palace still included the king鈥檚 chair, a light show, and TV monitors. Continue reading “Celebrating Community with St. Paul”