A night with the river

Thank you for joining us at A night with the river. Our final program was a beautiful night of sounds, words, motion, stillness, grass, sky, water and love. You can view images from the night, captured by Drew Arrieta, on our Flickr page.

June 10, 2023
9 pm – 1 am
Upper Landing Park
St. Paul, MN
Map.

Gather with friends and strangers for a final night with Northern Lights.mn. Wander through installations by artists Bayou Bay and Studio Strange. Linger at the Northern Spark Memory Station and contribute your remembrances from long nights of art in the city.

Slow down to be with water.

In contrast to the energetic flurry of past Northern Spark festivals, this final event invites you to slow down and spend a quiet evening of collective listening and remembering. Bring a blanket, lay supine and listen.

From sunset to late night, we’ll reflect, rest, wander, and send wishes to the water.

Thank you — We did it together

Our team for A night with the river was phenomenal. We couldn’t have asked for a better group to ferry us through our final moments together.

The superb crew of scottie hall, Tierra Anderson, Sydney Petersen, Eric Hofstad, Ady McNair, Michael Murnane (in absentia) and Jeff Pedersen got everything up and running after the deluge ended, just in time. They were led by our long-time Producer Erin Lavelle – a million thanks to Erin!

Brando and Jayce from Sequeerity brought levity and enthusiasm as they ensured the event was safe and welcoming.

Pat Morris kept an eye out for medical needs and provided a warm presence.

Friends of Upper Landing Park welcomed us to the space and did extra clean-up beforehand.

Dan Dressler, river monitor extraordinaire, kept us abreast of the flood, mud, and bug forecasts.

Drew Arrieta captured lovely images of the night.

Kate Frye from St. Paul Parks and Recreation helped make the permit process smooth and simple.

Northern Lights.mn has always been fortunate to work with fantastic volunteers – each of these people graciously stewarded the event with care: Ryan, Colleen, Alison, Sara, Larry, PJ, Roopali, Tara, Lucy, Mary Jo, Jim, Anh, Emily J., AJ, Sean, Meena, Emily M., Finnegan, Jeff, Paul, Jean, Carl, and Craig

WFNU did shoutouts on air – thank you Frogtown Radio!

Rafiki Coffee and Cafe kept us hydrated, fed and warm with tasty beverages! Visit them.

Artists and staff were compensated thanks to funding from the St. Paul Cultural Star program and a grant from Capitol Region Watershed District.

And our utmost thanks to Wakpa Tanka / Misi-Ziibi / Mississippi for her central role in the program.

Plan your visit!

Location
Upper Landing Park is at the intersection of Eagle Parkway and Shepard Rd at the edge of downtown St. Paul. The park’s address is 180 Shepard Rd. Saint Paul, MN 55012. Google map. Note: Google maps says that the park is closed. It is open for our event!

Transit
Car parking close to Upper Landing Park is limited. Please consider biking, walking or using METRO transit if possible!

Use METRO Transit’s Trip Planner to map your route using this address for the park: 180 Shepard Rd. Saint Paul, MN 55012. All regular fares and bus/train times apply.

Parking
Accessible Parking: There is a small free lot at Upper Landing Park between Shepard Rd. and Spring St. This will be reserved for accessible parking. Please use this if you have accessibility needs!

Street Parking: Limited street parking is available near the park and surrounding the apartment complex on Spring St.

Ramps: There are two parking ramps within walking distance of the event. Each ramp is a 12-minute walk from Upper Landing Park.

River Center Parking Ramp #149
150 W Kellogg Blvd
Parking fee: $10
More info here.

Kellogg Ramp Lot #150
129 Kellogg Blvd W
Parking fee: $10
More info here.

IMPORTANT: DO NOT PARK IN THE SCIENCE MUSEUM RAMP. You will not be able to retrieve your car after 10pm.

Weather
The event is entirely outside, please dress for the weather! In the case of light drizzle, the show goes on. In the case of consistent, heavy rain, we will hold the event at George Latimer Central Library at 90 W 4th St, St Paul, MN 55102.

Stay tuned to our social media (facebook.com/NorthernSparkMN and Instagram: @northernlights.mn) for last minute weather updates.

Bathrooms
There will be port-a-potties on site, including one ADA accessible unit. Upper Landing Park does not have other bathrooms facilities.

ADA Accessibility
Seating in the park is limited: please bring a folding chair!
Some projects are on grassy, uneven ground and may not be accessible for all. Each festival project has its own Accessibility notes; please check the individual project pages or on-site festival signage for details.

Drinking water
There is a working drinking fountain in the park. Please bring a water bottle to fill! Or ask for a compostable cup at the Info Tent.

Food
Bring a picnic! Supplement with snacks and refreshing beverages from Rafiki Coffee Cafe!

COVID Safety
The COVID-19 pandemic is not over. With abundant caution and care for our community, we ask that all festival artists, staff, volunteers and attendees please stay home if you have any symptoms of communicable illness. Masks are welcome at this event! Disposable masks will be available at the Info Tent.

Dogs
Upper Landing Park is a public place, so we can not restrict your pups from the site. However, please be mindful of the artist projects and other viewers and leave un-socialized or overly active dogs at home. Thank you!

This final program is made possible by grants from Capitol Region Watershed District, St. Paul’s Cultural Star program, and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).