RECAP OF 2024 Rondo Block Party
Event Highlights
- Diverse Entertainment: The event featured a mix of live performances, including local bands, solo artists and dance teams/troupes, reflecting the rich cultural diversity of the Rondo community.
- Vendors: Over 65 vendors participated, showcasing local businesses, artisans, and nonprofits. Food trucks and pop-up eateries provided a wide range of cuisines.
- Kidz Zone: We dedicated a large grassy area for kids and families that included face painting, bubble blowing, bounce houses, gaming truck, and many other interactive activities.
- Community Engagement: Informational and resource booths connected attendees with local organizations and services.
- Rondo Plaza: A greenspace lot that features benches, a stage, and 23 history panels where visitors can learn how much the City of Saint Paul and the State of Minnesota have been improved, changed, challenged, and made better by the African American experience of Rondo. Visitors to the history walk should can take note of the engraved bricks honoring Rondo under their feet. Pop-up art displays highlighted the history and heritage of the Rondo neighborhood.
Attendance
- Record-Breaking Turnout: Approximately 2,500+ attendees throughout the day, surpassing the inaugural event by 40%.
- Broad Participation: Attendees ranged from local residents to visitors from neighboring communities, fostering inclusivity and regional interest.
Initial Feedback
- Positive Reception: Attendees praised the variety of activities, the quality of entertainment, and the sense of community.
- Suggestions for Improvement: Immediate feedback included requests for:
- Additional shade and seating areas.
- Better signage and wayfinding.
- Enhanced accessibility for differently-abled individuals.
- Strategic food vendor placement with shorter travel for seniors
- Additional porta potties
Post Event Survey
A post-event survey is available HERE to gather detailed feedback from sponsors, vendors, performers, and attendees.
Questions will focus on:
- Favorite Moments: What stood out to you?
- Suggestions for Improvement: Ideas to enhance the layout, amenities, or programming.
- New Ideas: Activities, entertainment, or features you’d love to see next in 2025.
- Vendor and sponsor processing and placement.
- Overall Experience: Your thoughts on how the event reflected the spirit and culture of the Rondo community.
THE SURVEY WILL CLOSE FEBRUARY 15TH
PREVIEW OF 2025 Rondo Block Party
Event Site Adjustments
- This section will be updated based on survey results and planning team discussions
Sponsor Processing & Placement
- This section will be updated based on survey results and planning team discussions
Vendor Processing & Placement
- This section will be updated based on survey results and planning team discussions
Entertainment Selection & Scheduling
- This section will be updated based on survey results and planning team discussions
Volunteer Recruitment
- This section will be updated based on survey results and planning team discussions
LOOKING Forward
The 3rd Annual Rondo Block Party promises to be even bigger and better, with a focus on community-driven innovation and enhanced experiences. As planning progresses, community input will remain at the forefront to ensure this beloved event continues to grow as a true celebration of Rondo’s community. There are 2 organizational constituents, listed below, that the Rondo Block Party pays homage to and is very appreciative of their support that we are committed to furthering their mission, vision, and efforts to transform the Rondo community into the future while preserving the heritage the historic fabric the coummunity was built on.
ReConnect Rondo
ReConnect Rondo is a community-led initiative in Saint Paul, Minnesota, dedicated to revitalizing the historic Rondo neighborhood, which was significantly disrupted by the construction of Interstate 94 in the 1960s. The organization’s mission centers on creating an African American cultural enterprise district connected by a community land bridge over I-94. This land bridge aims to restore the area’s cultural and economic vitality by providing space for housing, businesses, parks, and cultural institutions.
The initiative’s comprehensive plan includes six key elements:
- Transportation and Mobility: Offering safe and viable multimodal transportation options to encourage healthy living.Parks
- Open Space: Fostering connections to nature and community through accessible green spaces.
- Economic Opportunity: Supporting entrepreneurship, job opportunities, and intergenerational wealth building within the African American community.
- Housing Opportunity: Providing equitable and affordable housing to rebuild the community and prevent displacement.
- Environment and Resilience: Cultivating natural and social resources to enhance community resilience.
- History, Culture, and Arts: Sustaining and growing Rondo’s identity as a center of African American cultural institutions.
ReConnect Rondo has secured significant funding for its projects, including $6.2 million from the Minnesota Legislature in 2022 for planning work, and a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program.
For more information about ReConnect Rondo and its initiatives, please visit their official website:
Rondo Center of Diverse Expression (RCODE)
The Rondo Center of Diverse Expression (RCODE) is a non-profit based in Saint Paul, MN.
RCODE’s home is the building that was the former home of New Jerusalem Baptist Church at 315 Fisk Street. Their vision is to offer space that complements their mission to rekindle the spirit of Rondo and the preservation of those values that sustained Rondo through the devastation of its community. In coordination with the Rondo Commemorative Plaza (RCP) their location offers a unique venue for events; houses the Rondo Research Collection; and includes a small museum for the display of art and artifacts interpreting the Rondo experience and was the preferred site for the 2nd Annual Rondo Block Party in 2024.. In addition, they host events throughout the year, including an annual Juneteenth celebration, Jazz at the Plaza series, movement & exercise classes, opportunities to engage with art and culture, and an annual celebration of Engraved Brick purchasers. Plans are in place to host the 3rd Annual Rondo Block Party on August 2, 2025.
For more RCODE details, please visit Rondo Center of Diverse Expression