Budget engagement meetings with Mayor Her

This month, the Mayor’s Office is launching a series of budget engagement meetings in the community. These engagement meetings will focus on informing the general public about the city’s overall budget and Mayor’s priorities. The space is intended for all community members to share budget priority ideas and concerns to strengthen and build trust between the city and community.

All meetings will be held from 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM: 

• Monday, June 15: Ensure it is easier to do business in Saint Paul at Frogtown Community Center  
• Monday, June 22: Strengthen the city's responsiveness to constituents needs at Sun Ray Library  
• Friday, June 26: Strengthen the fiscal sustainability of the city at Arlington Hills Community Center  
• Wednesday, July 1: Enhance safety and justice in our community at Neighborhood House 

All are welcome! RSVP is highly encouraged.

Headliners for August 29 showcase!

The Saint Paul Get Down, our City’s hip-hop showcase, is back – and this year we're amping it up so you can GET DOWN. Join us for a longer day of music, creativity, and community as young local emerging artists (ages 14–24) take the stage along with some of your established favorites. The emerging performers will have spent the summer working with mentors and shaping their craft.

Mark your calendars for upcoming performance dates! 

• July 9, 5-8pm at Arlington Hills Community Center 
• July 30, 5-8pm at Dayton's Bluff Recreation Center
• August 4 (National Night Out), 5-8pm at Martin Luther King Recreation Center
• FINAL Get Down Showcase: August 29, 2-10pm at Raspberry Island
  • Featuring headliners: Chali 2na and Cut Chemist
  • Additional performers include: Juice Lord, Big Zach, student 1, The Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Band, and a special guest (to be announced at a later date!), plus our 2026 Saint Paul Get Down youth artists!
  • This FREE outdoor event is open to all. Bring your friends, a chair or blanket, and come support the next generation of artists in Saint Paul. Reserve your free ticket today!

Fall youth sports registration

We know summer has barely started, but our fall sports registration is here! Fall sports offerings include soccer, flag football, lacrosse. Soccer and flag football are FREE for ages 9 and up and fall lacrosse is FREE for ages 7 and up! (Please note that fees apply for ages 4U, 6U and 8U.)

Youth Fall Sports Registration is open until June 30!

Recreation for Preschoolers

Looking ahead to more things in the fall (yes, we know this school-year just ended!), Recreation for Preschoolers is now accepting applications for the 2026-2027 school year. This program for ages 3-5 encourages children to play, socialize, and grow from daily lesson plans that prioritize educational experiences and recreation. Daily activities includes free time, academic discovery areas, creative areas, circle time, art projects and large motor movement in the gym or outdoors. Children must be toilet trained (no diapers or pull ups).

This program is available at Edgcumbe and Linwood Recreation Centers, with varying half day/full day options and rates. (Financial assistance is available.)

LUNCH ON THE LAWN

Food Trucks and Lunch Menus at Downtown Parks

Join us Monday-Thursday all summer long for Lunch on the Lawn! Enjoy a weekly rotation of live music, DJs, fitness events, delicious food and more at a different downtown park each day. 

• Monday: Pedro Park
  • Grab-N-Go Lunch (11am-2pm) *support nearby local restaurants with food to go
  • Music by DJ (11am-2pm)
  • Lawn games and makers space (11am -2pm)
  • Self-Led circuit workout (11:30am-12:30pm)
• Tuesday: Mears Park 
  • Grab-n-go lunch (11am-2pm) *support nearby local restaurants with food to go
  • Lawn games (11am-2pm)
  • Live music (View music schedule) (12-1pm)
  • Yoga (1pm-2pm)
• Wednesday: Rice Park
  • Food Trucks (View food trucks schedule) (11am-2pm)
  • Resistance Band Workout (12pm-1pm)
  • Live music (12pm-1pm)
• Thursday: Kellogg Mall Park
  • Food Trucks (View food trucks schedule) (11am-2pm)
  • Lawn games (11am-2pm)
  • Sound Bath (12pm-1pm) *Select dates: June 25, July 2, July 16, Aug 6, Aug 20
  • Yoga (1pm-2pm)

Free Meals and Snacks for Saint Paul Youth

Health and Wellness Fair on Raspberry Island this Saturday!

Come connect with local health and wellness resources. From local gyms, nutritionists, community clinics and more, there will be something for everyone at the fair. FREE Zumba class starts at 9am!

For more free outdoor fitness classes, please visit the fitness in the parks webpage. 

Summer Rec Check and summer camps

Choose from a variety of fun and safe summer programming options for youth. Register today as some camps and activities have limited spots remaining. 

• Summer camps and activities: Full and half-day camps for youth of all ages. Costs range from free up to $240.
• Summer Rec Check: June 22-August 27. Free program for those entering grades 1-6 in the fall on Monday-Thursday from 1-4pm at 22 sites. 
  • NEW FOR 2026: Teen Summer Rec Check at Wilder Recreation Center. That’s right, you heard us say TEEN! With everything you love about our school year Rec Check, but with a summer twist FOR TEENS entering grades 6-8 this fall. This program runs the same dates and times as the other Rec Check sites. 

Summer S'more Fun

Looking for other ways to keep your youth busy this summer? In addition to our popular Summer Rec Check program, we offer S'more Fun, a recreational childcare program providing structured and unstructured activities for youth entering grades 1-6 this fall. Summer schedules provide full day care from 7am-6pm at three sites: Groveland, Highland Park and Northwest Como Recreation Centers. Cost is $44/day. (Financial assistance is available.) 

Summer activity updates and reminders

Saint Paul Natural Resources: Natural Resources hosts a variety of activities for all ages to get outside and exploring nature in local parks. 

• ExploraTots (monthly on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday) - Great for families with toddlers! *Adults must be present
• Family Ecology Club (monthly on Saturdays) *ages 6-12 and families
• Small Mammal Survey (August 1) *ages 12+ 
• Help restore and preserve the Dakota sacred site, Wakaŋ Tipi Awaŋyaŋkapi. Dates available for pre-registration June - October. 
• Volunteer to garden at monthly events at Churchill Gardens May - October. 

Aquatics updates

• Great River Water Park is closed for the summer and will reopen on September 21.
• Summer aquatics memberships are available for purchase online.

Weather permitting, outdoor pool and beach offerings open this Saturday, June 13!

• Phalen Beach will be open June 13 - Sept. 7
• Highland Park Aquatic Center will be open June 13 - Sept. 7. 
• Como Regional Park Pool will be open June 13 - August 26 (Como Regional Park Pool will be closed starting at 12pm on June 25 and reopen on June 30.)
• Splash Pads will open daily from 9am-9pm from June 13-September 7. 

Explore other aquatics offerings throughout the summer:

• Open Water Swim
• Camp Phalen
• Canoe and Kayak Storage
• Watercraft Rentals and Boat Rides

Music in the Parks

Join us for some outdoor entertainment! All shows are free unless otherwise noted. Events are weather permitting and subject to change without notice. Visit the webpages below for full schedules.

• Melodies on the Mississippi (Harriet Island Regional Park Target Stage)
• Groovin' in the Garden (Como Park Zoo & Conservatory)
• Music in Mears Lunchtime Series (Mears Park)
• Como Lakeside Pavillion (Como Park) *some events may charge admission
• Lowertown Sounds (Mears Park)
• Twin Cities Jazz Festival (Mears Park)
• Summer Nights in Rice (Rice Park)
• Music Festivals at Harriet Island: Experience sound waves underneath the giant cottonwoods & along the majestic Mississippi River at Harriet Island Regional Park. *music festivals require paid ticket purchase for entry 
  • Country Club Festival
  • Yacht Club Festival

More music events will be added to the Music in the Parks webpage as schedules are finalized.

Events Happening All Summer

There are a number of reoccurring events around Saint Paul for community members to participate in!

Movies in the Parks provides a wide range of outdoor films at parks and recreation centers around Saint Paul. This year features a "musicals" themed-line up. Events are free and open to the public - don't forget a blanket or a lawn chair!

Fitness in the Parks is a free outdoor exercise program that brings a variety of fitness activities to many of Saint Paul’s beautiful parks. No registration required, all ages welcome, and no experience is necessary (all fitness levels are welcome!).

• FitLots are found at Martin Luther King Recreation Center & Uŋčí Makhá Park. 

Safe Summer Nights are designed to provide opportunities for police officers to become acquainted with residents of the neighborhoods they serve over a meal. These are free, public events that offer food, activities for children and families to meet their Saint Paul police officers. All are welcome!

Places to eat: City House on the Mississippi River and Dock & Paddle on Como Lake

Downtown Saint Paul's waterfront dining destination is back! City House is located in the historic Municipal Elevator and Sackhouse building along the Sam Morgan Regional Trail at 258 Mill Street. The restaurant features a patio overlooking the river and Harriet Island and serves up local craft beer, cider, and wine on tap as well as a delicious rotating seasonal menu. City House is open 11am-8pm daily and features live music* on select dates. *Check back for their 2026 schedule to be posted

Como Lake Fish Die-off 

Como Lake recently had a fish die-off that is likely due to low oxygen in the water. Fish need oxygen in the water to breathe and can become stressed and die when oxygen levels in the lake drop quickly. Capitol Region Watershed District (CRWD) staff investigated and confirmed the die-off of around 1,000 bluegill sunfish and crappies earlier this week. 

Fish die-offs are a natural occurrence in lakes under low oxygen conditions. Following last week’s heat wave, CRWD observed a sudden shift in the lake’s oxygen levels at continuous monitoring stations in the lake. Oxygen levels in the lake can drop quickly as the water surface warms. High temperatures can also cause rapid decomposition of algae and aquatic plants like curly-leaf pondweed, further reducing oxygen levels in the lake as they decompose, and giving off a foul odor. 

We appreciate the concerned community members who reached out to us and our partners at Capitol Region Watershed District, Ramsey County, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 

Removal of the dead fish will begin tomorrow morning, and we will provide any additional updates as necessary. The fish die-off is not impacting Como Lake’s water quality for general use or posing a risk to humans or pets at the lake.