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Macalester-Groveland & Highland Area

Home Improvement Workshop Day

Sat., March 11, 2023 | 9Am-1PM
Cretin Derham Hall

The Macalester-Groveland Community Council and Highland District Council are bringing back the Home Improvement Fair, newly titled Home Improvement Workshop Day! For 20 years, the Home Improvement Fair has been one of our neighborhood’s most popular events, bringing hundreds of area homeowners to attend and learn about local businesses and vendor’s products, services, and/or educational efforts.

Click the button to find the Home Improvement Workshop Day schedule!

Workshops

See below for the workshops taking place at this year’s Home Improvement Workshop Day!

Workshop: maintaining your stucco 

Smith co. stucco & stone

9:00 AM | ROOM A101

Learn more about the maintenance and care of your stucco home at this workshop presented by Smith Co. Stucco & Stone.

Workshop: Metal Roofing

Austad Construction Company

9:00 AM | ROOM 105

Learn more about metal roofing at this workshop presented by Austad Construction Co.

Workshop: Home Electrification: Converting from Gas to Electric

Transition ASAP Home Electrification

11:00 AM | ROOM 105

Our use of fossil fuels heats the atmosphere and alters climate. What can we do locally to help counter this global problem? Our homes’ carbon emissions come from the fossil gas we use for cooking, heating, and clothes drying. We can eliminate these direct emissions by converting our gas appliances to electric. Our electricity is 60% carbon-free now, and Xcel intends to become totally carbon-free. Actually doing this conversion involves efficient appliances, a well-insulated and air-sealed house, and a circuit breaker panel capable of the additional electric load. The low cost of gas and Minnesota’s winter weather add to the challenge of avoiding a larger utility bill. The presentation looks at ways to balance the interactions of these factors. It looks at specific appliance types, considers electrical needs, explores heat pumps and how they interact with the house’s winter heat loss, and suggests a need for a whole house energy plan.

Workshop: Solar Basics

All Energy Solar

10:00 AM | ROOM 107

Current state of solar in MN, how solar works grid tied and battery backup, current incentives, environmental and local impacts.

Workshop: Old windows – restore or replace?

Restoration Window Systems

10:00 AM | ROOM 108

Original windows can be made energy efficient and to look great again! Paul Schmidt is a long time industry veteran who has been in the business since the 1990s

Workshop: Aging in Place

Refined Homes

9:00 AM | ROOM 102

Every home remodel project can incorporate features to make the space function more easily for every member in the family, not just those considered to be aging. We’ll educate the audience about building practices for (primarily older) homes that allow a person to stay in their home as mobility declines.

Workshop: EV Charging Solutions

Ray of Light Electric

12:00PM | ROOM 106

Learn more about energy efficiency and EV charging at this workshop presented by Ray of Light Electric.

Workshop: Original Window Repair and Restoration

Hayes Window Restoration

12:00 PM | ROOM 106

Our workshop will cover basic original window maintenance that DIYers can tackle themselves, including sash cord repair, window sash tune-up, working with original weatherstripping, and putty and glass repair.

Workshop: Plan, Design and Remodeling your Kitchen

Castle Building & Remodeling

11:00 AM | ROOM 105

Starting with an idea, then a design, and finally the construction of your newly remodeled kitchen. A step-by-step presentation on what to expect when planning and constructing one of your most featured spaces in the home.

Workshop: Composting 101

City of St. Paul Recycling and Solid Waste

11:00 AM | ROOM 102

Learn more about composting 101 and food waste reduction at this workshop presented by the City of St. Paul’s Recycling and Solid Waste department.

Workshop: Energy Bill 101 – Understand your bills and save energy

Citizens Utility Board

12:00 PM | ROOM 108

Energy bills hold insightful information about energy use. What do those line items mean and what can be controlled? What can be done to reduce a bill? This interactive session will help attendees interpret their energy bills, identify usage patterns, discover reasons behind their usage levels, and discover relevant energy and money saving strategies. Bring your energy bills and all your questions!

Workshop: The Inflation Reduction Act and You

Fresh Energy

10:00 AM | ROOM 105

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is the largest investment in climate action in U.S. history that will result in 1 billion metric tons of annual emissions reductions by 2030. And the American consumer has a huge role to play. While the IRA impacts all aspects of decarbonization across industries, it also incentivizes Americans with rebates and tax credits to end dependence on fossil fuels and take a bite out of personal carbon emissions—and save money while doing it.

workshop: accessory dwelling units in st. paul

YardHomes MN & City of St. Paul

12:00 PM | ROOM 105

A workshop introducing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and explaining the current rules in St. Paul.

Got Equity? Let trustone financial explore your options

TruStone Financial

11AM | ROOM 107

Learn more about home equity with this workshop presented by TruStone Financial

Tablers

In addition to the workshops, there will also be city/county employees and nonprofits tabling at the event between 9am-1pm to discuss projects going on in and around the neighborhood.

Click on the icons to learn more about each project and/or organization.

City of St. Paul transportation

Grand, Cretin/Bayard residential mill and overlay, Fairview Ave resurfacing

Saint paul regional water services

Lead Free SPRWS 2023 Projects

City of st. paul public works

Snow, recycling, and garbage information

Little free library

Table top display & Little Free Library information

Highland heritage project

Collecting and documenting information on the history of Highland

Saint Paul Tool Library

The Minnesota Tool Library is a cooperative, volunteer-driven nonprofit that offers our community Access Over Ownership . They believe you don’t need to privately own costly tools that clutter cupboards, basements and garages… it’s a waste of space, money and resources that could be better utilized by building in community. Come learn more at the HIWD!

MGCC & HDC

Stop by and learn more about your local district councils

Trustone financial

Swing by to learn about their current home loan program and discuss all things equity

Local Business Owners

For guidelines, applications, or other Home Improvement Workshop questions, please contact alyssa@macgrove.org
Presenting a workshop

As a presenter, you will have the opportunity to present a workshop to communicate the importance of services or products your company provides. Workshop space is limited and workshops will be chosen by the event organizers. Our objective is to provide a wide array of workshop topics that pertain to community interests, which we have gathered from community members through a recent poll.

Workshop Presentation Application

Home Improvement Workshop Day will take place on Saturday, March 11, 2023 from 9am-1pm at Cretin Derham Hall. If you are interested in participating as a workshop presenter, please fill out an application and return it to alyssa@macgrove.org. We will review applications and inform all applicants on an ongoing basis up until the application deadline: Saturday, February 11, 2023. The priority application deadline is Saturday, December 31, 2022.

In addition to presenting a workshop presenters will also receive:
  • Listing of your company/organization in the HIW program that will be distributed to all attendees
  • Promotional announcement in the following publications:
  • Facebook: updates on a Home Improvement Workshop page and posts on the Macalester-Groveland Community Council and Highland District Council pages
  • Macalester-Groveland Community Council print newsletter, distribution 8,500
  • Highland District Council print newsletter, distribution 12,500
  • Macalester-Groveland Community Council & Highland District Council electronic newsletter, distribution 5000+
  • Instagram: updates on a Home Improvement Workshop page and posts on the Macalester-Groveland Community Council and Highland District Council pages
  • Posters displayed at local banks and businesses
  • Macalester-Groveland Community Council website (www.macgrove.org) will feature a list of workshop presenters for community members to consider for their home renovation needs
  • Highland District Council website (www.highlanddistrictcouncil.org) will feature a list of workshop presenters for community members to consider for their home renovation needs.

Payment

Please submit payment with your application – you can pay via check written out to MGCC and mailed to 320 Griggs St S, St. Paul, MN 55105 or pay via paypal below . If your application is not approved, your payment will be reimbursed by check within 30 days of the application deadline.

Community Members

FOR QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT ALYSSA@MACGROVE.ORG
What is Home Improvement Workshop Day?

Home Improvement Workshop Day (HIWD) is the revitalized Home Improvement Fair. Attend one of 4-6 workshops every hour between the hours of 9am and 1pm. Each workshop will pertain to various topics deemed relevant to the community members of Mac-Grove and Highland. The list of workshops offered at HIWD will be available beginning in January.

Will there be a list of resources I can reference after the HIWD?

Yes, we will update this webpage as we get closer to the date of the event with a list of resources you can reference after the event. This webpage will be accessible year round.

Workshop Topics

See below for a list of workshops, presenters, and additional resources.