After a two year postponement, the Hmong International Freedom Festival is returning to Como Park next weekend, July 2-3. You can find more information about the festivities on the Freedom Festival website, and more details of what to expect in the area before and after the event below.
You may have noticed the festival fencing already being installed around the McMurray Field/Como Pool area. Here’s what we know about what else to expect in the neighborhood over the next week:
- Lexington and Como Pool will be fenced last.
- Road closures begin: Thursday, June 30 – The City will close the following roads on Thursday, June 30 at approximately 9pm (after the ball games at McMurray) to secure the site for load-in on Friday:
- Wynne at Lexington
- Jessamine at Hamline
- Load-in day: Friday, July 1, 5am–10pm
- Vendor load-in will be coordinated through the SPPD. Vendors will stage in the State Fair parking lot. Each vendor will have a specific time slot to enter the festival grounds and set-up/unload. From the State Fair lot, they will proceed up Jessamine and into the festival grounds. SPPD will be on site to manage load-in. Vehicle load in will run from 6am–8pm, then from 8pm–10pm they may only enter through the pedestrian gates.
- Event dates: Saturday, July 2 and Sunday, July 3, 6am–12pm
- Temporary parking restrictions will be in place July 2- July 3. One side of the street parking in portions of Ward 5 (Dist. 6) and Ward 4 (Dist. 10). Special parking permits will be issued to local churches and business owners who may be impacted by the parking ban to allow parking during worship times or business hours.
- The United Hmong Family is required to rent parking lots at the MN State Fair and provide free shuttle service to and from the fair lots to discourage parking in the neighborhoods.
- Como Streetcar station parking lot may be used for disability parking – this is not yet confirmed.
- Trash and recycle bins will be placed outside the festival grounds and spread out through the neighborhoods and at key intersections.
- Park workers will be working in the neighborhoods picking trash that gets dropped as people come and go from their vehicles.
- Hamline to Snelling and Jessamine to Midway Parkway
- Lexington to Como Ave and Horton to Front
- Load out: Sunday, July 3
- Load-out will be coordinated through the SPPD and will commence Sunday evening when the crowd has dispersed enough to safely let vendor vehicles in. SPPD will make that call. Vendors will only be allowed to bring their vehicle in when SPPD has verified they have taken their tent down and everything is packed up and ready to go.
- Roads re-open: Monday, July 4 at 6:00 am
- Cleanup day: Monday, July 4 beginning at 6:00 am
- Fencing removal starts: Saturday, July 4 – The fencing will be removed first around the Como Pool on July 4. Removal of fencing must be complete by July 8.
Como Pool Impacts
- Changed from last week: The Como pool will be closed July 1-5. Highland Park Aquatic Center, Phalen Beach, and splash pads will be open for those who need to cool off.
Beulah Ln. Food Scraps Drop-Off Site Impacts
- The Como Park Food Scraps drop-off site (1149 Beulah Lane) will be closed July 1-5 due to the Hmong International Freedom Festival. During this time site access will be blocked.
- The Como Park drop-off site will re-open July 6.
- Find other drop-off sites at RamseyRecycles.com/FoodScraps.