Things to do in the Greater St. Cloud Area | St. Cloud Shines

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“All work and no play” doesn’t sound like much fun.

But how would we know?

Greater St. Cloud has so much to do—day and night, season after season—that we always find reasons to play. Lots of them, so pace yourself.

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#StCloudShines Stories

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Sep 30

If you're anything like Dave Herdan and Matt Holton, you grew up drinking root beer. Whether it was served up in a can, amber bottle or poured over vanilla ice cream, the rich, sweet taste of root beer symbolizes the carefree days of youth. When Dave moved to Ohio for graduate school, he learned his childhood drink of choice wasn't as easy to come by as it was in Minnesota. He missed it. It reminded him of home.⠀
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When Dave moved back to Minnesota, he began sharing personal reviews of root beer on his Instagram account. This spurred the wild idea of starting his own podcast on the subject. He enlisted the help of his brother-in-law, Matt, who home-brewed beer before it was "a thing" and had expressed interest in expanding into soda. In 2017, the two launched Root Beer Radio (@rootbeerradio), a podcast dedicated to the art of root beer making and tasting.⠀
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The two soda connoisseurs not only brew their own batches from scratch, but they also curate root beers from around the county and give detailed reviews. While the majority of episodes are recorded in Matt's kitchen or Dave's basement, they've taken the show on the road, broadcasting live from the Minnesota Soda Festival, Northern Soda Company taproom and multiple breweries in Alaska.⠀
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Outside of their root beer bubble, Dave is a professional musician and teaches band at Albany High School, while Matt works as an accountant. They don't currently sell or sample their root beer but they might in the future. Follow Root Beer Radio on social media to stay up-to-date on episodes and listen to Root Beer Radio on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or however you stream podcasts. #stcloudshines #podcast #rootbeer ⠀
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Photos by: @savvyphotage

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Sep 15

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Sep 10

Antoinette Lee will be the first to tell you she never thought she could make a living off of her art. From a young age, she enjoyed painting, but as she grew older, the hobby was left behind. It wasn't until an accident ended her 10-year nursing career that she revisited her childhood talent. And when she did, art became more than an outlet for creativity. It became therapeutic and life-giving.⠀
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After some research, Antoinette realized she wasn't alone in her need for art therapy. She wondered if she could bring the same experience to others who were suffering or just needed their spirits lifted, while also monetizing the work she produced. With the encouragement of her husband, children, friends and family and help from local resources, Higher Works Collaborative, Juugard Leadership, herARTS in Action and Initiative Foundation, Antoinette brought her vision to life with No Limit Painting.⠀
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The name No Limit Painting came from her personal mission to help others embrace their art. "When I started this business I found that people were afraid to love their own artwork. If you stop comparing yourself to other artists and just accept your art and love your art as it is, there really is no limit to what you can create," said Antoinette.⠀
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Antoinette works full-time as a paraprofessional at District 742, but during summer months, nights and weekends she hosts No Limit Painting parties, where attendees paint a pre-sketched canvas or freestyle on a blank canvas with her creative guidance. In addition to hosting pop-up events, Antoinette also works with organizations to lead team-building and youth engagement painting events.⠀
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To book a No Limits Painting party, shop Antoinette's work or connect with her, tap the link in bio. #stcloudshines #nonprofit #nolimitpainting #artist #paintparty #arttherapy #shopsmall @nolimitpaintingmn
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Photos by: @savvyphotage

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Sep 1

Nearly two years after the original skate park was torn down to build Costco, the City of St. Cloud has officially opened Heritage Park Skate Plaza, a $1.03-million dollar skate park covering 22,000 square feet, nestled between Costco and Stearns History Museum.⠀
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Paid for by Costco as a part of the purchasing agreement with the city, Heritage Park Skate Plaza includes a large plaza and large bowl with depths of 4, 5 and 6 feet and a partial 7-foot extension. It has lights, bathrooms and drinking fountains and is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.⠀
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The park was constructed by St. Joseph-based contractor W. Gohman Construction, with help from the team at City of St. Cloud Park & Rec and significant input from the local skating community. It will undoubtedly be enjoyed by thousands of families for years to come. #stcloudshines #skatepark #thingstodo⠀
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Photos by @savvyphotage

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Aug 25

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Aug 18

A few years ago, Brandon and Clare Richards volunteered at an annual back-to-school backpack drive. While participating, they were stunned to learn just how many children rely on local resources/donations to obtain their school supplies every year.⠀
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Moved by the experience, they dug deeper into the research and uncovered the average family spends roughly $117 per student on school supplies, such as notebooks, pencils, backpacks and lunchboxes, each year. Inherently curious, Brandon and Clare couldn't help but brainstorm a more accessible solution. And that's when things really took off.⠀
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Flash forward three years later, Brandon left his full-time job to launch Impacks (@myimpacks) in January 2020. Impacks aims to offer a quick and convenient option for parents to purchase school supplies while also acting as a fundraising tool for schools.⠀
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Schools sign up (at no cost to them) and provide Impacks with supply lists by grade level. Impacks curates the supply packs, which parents purchase online. At checkout, an optional donation can be made to the school. Impacks matches the first $5 donated on EVERY order, making it a win-win situation. Parents save money and don't have to go to the store and schools raise money in the process.⠀
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Although COVID-19 threw a kink in Impacks' Fall 2020 rollout, they secured partnerships with a handful of area elementary schools and anticipate expanding to more next year. However, when Brandon and Clare learned the annual backpack drive that inspired Impacks wasn't happening this year due to pandemic-related restraints, they wanted to find another way to help.⠀
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From now until Aug. 31, Impacks has partnered with @unitedwaycenmn in a community-wide school supply drive. For every 5 packs funded, Impacks will donate one full pack to the drive. Full packs start at $30, but half-packs ($15) and quarter-packs ($7.50) can also be purchased.⠀
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👆Tap the link in bio to make a donation or to learn more about Impacks. #stcloudshines #supplydrive #smallbusiness #schoolsupplies #backtoschool
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Photos by: @savvyphotage

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Aug 11

As someone who has worked in the fitness industry for over a decade, Nick Evans was no stranger to preparing healthy food for himself. But when it came to grabbing something on the go or dining out with others, he craved a local option beyond the familiar fast food or bar & grill scene. Nick saw an opportunity to expand his knowledge and passion for wellness by opening a different kind of restaurant in Greater St. Cloud.⠀
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Last year, Nick closed the gym he had been operating for four years to focus his efforts on Cloud 9 Energy Bowls, a restaurant serving up indulgent, nutrient-packed, superfood smoothie bowls that are *almost* too pretty to eat. After a few setbacks related to COVID-19, Nick opened @cloud9energybowls in July to notable fanfare.⠀
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Cloud 9 is located in Waite Park, across the parking lot from Target, next to the former Famous Daves. Guests can build their own bowl or choose from seven Signature Bowls, including the Electric Flamingo, a mixture of coconut, berries granola and honey and the Gamma (pictured), which combined layers fruity sorbet topped with granola, nuts and a peanut butter drizzle. Bowls come in three sizes and start at $6.99.⠀
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Cloud 9 is open daily, Monday-Friday ( 9a-6p) and weekends (9a-4p). For more information tap the link in bio. #stcloudshines #cloud9 #smallbusiness⠀
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Photos by: @savvyphotage

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Aug 4

When his wife wanted to quit her corporate finance job to move back to her hometown of Rice, MN, and work on her family's farm, Jon Hicks wasn't so sure about the idea. As @stcloudstate grads, they were both familiar with central Minnesota, but Jon's career in commercial real estate appraising was especially localized to the Twin Cities. In early 2019, after two and a half years of making duel residences in both cities work, Jon locked in a remote appraising job and made the permanent move to St. Cloud.⠀
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Then began the search for personal office space, which resulted in an even bigger idea: start his own coworking space. Jon loved the walkability and historic charm of downtown St. Cloud and decided to purchase the former Thelen Advertising Building. Within a few months, a major renovation was underway. The couple utilized @boserconstruction and GLT Architects to bring many of the building's original features back to life, including exposing hidden skylights, floors, ceilings, brick walls and more.⠀
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In early 2020, Apiary Coworking opened to the public. The space offers 15 private offices, including one "team" room capable of accommodating a larger team of 4-5 people, and several open office desks for those who don't desire a dedicated office but want to use the common spaces (kitchen, conference room, lounges, etc.). Membership prices vary based on an individual or company's needs.⠀
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Apiary is offering Greater St. Cloud Instagram followers a special discount. Mention ST. CLOUD SHINES and receive:⠀

👉Your first day FREE (normally $30)⠀
👉50% off your first month (w/ a 6-month lease)⠀
👉1 month FREE (w/ a 12-month lease)⠀
👉2 months FREE (w/ an 18-month lease)⠀
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Email Jon at welcome.apiarycoworking@gmail.com or tap the link in bio. #stcloudshines #smallbusiness #coworking
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Photos by: @savvyphotage