Saturday’s events include the Vulcan Victory Torchlight Parade.
There might be a Saturday slowdown in the capital city.
People planning to attend events in or around downtown St. Paul or Lowertown on Saturday should allow extra time and use alternate routes if possible.
Xcel Energy Center, located on Kellogg Boulevard at West Seventh Street, issued the alert about heavier traffic via a news release on Thursday. Events on the Xcel’s campus on Saturday include a rodeo at Xcel, a gymnastics tournament at Roy Wilkins Auditorium and a private Minnesota National Guard banquet at St. Paul RiverCentre.
In Lowertown, Union Depot, 214 Fourth St. E., will be bustling with dogs and pet owners, as well as Winter Carnival crowds, during Doggie Depot. The dog-centered event includes the 11 a.m. coronation of the Canine King Boreas and the Canine Queen of the Snows. Their human counterparts will do the crowning, and will stick around afterward to visit with the public, along with the rest of this year’s royal family.
It’s the final weekend of Winter Carnival, which wraps up on Saturday with activities including in and around Rice Park and the Warming House in Landmark Plaza Park, ending with the Vulcan Victory Torchlight Parade and fireworks. The torchlight parade starts at 5 p.m. on West Seventh Street at Smith Avenue and proceeds to Rice Park. Expect roads to be closed on the parade route from about 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Immediately following the parade, on the steps of the James J. Hill Library near Rice Park, King Boreas will be overthrown by Vucanus Rex. Fireworks and live music will mark the festival’s finale.
For help with finding parking amidst all this activity, St. Paul has a free interactive parking app, stpaul.gov/parking, that includes information about on and off-street parking options, rates and more. Or, go to 511mn.org to get up-to-date traffic reports, including views from traffic cameras, from the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
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