Snowflake streetlight decorations won’t shine this year; Winter decorating contest begins December 1
Jake Spitzack
Staff Writer
Every winter for the past two decades, light-up snowflake decorations have twinkled on streetlights along Marie Avenue and Southview Boulevard, shedding light on soft snowfalls and inspiring the magic of the holiday season. This year, however, they won’t be installed. It turns out the decorations don’t meet the standards of Xcel Energy, which owns the streetlights.
While seeking repair work on several of the lighting receptacles earlier this year, the City of South St. Paul discovered that their decorations don’t meet Xcel Energy’s current standards due to their weight. City council members sprung to action and tried to find lightweight illuminated decorations that meet the standards but were unsuccessful. Instead, they opted to invest $3,500 for approximately 40 holiday banners that will be hung on streetlights the week before Thanksgiving, on Marie Avenue from 3rd to 9th streets, and Southview Boulevard from 3rd to 14th streets. City Administrator Ryan Garcia said staff have stashed the snowflake decorations in storage with hopes they’ll be able to raise them next year on Marie Avenue, following its reconstruction which includes installing city-owned light poles.
Winter decorating contest
Although the snowflakes will be missed, there will be no shortage of holiday lights and spirit in the community this year. The South St. Paul Arts Council will host its 5th annual Winter Decorating Contest, challenging neighbors to deck out their properties with dazzling displays for the chance to win gift cards and certificates donated by local businesses. Homeowners may enter the contest Dec. 1-20 and their address will be uploaded to an interactive map so people can easily tour all participating homes. Voting is done online Dec. 21-31 and a winner will be announced the first week of January.
Last year, 10 homes entered the contest, with the home at 2211 Caroline Lane earning the most votes. Several properties have participated in the event since its inception and it will take stiff competition to bump them out of the “Top 4.” The home at 1112 5th Ave. S. has won the event twice and got 3rd last year; 1556 Evans Ave. has placed 2nd two times; and 552 Star Ln. has taken home 2nd, 3rd and 4th.
“Holiday lights are a creative way for folks to spread joy throughout the winter season,” said South St. Paul Arts Council President Sara Martin. “Art can be created with any medium…. We have some wonderfully creative folks in town and we love giving everyone a one stop shop on how to see the lights throughout town. We create a map so that folks can drive and choose their favorites. We would love to see a minimum of 20 properties on this year’s map.”
The South St. Paul Arts Council was founded in 2020 by a group of local artists who advocated for South St. Paul Public Schools to keep its theater program director position. Today, its mission is “to promote the arts as essential to our community and to provide equitable arts opportunities to engage the diversity of South Saint Paul.”
For more information, find the South St. Paul Arts Council on Facebook or visit https://sites.google.com/view/sspartscouncil.
