St. Paul Summary

Hey St. Paul! It’s Natasha - your guide for summarizing this week’s St. Paul’s news! 👋 

• A new champion takes the crown as St. Paul’s Funniest Person;

• The Viva La Vida Festival is bringing Latino culture, flavors and music to town;

• City hall updates on the St. Paul 2026 budget;

• Volunteer for the Fort Road or Lake Como community clean ups!

Let’s dive in! 👇️ 

What’s New & Notable

Meet St. Paul’s Funniest Person

St. Paul’s comedy scene has a new champion! Jethro Trogo, a Filipino-American software engineer, took home the title of Funniest Person in St. Paul on September 2, despite spending part of the day in the emergency room.

Over 10 weeks of preliminaries at Gambit Brewing, comics battled it out for laughs, audience votes, and the $1,000 grand prize. Trogo’s set drew on his Filipino roots and daily life, proving humor thrives even under pressure.

See the full story here

VIVA LA VIDA Taco Bell& Tequila Festival

Celebrate the sights, sounds, and tastes of Latino culture during this two-day festival! Feast on authentic cuisine from local food trucks, watch cultural demonstrations, enjoy live music and dance performances, and join in fun activities like soccer showdowns and dance lessons.

View full event details here.

Local Businesses

St. Paul Business Highlights

Check out what’s new with local businesses across the city.

Kopplin’s Marshall Ave Café to Close After 19.5 Years

After nearly two decades on Marshall Avenue, Kopplin’s Café will not be renewing its lease and is expected to close in the next 4–6 weeks (exact date TBA). The roastery will continue operating off-site, with beans available online and through wholesale. Read their full statement here.

Here’s what else is making headlines in St. Paul:

1. Selby Stroll Turns 11 (They grow up so fast!) Independent shops along Selby West will be offering specials, sweet treats, and neighborhood charm at the 11th Annual Selby Stroll. See event details here and plan your stroll!

2. Tour des Jardins: Saint Paul’s Tour des Jardins showcases gardens with biking and tastings, concluding with happy hour at Mounds Park Community Garden. Learn more and view the route here.

3. Social Good Exchange: Connect, collaborate, and share ideas with Twin Cities changemakers at the Social Good Exchange hosted by Social Enterprise MSP. This month kicks off with a free coworking day pass at Impact Hub MSP, followed by small group discussions to spark solutions and share resources. View event details here.

4. Highland District Commercial Corridor Grants: The Highland District Council is inviting local businesses and organizations to apply for their Commercial Corridor grant program, supporting corridor beautification, public art, planning, marketing, events, or revitalization of underused properties. (Community Reporter).

5. Support Grand Avenue Businesses During Construction: Amid summer-long roadwork between Snelling and Fairview, St. Paul’s Grand Avenue Business Association, Macalester-Groveland Community Council, and the City launched a “Construction Crawl,” offering cardholders exclusive deals at a dozen local shops, restaurants, and businesses. See participating businesses and details here.

6. Golden Chow Mein to Stay on West 7th: After 38 years on West 7th, Golden Chow Mein stays open under new ownership Oct. 22, menu unchanged, 15-year Twin Cities chef stepping in, owner Kwok Qu Ng guiding transition. (Community Reporter)

7. Light It Up! Night Market & Drag: St. Paul Art Collective and Downtown Alliance hosted Light It Up! Night Market & Drag at Mears Park, drawing 714 for artists, jazz, and drag—free, part of SPDA Summer Activations. Follow the St. Paul Art Collective on Ambit for more local art events and content.

Local News

Reporting from Your Backyard

Catch up on the latest posts from St. Paul journalists and newspapers covering the people, issues, and moments shaping our city.

💡 Remember, Ambit compensates local journalists every time you click the lightbulb “useful” button on their Ambit posts! (Learn more here)

Local Government

Updates from City Hall

Here’s what’s happening in city government — from policy changes to upcoming elections, stay informed on the decisions shaping life in St. Paul.

PAULIE Goes Live

St. Paul’s new digital service hub, PAULIE, launches today, September 17, streamlining how residents, businesses, and contractors apply for permits, pay invoices, and track requests online. While historical records won’t be visible at launch, the system promises a more secure and efficient future for city services. Learn more here.

1. St. Paul’s 2025 budget keeps library support steady—about $23 million with 179 staff—making only minimal trims while adding funds for new materials and targeted building updates. Read more here.

2. Early Voting Kicked Off for City Elections - and Move MN released their endorsements for candidates committed to keeping transit strong. (For more transit related news, follow the Multimodal Transportation Local Topic on Ambit).

3. St. Paul Continues Recovery After July Cyber Attack. St. Paul continues recovering from July’s ransomware attack: no ransom paid, critical systems stayed online, security now covers 90% of systems, and officials report minimal exposure of resident data. Read the full update from Community Reporter.

4. Higher Taxes… again. St. Paul residents face higher 2026 tax bills as the city proposes a 5.3% levy increase, Ramsey County considers 9.75%, and SPPS seeks a $37.2M, 10-year operating levy referendum. (Pioneer Press)

📆 Mark your calendars: The next city-wide election in St. Paul is on November 4th, 2025.

Know Your Neighborhood

Neighborhood Roundup

Check out what is currently happening in these neighborhood District Councils!

Get Involved

Get involved, Say Connected!

Use Ambit to support local businesses, follow neighborhood updates, and be part of what’s happening in your community.

⭐️ Recommend a local business: Recommend businesses on Ambit and help neighbors discover something great.

📰 Share a Story Idea: Submit story ideas to local journalists—share business news or kindness.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Tell a neighbor: Share posts and events with your neighbors, then make plans to get out in the community!

That’s a wrap for this week!
Thanks for staying connected to what’s happening around St. Paul. Keep showing up for your neighborhood, one post, pop-up, or recommendation at a time.

💜 See you out in the neighborhood!

Support Local. Read Local. Be Local.