Overview

With funding from the 2025 Commercial Corridor Program, the West 7th Street/Fort Road Federation launched West 7th VIBE, a community-powered initiative designed to energize the West 7th corridor through a series of public art installations, creative business collaborations, and free, hyper-local events. The VIBE program offers funding to help artists and businesses who want to bring vibrancy and visibility to the corridor. For 2026, the West 7th/Fort Road Federation plans on continuing the VIBE program with an emphasis on public art and beautification in addition to the development of their West 7th Brochure and passport program.

What the funding supports

A large crowd fills the Bad Weather Brewing patio during Croctoberfest, seen through the taproom windows with Bavarian pennants overhead.

Events

Event funds support nine community events across the corridor, ranging in size and scope. See details on each event below.

Learn more about Events
Three artists on ladders paint a mural featuring a 620 Club emblem on a brick wall.

Public Art

Public art funds bring murals, sculptures and banners by local artists to the corridor.

Learn more about Public Art
West 7th Street brochure cover with a historic downtown Saint Paul map and "WEST 7TH ST." in large brown letters.

Marketing

Marketing funds back the West 7th Brochure and the Discover West 7th passport program.

Learn more about Marketing
Fort Road Federation bike rack on West 7th Street, viewed from a wider-angle showing planters and neighboring buildings.

Beautification

Beautification funds support hanging floral baskets and bike racks, along with a subgrant for storefront and streetscape projects.

Learn more about Beautification

Events

Flyer for a free outdoor Pilates class by Pilates for the People and Nine Lives, October 26 at 10:15 a.m., 1165 West 7th Street.

Nine Lives Pilates for the People

"Nine Lives Pilates for the People" was a series of events funded by the West 7th VIBE program. The series provided free, outdoor pilates classes at Nine Lives Thrift Store through a partnership with Pilates for the People. The sessions were open to all skill levels and offered a community wellness pop-up on the corridor. 

West Fest on 7th 2026 Informational Poster

West Fest

West Fest on 7th is an annual two-day community get-together featuring food trucks, live music and a raffle. West Fest 2026 is hosted by St. Stan’s on September 12 and 13.

Graphic for the Mending Meetup and Mend-Along Clinic with Bethany Mae and RETHINK, Monday, June 8, 6–8:30 p.m. at Nine Lives on West 7th.

Mending Mondays

Mending Mondays is a series of mending meetups and mend-alongs offered in partnership by Nine Lives Thift Store and RETHINK Tailoring, a sustainable upcycling company. 

Community Reporter Office Hours graphic with chalk-drawn light bulbs on a chalkboard background.

Community Reporter Office Hours

Community Reporter Office Hours is a series of events hosted by the Community Reporter, a local newspaper, allowing local businesses and community members to meet with the paper's board and staff. The Community Partner partnered with local businesses and organizations along West 7th to bring their office to hear from the community, talk about neighborhood issues, and share some of what they are working on.

Two musicians pose with a keyboard at a Sounds of Schmidt performance during the St. Paul Spring Art Crawl.

Sounds of Schmidt

Sounds of Schmidt was a music festival held during the St. Paul Art Crawl at the Schmidt Rathskeller building. It featured more than 50 performances.

Two performers on a stage in front of a wood-paneled backdrop, both mid-performance.

Open Mic Schmidt Show

Good Vibes Open Mic Show was hosted at the Schmidt Artist's Lofts by the Schmidt Actors Group. 

A museum educator shows visitors crocodile fossils at a Croctoberfest event in a brewery taproom.

Croctoberfest

Croctoberfest was a family-friendly, crocodile-themed Oktoberfest held at Bad Weather Brewing Company in partnership with the Science Museum of Minnesota. The event featured live alligators, a museum pop-up and educational presentations.

Graphic for the Tease Salon Holiday Market, Saturday, November 29, 3–6 p.m., with art, gifts, food, and tarot vendors.

Holiday Maker's Market

Tease Salon held a holiday maker's market featuring an evening of handcrafted gifts, art and great food.  The event brought local makers and artists together at the West 7th salon, creating a holiday shopping and community gathering opportunity while supporting small businesses and activating the commercial corridor.

Graphic for Giving Back with Inspiro, December 13, 4–8 p.m., with holiday illustrations and a waving robot.

Giving Back with Inspiro

The Giving Back with Inspiro Fundraiser was a community arts fundraiser celebrating MiracleArts' second anniversary. Held at the Schmidt Artists Lofts in December 2025, the event invited young artists to showcase their latest projects and creative journeys. The fundraiser featured live music, a community raffle and a youth-led toy drive to give back to families in need. 

Public Art

Finished 620 Club mural on West 7th Street reading "Everyone's Welcome," with vintage-style illustrations celebrating the bar and Saint Paul.

620 Club Mural

"Vibes and Lives as West 7th Thrives" is a mural on the 620 Club building, funded through the Fort Road Federation's West 7th VIBE program. It was designed by Booka B and painted by local artist Elliot Looney, with help from Hillside Murals. Commercial Corridor Program funds supported the VIBE program, which awarded the subgrant that made the mural possible.

Wooden peaked-arch entryway with a silver mosaic cloud sculpture in front of Bad Weather Brewing at 414 W. 7th Street, with the brewery's patio and wine barrel planters visible.

Sculpture and Trellis

"Sculpture and Trellis" is an art piece created by artist Joseph Giambruno and Joel Terry (Artist) at Bad Weather Brewing, funded through the Fort Road Federation's West 7th VIBE program. Commercial Corridor Program funds supported the VIBE program, which awarded the subgrant that made the sculpture and trellis possible.

West 7th Arts District logo with a blue "W7" monogram and Matisse-inspired cut-paper shapes in the corners on a cream background.

Color the Corridor

"Color the Corridor" is an artistic branding of the W 7th Arts District, funded through the Fort Road Federation's West 7th VIBE program. Commercial Corridor Program funds supported the VIBE program, which awarded the subgrant that made the artistic branding possible.

St Paul's West Seventh Then & Now cover graphic with a 2026 aerial photo of the riverfront and downtown skyline.

West 7th Then & Now

"West 7th Then & Now" was a photography exhibit by local artist Ethan Smith, funded through the Fort Road Federation's West 7th VIBE program. The exhibit showcased the rich history and modern vitality of one of St. Paul's oldest working-class neighborhoods. Commercial Corridor Program funds supported the VIBE program, which helped make the exhibit possible.

Marketing

Cover of the vintage West 7th Street "Potentials & Possibilities" brochure, with a stylized map and text panel.

West 7th Brochure

The West 7th Brochure is a project by the West 7th/Fort Road Federation to update its historic brochure, originally created in the 1970s to document the neighborhood, promote local destinations and strengthen the identity of the corridor. Commercial Corridor Program funds will be used to create the updated brochure, celebrating the corridor and highlighting areas of opportunity.

Graphic for Discover West 7th: A Shop Small Adventure, June 1–July 31 — shop local and win prizes.

Discover West 7th

Discover West 7th is a passport program encouraging residents and visitors to explore and shop local. Shoppers earn a stamp with each purchase at participating businesses, and completed cards are entered into a raffle. The program is funded with Commercial Corridor Program funds.

Beautification

Two hanging baskets of red begonias and trailing creeping jenny on a Snelling Avenue streetlight, with Snelling Cafe and St. Paul Guitar Repair storefronts visible.

Blooming Saint Paul

Blooming Saint Paul is an annual flower basket program made possible through a partnership between the City of Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Department and the Saint Paul Garden Club. The Commercial Corridor Program will fund the installation of 90 flower baskets along the east end of West 7th Street.

Red bike rack with a Fort Road Federation medallion installed on a West 7th Street sidewalk in front of the historic building.

Bike Racks

The West 7th/Fort Road Federation plans to install custom bike racks to support multimodal transportation access and encourage visitors to explore the corridor by bicycle. Commercial Corridor Program funds will pay for the design and installation of the racks.

Row of West 7th Street storefronts including Day by Day Cafe in a lavender-painted historic brick building with green awnings, next to a red brick building housing a Thrift Store.

Beautification Fund

The West 7th/Fort Road Federation plans to create a subgrant fund for storefront and streetscape beautification projects using Commercial Corridor Program funds. Potential projects include public art installations such as murals, the design and installation of custom planters, sidewalk signage, and other smaller, beautification and placemaking improvements.