City Beat: Bringing People Together With Art, Voting Gets Underway, and Walking Through Time

September 28, 2022

It's starting to look and feel like fall, and you know what that means! The Red Wing Arts Fall Festival is almost here. Downtown will be abuzz with artistic activity on October 8-9, and we can't wait to be wowed with works of art, performances, food, and more. Be sure to join in on all the excitement.

Art That Brings People Together

A year of learning and listening is about to begin. The upcoming Dakota Mural Project will culminate in a colorful mural at 320 Bluff Street next to the Eisenhower Bridge of Valor. The first step: Getting folks together to reflect, talk, and heal – and work together toward a mural that acknowledges the past while celebrating the future for our Dakota and Red Wing communities together. Engagement sessions start in October. The first chance for learning and input is at the Red Wing Arts Fall Festival, October 8 and 9. (Look for the Dakota Mural Activity.) Click here to see additional October dates, and watch the video here.

2-Minute Watch

The Dakota Mural Project:

What, When, and Why?

It's Voting Time

Absentee voting locations

Goodhue County Government Center

509 West Fifth St.

City Hall

315 West Fourth St.

Request a ballot online

The November 8 state general election is 41 days away, but it's already time to start voting. Early voting is officially underway, and you can cast your ballot absentee from now until November 7. Learn more about the candidates on local ballots by watching the League of Women Voters candidate forum recordings. This election includes four City Council seats, and your vote is critical in deciding who will have a seat come next January. Here are the City Council candidates vying to be elected:

Wards 1 and 2: Ron Goggin and Dean Hove

Ward 3: Becky Norton and Jason J. Snyder

Ward 4: Vicki Jo Lambert and Ted Seifert

At Large: Janie M. Farrar and Chad Kono

Amos Owen Award Nominations Still Open

Know someone who protects and promotes human rights in our community? They could be your neighbor, colleague, friend, or anyone else you know. You still have time to nominate them for the 2022 Amos Owen Award, sponsored by the Human Rights Commission. Applications are open until 4 p.m. this Friday, September 30. The winner will be honored at the October 10th City Council meeting. Click the link above or call 651.385.3618 to submit your nomination today!

Get All Fired Up for This Open House

October 16, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Fire Station 1, 420 Plum St.

Fire trucks, ambulances, fire safety education, station tours – the 2022 Fire Department Open House will have it all and more. Come chat with firefighters and say hi to our favorite firefighting mascot Sparky the Fire Dog. Be sure to stop by Fire Station 1 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on October 16 to take part in this spark-tacular event!

More Housing on the Way

Summer may be thought of as the traditional construction season, but as fall gets underway, a new construction project is on deck in the coming months. After getting the green light from City Council with conditions of approval, Keller-Baartman can move forward with plans for the second phase of their Park Place development, located across Tyler Road from Mayo Clinic Health System-Red Wing. Park Place Plaza proposes to bring 78 senior rental units on the same site as Park Place Apartments, which was phase one of the project. Get more details on the project in this report.

Walking Through Time

Cooler weather means that it's the perfect time to head out for a stroll, and in a prime example of great timing, strolling through Red Wing's historic architecture just got a whole lot easier. Our new desktop- and mobile-friendly digital architectural walking tour will take you through four different historic districts in town, identifying iconic locations along the way. Learn how you can walk through our architectural history in this video.

All in a Day's Work

The Red Wing Police Department is officially one officer stronger. Megan Bultje was sworn in as a Patrol Officer at Monday's City Council meeting after passing her one-year probationary period. Megan first joined the department as a Reserve Officer in February 2020 before she was hired as a full-time officer in August of 2021. Congratulations on this milestone, Megan! Watch Megan's full introduction and badge pinning here.