Recent Events
DIY Luminaria 2021
Due to inclement weather and COVID-19 restrictions, SARPA did not host or organize a Luminaria event in 2021. Instead, we created a how-to sheet so folks could make their own and celebrate the holiday season safely.
If you're interested in making your own Luminaria, click here to download a PDF copy of the DIY Luminaria sheet.
Luminaria 2020
Neighbors and the odd passerby spent an evening on December 24th, 2020, enjoying a collection of luminarias that lined Summit Avenue's boulevards and medians. Despite the cold and windy weather, people found time to take in the beauty that is St. Paul on a candle-lit night.
To make this event possible, SARPA partnered with the Ramsey Hill Association and the St. Paul Garden Club, and had the wonderful help of volunteers from the community. We're thankful for each and everyone of you this holiday season.
This event was an outdoor event, and in mind of COVID-19 SARPA asked that all participants wore masks and maintained social distance. Because this was a public event in a residential area, we relied on the community to keep everyone, and themselves, safe.
First Virtual Scavenger Hunt
Members of the SARPA community participated in a Virtual Scavenger Hunt from October 13th through October 30th. This hunt featured a statue on Summit Avenue created by Paul Manship, the sculptor known for creating the famous "Prometheus," located at Rockefeller Center in New York City. The statue in question was the Indian Hunter and His Dog, located in Cochran park.
This event was a multi-media event wherein participants could participate no matter their ability or location in order to protect public health and ensure social distancing. They could walk along the avenue themselves or use google maps to find the statue.
The winner of the scavenger hunt was announced on our Facebook page on October 30th, 2020 and received a gift certificate to Golden Fig Fine Foods.
Free Music in Short Line Park
Members of the Summit community gathered together at Short Line Park on October 11th, 2020 to celebrate the opening of the new Ayd Mill/Summit Avenue bridge. The free event was focused on an operatic performance by the Pickup Truck Opera, a project created by Mixed Precipitation.
The performance was live streamed, and is currently saved, on SARPA's Facebook page. We co-hosted this event with the St. Paul Parks Conservancy.
This event followed COVID-19 safety regulations by maintaining social distancing and ensuring that all who attended wore a mask.
Garden Strolls
The purpose of SARPA’s garden tours is to demonstrate the diversity of properties on Summit, to showcase these homes and gardens, and to increase interest in the street’s preservation to a broader audience. Such tours increase interest in our preservation activities, are educational for attendees, and help raise funds for other outreach.
Revenues for the past four events has ranged from $6,700 to $8,400, netting just under $2,000 after expense on average. At $10 per ticket, attendance has averaged about 750 people. Attendees come from all over the metropolitan area, with a few from the greater region.
Showcased gardens are along Summit Avenue and vary with each stroll. No vendors are involved. Tours take up about 15% of our activity, but only every two years. Our last Garden Stroll was on Sunday, June 30, 2019.
Speaker Events
Occasional speaker events have ranged from a tour of a stained glass restoration business attended by eight SARPA board members to talks on the history, architecture, and preservation of Summit Avenue. Talks generally involve unpaid speakers and venues on Summit. Attendance ranges from 30 to 70 – almost exclusively Summit residents. Speaker events can range from 5 to 15 % of our activities year to year.
Luminarias
The purpose of setting out luminarias on Christmas Eve has been to beautify Summit Avenue and showcase the residential nature of the street. This project was done for two consecutive years (December 2017 and 2018). Volunteers from SARPA and the neighborhood have donated their time to help assemble the luminaria bags, set up and light the luminarias on Christmas Eve, and then remove the bags. There is no revenue involved. The approximate cost is $600 for paper bags, candles, lighters, and kitty litter to weight the bags down. Luminarias make up about 5% of our activities.
If you have any questions about these events, please email us at board@sarpa.org and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.