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The annual celebration of West St. Paul kicks off this week with events running from Thursday, May 17 through Sunday, May 19.
A Little History
West St. Paul Days have changed and morphed over the years. Past years have included softball and golf tournaments, a car show, pig roast, craft show, a bike rodeo (lately it’s been a separate event held at Wentworth Library—this year it’s June 15), and once upon a time the parade actually went down Robert Street.
It all started back in 1991 thanks to the efforts of Lambert Motz:
“I noticed everybody had parades in town. I thought West St. Paul should have a parade. I went to City Hall and got it going.”
-Lambert Motz, Pioneer Press, May 18, 2005
This Year’s Events
- City-Wide Garage Sale: Find some deals at garage sales across the city Thursday through Sunday. A list of participating locations will be available online or at city hall.
- Carnival: Spinny rides and fair food return to the Signal Hills parking lot Thursday through Sunday.
- West St. Paul History: Not sure if this is an official West St. Paul Days event, but history and libraries are great, so let’s include it! Local historian Lois Glewwe will be celebrating Dakota County Library’s 50th anniversary and West St. Paul Days with a history talk at Wentworth Library from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.
- Street Dance: Head over to Dunham’s on Thursday night at 7 p.m. for music and dancing.
- Parade: The first parade of the season starts at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The parade will head north on Charlton, lining up on Kraft and ending at Bernard.
- Harmon Park Festival: Come to Harmon Park from 2 to 10 p.m. on Saturday for games, music, refreshments, vendors, the city open house, and more. Fireworks are scheduled for approximately 9:15 p.m.
- Rock the Barn: Dodge Nature Center’s annual farm and music festival is from 3 to 7 p.m. on Saturday.
- Pancake Breakfast: The annual Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast is at the YMCA on Sunday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Royalty Coronation: The 2019 West St. Paul Royalty will be crowned at St. Croix Lutheran High School on Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m.
Get more information from Celebrate West St. Paul, the nonprofit organization that puts on West St. Paul Days.
