Spending Spring Break in St. Cloud

If Spring is (as the saying goes)  just around the corner, then spring break in St. Cloud is just up the block! Many students are flocking to warmer climates for the break or just want to get out of town. However, that can be expensive and many students can’t afford to go on a trip and will be staying in St. Cloud over the break. While it might not look quite like spring outside, we have come up with a few ideas to help you make your hometown vacation just as fun as traveling somewhere else:

“Happiness is a State of Mind”

First off, treat staying in St. Cloud as if you were on vacation in a new town. Go exploring. Use this as an opportunity to try that new restaurant or bar down the street. St. Cloud has many amazing restaurants so there are plenty to try out. Go with your friends and just have a good time trying new food.

“When Was The Last Time You Did Something For The First Time?”

Another way to explore is by going into areas that you might not have even known existed. Check out the Paramount Art District, explore Downtown, learn more about the city's history at the Stearns History Museum. Just take this time to really connect with the city that many of us call home

Be sure to take a look at what events are going on around you. Try and catch a show by The GREAT Theater or see if any restaurants or venues are having live music. If you do a little digging, you can find some really cool events and activities in St. Cloud.

Students, ask if any of these events offer student discounts. You work hard at school and you should take advantage of any reward you can get! Check out coupon sites to see if there are any restaurant or event deals going on around you.

“You Take Out What You Put In”

Another great way to spend your spring break is by giving back. There are always volunteer opportunities going on all you have to do is look for them. Volunteering is a rewarding way to spend your time. Not only are you helping others, but you can build your resume and it makes you feel good about yourself. Plus, it’s free.

If you are still having trouble figuring out what to do, please check out the visitors bureau for even more information on activities in St. Cloud and to help you maximise your hometown vacation. You can always check out the visitors tab of the city's website to learn more about the happenings in good ol’ Granite City. From all of us at St. Cloud Greater, have a happy and safe Spring Break!

Romantic Ideas for a Valentine’s Day Date in St. Cloud

Cupid’s favorite holiday is right around the corner. To celebrate with your loved one, look to these ideas to melt away the winter blues, and enjoy a Valentine’s Day in St. Cloud.

Explore one of the many delicious local restaurants and growing breweries in central Minnesota like The White Horse, Nick’s Third Floor, or Beaver Island Brewery. Surprise your partner with delicious and tantalizing baked treats and goodies from the Cold Spring Bakery.

To add a bit of culture and theater to your night, visit Songs in the Key of Love with the Andrew Walesch Big Band at the Paramount Theater to listen to some classic and romantic jazz and big band music. For a romantic show and delicious dinner, watch An Evening of Love Songs at D.B. Searle’s Second Floor. This show features Matt and Julie Velline, a husband and wife duo performing acoustic covers of timeless love songs.

For a more untraditional take on theater on Valentine’s Day, take a peek at Heartless: A Big Bad Anti-Valentine’s Day Show, a Twin Cities-based burlesque show at Pioneer Place on Fifth.

To get active, visit the Skatin’ Place, Airmaxx Trampoline Park or one of the bowling alleys in St. Cloud for a little dose of retro excitement.

For a couple that loves the great outdoors, visit one of central Minnesota’s many lakes and ponds for an ice skating adventure. Skate together and dare each other to perform flips and spins. With the abundance of snow on the ground, go cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding or snowboarding for an adrenaline rush on Valentine’s Day.

For an extra treat that’s sure to be a Valentine’s Day hit, sign up for a relaxing couple’s massage or pampering spa treatment after a day of excitement and activity.

If you are homebodies or want to have a low-key Valentine’s Day date, “snow yourself in” for the night, and try one of the ideas below:

• Create a romantic dinner menu of your favorite foods
• Grab some new wines or beers and have an at-home tasting
• Have a movie marathon of your favorite movies or romantic classics
• Drink wine by the fire
• Engage or host a game with friends as a group date
• Venture out into your backyard and have a snow building contest or a snowball fight

There are plenty of unique ideas to choose from in central Minnesota. If you weren’t able to get reservations at the hottest restaurant in town, fear not. It’s still pretty easy to enjoy Valentine’s Day with your loved one and show them how much you care with a romantic date in St. Cloud.

A Year in Review: New St. Cloud Appearances, Businesses and Events in 2015

With an array of new businesses, projects, renovations, and expansions completed in the greater St. Cloud area in 2015 and many more underway, it has been an excellent year for businesses in Central Minnesota. Let’s take a look back on the year with a review of the biggest 2015 construction and development projects in the St. Cloud area:

Coborn’s

Coborn’s unveiled new corporate offices entitled Coborn’s Support Center along Heatherwood road near Interstate Highway 94 for $6.5 million. In 2013, the St. Cloud City Council also approved a $3 million road project in the area that would aid the development of the new support center.

Grede Holdings, LLC

Grede Holdings broke ground at the St. Cloud foundry in January 2015 to add a 32,000 square-foot expansion to an existing 320,000 square-foot facility. The $17.5 million project increased the Grede foundry workforce of 330 to 360 employees.

Dubow Textile Inc.

Dubow Textile has expanded for the third time in five years to meet a growing local demand for customized, screen-printed, and embroidered clothing. The project has added 21,000 square feet to the existing site at Lincoln Avenue, and it has also provided over 20 new positions.

Anderson Trucking

Anderson Trucking is currently going under construction for a new maintenance facility at 300 74th Street South. The $11.6 million project celebrated its 60th year anniversary in business as a transportation provider in 2015.

St. Cloud Hospital

The St. Cloud Hospital has been undergoing renovations and remodels of the Cancer Center, Heart and Vascular Center, pharmacy, CCHP Urgency Center, and construction of a new emergency trauma center, as well as upgrades to the behavioral units.

Athlos Academy

In October 2015, construction broke ground at 3701 33rd Street South for Athlos Academy, a charter school with branches operating in Arizona, Texas, and as nearby as Brooklyn Park. The St. Cloud area school district is currently still planning to build a new school to replace Technical High School.

Take a peek at what’s to come in 2016:

Arctic Cat Inc

An expansion and interior buildout of the Arctic Cat Inc. manufacturing plant will provide at least 10 new jobs to St. Cloud this year. The $400,000 private investment will include an expanded assembly line for the burgeoning company.

St. Cloud Lofts

Pending construction, the city of St. Cloud is looking to transform a vacant lot at 523 St. Germain Street into a condominium project named The Lofts. The six-story building will include 46 units—two studios, 37 one-bedrooms, and seven two-bedrooms.

For a more comprehensive list, visit the year-end development activity map.

Congratulations to all the businesses of St. Cloud for expanding and developing through the New Year!

Smart Energy and Safety Initiatives Across St. Cloud

In April 2015, Mayor Dave Kleis announced, during his tenth annual State of the City address, a new plan to introduce energy-efficient LED street lights - dynamic informational signs, and high-tech cameras to reduce energy use and to improve safety in the community of St. Cloud.

The new smart energy LED streetlights recently installed in St. Cloud are a part of Excel Energy’s plan to replace all of its 100,000 streetlights across the state with energy-efficient LEDS. This is a part of the company’s proposed $100 million, five-year streetlight upgrade in the eight states Xcel Energy serves. The cost of LED lights has dropped significantly, which means the cost of installing LEDs is offset by lower energy and maintenance costs.

The city plans to have as many of the lights installed along downtown St. Germain Street and 5th avenue and eventually city-wide. As this means changing more than 2,000 lights, the project will take an estimated 22 months to complete.

The new smart energy and safety features cost an estimated $3.5 million in capital costs on a performance contract, costing nothing to the city. Similar to the renovations done to the Municipal Athletic Complex, the energy savings will pay for the long-term cost of financing.

Not only are the street lights energy efficient, they will also feature high-tech cameras, an audio system, and signage that will display information about detours, events, and parking availability. Brighter street lights and high-tech cameras will mean greater visibility and safer security precautions downtown.

Streetlights will be more efficient to operate and will cut the city’s electric bill by more than half. Greater efficiency means that the lights will only be replaced every 20 years instead of the current average of every six years, making for an excellent and energy-efficient community.

Winter Fun in St. Cloud

Whether you enjoy cold weather and snow or not, one thing is for sure – you don’t want to get bored during the winter season. Many people often find it easier to experience boredom during the winter months, but St. Cloud provides plenty of activities to prevent that from happening.

Some St. Cloud old favorites include ice skating on Lake George, sledding at Riverside Park and Calvary Hill, and cross-country skiing on the abundant trails in the area. You’ll never run out of outdoor fun in St. Cloud, but we do run out of pleasant winter days to spend outdoors. Luckily, there is plenty of indoor fun to keep you occupied as well:

Whitney Recreation Center

The Whitney Center offers a variety of recreational courts available for use, including a suspended walking track, 3 basketball courts, 5 volleyball courts, and 6 pickleball courts. They also have an exercise room that won’t be as crowded as a local gym. If you are interested in using one of these offerings from the Whitney Recreation Center, you have the option of paying for a 1-day pass, a punch pass, or a seasonal pass. For information on fees and hours, check them out online.

Open Studio & Teen Night

If you are a teen or young adult that has a passion for art, this may be right up your alley! Meeting every Thursday until May 26th, Open Studio & Teen Night at the Paramount Visual Arts Center offers people the chance to experience a variety of art mediums. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn tips from mentors in a variety of areas, including ceramics, hand building, painting & drawing, woodturning, and fused & stained glass. No registration is required prior to attending. All that is required is you pay a fee, which helps pay for materials. The cost is $10 for ages 21+ and $5 for ages 20 and under.

The Paramount Theatre

Take in a show or concert at the Paramount Theatre this winter. Whether you’d like to see a comedy show,  listen to classical music or tribute groups, or catch some live theatre, you’re sure to find something you like. The variety at the Paramount means opportunities for families, friends, or a fun date night. Check out the full calendar and get your tickets before they sell out.

With this list of activities, we hope we help alleviate some winter boredom. See something you haven’t tried before? Give it a shot - you never know, you might just end up liking something new. We hope you all have a safe and enjoyable winter season!

Don’t Miss Out On Small Business Saturday

With Thanksgiving approaching fast, people are starting to get ready for the shopping spree that follows. Although Black Friday and Cyber Monday are seen as the biggest shopping events, Small Business Saturday is also a great day to shop deals. Small Business Saturday offers people a great chance to get out and explore some of the small businesses in their area, which usually aren’t destinations on Black Friday, as the major retailers draw most of the shoppers.

Last year, 88 million people took part in Small Business Saturday, and this year it could draw even more. This year’s Small Business Saturday will take place on Saturday, November 28th - the day after Black Friday.

    

You have the opportunity win great prizes by taking part in Small Business Saturday. All you have to do is use #ShopSmallSTC on Facebook and Twitter to share where you are shopping during the day. People who use the #ShopSmallSTC hashtag will automatically be entered to win great prizes from a variety of local businesses in the St. Cloud Area.

Winners will be randomly selected following the event on Monday, November 30th. If you win a prize, you will be notified by a private Facebook message or a direct message on Twitter, which will inform you as to which prize you won and how you can go about claiming it.

This is a great opportunity not only for yourself but also for your community. By shopping on Small Business Saturday, you can help the small businesses of St. Cloud grow and thrive as the money people spend stays in the community rather than going to huge corporations. So get up, get out, and shop local on Small Business Saturday - and don’t forget to share your experience on Facebook and Twitter using #ShopSmallSTC.

The Best Fall Outing Locations in St. Cloud

In other parts of the country, you may need to travel quite a distance to properly view the changing leaves of fall and enjoy a leisure stroll in the crisp fall air- not so in Minnesota. The St. Cloud area alone harbors some of the best fall walking and biking areas in the state.

River Bluffs Regional Park
River Bluffs Regional Park has much to offer all year round. Picnic areas,  boat launches, and beautiful scenery make this park the perfect destination to take the canoe or kayak and enjoy stunning views of the Mississippi - and maybe get a little fishing done while you're at it. The park also boasts over 12 miles of walking and hiking trails.

Lake George Municipal Complex

Smack dab in the middle of St. Cloud, the Lake George Municipal Complex is located just off Highway 23. There are paved paths around the lake and throughout the park. If you would like to take your family on a short bike ride or walk around the lake, this is the perfect spot. With short paths around the park, it is perfect for families with young children. There is plenty of sprawling green space to take a rest and have a small picnic after your bike ride.

The path around the lake offers a scenic view of the entire lake. Many times, you’ll see families of ducks and swans swimming on the placid surface. If you’re looking for some fresh air and an easy walk, Lake George is the perfect site for your next family outing.


Riverside Park

Riverside Park is just a short walk from the Munsinger/Clemens Gardens located on the southwest side of town. Riverside Park boasts one of the best playgrounds in the area; your kids will love the small rock climbing wall and the open space. Riverside Park is full of large, beautiful trees which, in the next couple of weeks, will be a kaleidoscope of oranges, reds, and yellows. Many paths run along the river and throughout the park. Riverside Park also has an extensive disc golf course that weaves through patches of trees. As it is every year, it’s sure to be a stunning location this fall. (Don’t forget to come back this winter to go sledding!)






Friedrich Park

Friedrich Park, located at the eastern end of University Drive by St. Cloud State University, just celebrated its official re-opening. The park is the site of the old quarries and was originally opened as a park in the 1930’s. George Friedrich, along with St. Cloud State University, opened up the quarry pits for swimming; he installed diving boards and rafts for the area’s swimmers.



Besides the granite quarries, the land was described as “barren”, but George Friedrich went through the park planting trees which are still there today. With trails weaving through the forest and water-filled quarries, this will be a colorful and beautiful spot to bike or stroll this fall. The previously closed park already boasts signs of an avid mountain biking community. The trails through this park are probably for the more advanced cyclist, but would also make a great destination for hikers of any skill.