Bring Your Business to River's Edge Convention Center

It’s true the River’s Edge Convention Center is where many of the area’s largest events are held -- but, did you know you can rent out meeting spaces for businesses and small socials, too? 

The River’s Edge now has space to make your event more productive and enjoyable. Along with offering comfortable accommodations for all types of businesses and organizations, we also provide equipment rentals, catering and other services. The Convention Center was built with all kinds of events and meetings in consideration and we have flexible space configurations.

After you book the space you will need for your meeting or event, we will assist with the rest. The convenience of the River’s Edge doesn’t stop at our central location and state-of-the-art facility. We also can provide you with event coordination, specialized seating arrangements, audio/visual setup and standby services.

We have a variety of rooms that are ideal for company meetings or all-day conferences. The spaces feature 10-foot ceilings with full setup and takedown of tables, chairs, stage and basic sound system. The capacity of our board rooms are 5-20 people. Need a little more space? Other rooms and our suites can accommodate between 45-500 people. Rooms within suites can be combined or divided to suit your specific needs.

No matter the event or the occasion, River’s Edge Convention Center can help make it a success with our space. Contact us today and we can help you start planning!

River's Edge Offers Versatility for Weddings in Central Minnesota

When you hear the name “River’s Edge Convention Center,” chances are, you immediately think of large conventions or concerts. While our expansive facility does play host to a huge variety of central Minnesota’s largest events, we’re also at your service for your personal events - for example, your wedding!

Our large, elegant, riverside facility defines the word “versatile.” Whether you’re arranging an elaborate celebration for hundreds of people, or simply want one room for a more intimate event, we’ve got you covered. Our central, downtown location, complete with plenty of parking and lodging options, is a natural fit for any wedding party.

Plus, with our deep-rooted business and community connections, we can help you locate the perfect team of professionals to plan every aspect of your wedding - cuisine to entertainment. We’ll also lend a hand with all the small, yet crucial details that contribute to the perfect party.

Our request? Give us plenty of advance notice, but please don’t book your celebration over one year in advance. Please have a solid estimate of how many guests you’ll have, so we can coordinate the perfectly sized space and accommodations. Again, all the finer details - including cost and payment info - are located on our website.

So, as you begin to draw up your list of wedding ideas, pencil in the River’s Edge Convention Center; we’d love to be part of making your big day the party of a lifetime!

Holly Ball to Celebrate 40th Anniversary at River's Edge

For years, the St. Cloud community has gathered together for one night to raise money for some of the area’s most charitable organizations. Throughout the years, this event, hosted by the CentraCare Health Foundation, has raised more than $5 million for these wonderful causes. This year, the Holly Ball is celebrating 40 years and all proceeds will benefit the St. Cloud Hospital Hospice and Coborn Cancer Center Greatest Needs Funds to go towards items that are not covered by insurance, but make life better for local families in need.

Touted as one of the area’s premier annual galas, the 40th Anniversary Holly Ball will be held at the St. Cloud River’s Edge Convention Center. This year, an all-new after-party will start at midnight with entertainment by the popular band, Hairball. The main event starts at 6:30 p.m. and includes entertainment by the Fabulous Armadillos and Sell Out Stereo, a silent auction and hors d’oeuvres. The theme of the ball is “A Ruby Celebration.”

The event has been held at River’s Edge Convention Center since 2007. Last year, more than 1,800 guests attended to dance, dine and have a great time. The convention center provides an optimum location on the river and close proximity to downtown hotels. Valet parking will be available and is strongly encouraged and the River's Edge Convention Center Ramp will also be open.

Tickets can be purchased online or by calling the CentraCare Health Foundation at 320-240-2810.

S.C.A.R. Dolls Returning to River's Edge Convention Center Nov. 8

In September the S.C.A.R. Dolls skated in the River’s Edge Convention Center for the first time. The team made their downtown debut with an intrasquad bout with a huge crowd of over 700 and we are happy to announce they are returning Nov. 8. The team, based in St. Cloud, has been wanting to make their way downtown, especially nearing the winter months to give families more events to attend in the colder times of the year. Now, they have a regular home downtown.

The team was formed in 2011 to create an opportunity for women in the Central Minnesota area to participate in roller derby -- a challenging, exciting and empowering sport. They are now the one and only women’s flat track roller derby league in the area.

Along with bringing family-friendly entertainment to the downtown St. Cloud area, the S.C.A.R. Dolls actively work with local charities, including the Tri-County Humane Society, Anna Marie’s Alliance, the Boys & Girls Clubs and the United Way. The bout on Nov. 8 will benefit The Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central MN Operation Military Mentoring Program.

The River’s Edge Convention Center is excited to provide the S.C.A.R. Dolls with home turf in the downtown area and we look forward to hosting more bouts for them in 2015.

To purchase tickets for the Nov. 8 intrasquad bout between the Gargoyle Brigade and the Pin-Up Prowlers, find your favorite roller girl or get them at any of these local ticket outlets -- The Skatin’ Place, Granite City Comics and Games or the Youth Shelter Supply. Tickets are $10 presale and $11 at the door. The Nov. 8 bout will be in the Terry Haws A and B rooms at River's Edge and feature a glow in the dark dance party (audience participation encouraged!) and an after-party at D.B. Searle’s.

Minnesota Quilt Show and Conference 2014

Calling all quilting enthusiasts! The 36th annual Minnesota Quilt Show and Conference is kicking off on June 12th, and we here at River’s Edge Convention Center are pleased to be the host!

The popular event brings quilters of all ages from around Minnesota together for three days of classes, lectures, exhibits and a final-day auction - all related to the time-honored tradition of quilting.

The conference technically begins on June 11th; at that time, you can register, meet some
of the guest teachers and lecturers, and take a peek at the Merchant Mall, where you can
purchase handmade items throughout the exhibition.

While advance registration has already closed, you’re definitely still invited to drop by downtown St. Cloud to take in what the show has to offer. Check with the admissions staff at the entrance to see a list of speakers and classes - even if you haven’t registered yet, you might still be able to find an opening in an event you’d like to attend.

As far as logistics are concerned, quilts and vendors will be hosted within the River's Edge
Convention Center in the Terry Hawes and Glenn Carlson Halls. Lectures will be held at the
adjacent Kelly Inn, and classes will be held at the in the River’s Edge Convention Center and
the Kelly Inn.

The River’s Edge is within a stone’s throw of a goodly amount of fine dining, but you’re also
welcome to lunch poolside at the Kelly Inn. They’ll be offering multi-course lunches and
beverages each day from 11am-1pm. The concession stand in River’s Edge Convention Center will also be serving snacks and drinks throughout the day.

If getting around is a challenge for you or a loved one, and you’d still like to visit the quilt show, it’s not an issue; MN Mobility will be on hand with a variety of scooters and other mobility gear. They’ll be stationed in the main lobby of the convention center, but if you’d like to make advanced reservations, visit their website.

The cost to attend varies depends on age and Minnesota Quilters, Inc. membership; to see the breakdown, visit their website.

Minnesota Quilters, Inc. is a volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to the celebration of quilting. Our activities and events are structured to honor the past, celebrate the present, and nurture the future of this time-honored traditional craft in all its forms.

The Art-o-Mat

River’s Edge Convention Center features the internationally used Art-o-Mat. Art-o-Mat is a
transformed retired cigarette vending machine that vends original artwork for the low price of $5.00. River’s Edge’s Art-o-Mat is located on the second floor and is a glossy sky blue color. Over 400 artists contribute their work to be showcased in the various dispensers around the world.

River’s Edge has always been an advocate for the art world; the Art-o-Mat is a unique piece of artwork that was first developed by Clark Whittington in 1997. While observing a friend unwrap a cellophane snack, Whittington noticed he had a Pavlovian reaction to the crinkling sound and developed a strong urge for one as well. This is how his idea for Artists in Cellophane was created and why we have the Art-o-Mat today. The mission of AIC is to combine art and commerce in a creative way to encourage art consumption. The idea is that when you hear a patron unwrapping their artwork, you will want one too.

Art-o-Mat accepts submissions from all levels of artists. Digital prints, inkjet desktop prints,
photocopies are rarely included in the Art-o-Mat’s because the “human touch” vs. something
mechanized is much more appealing. You could receive a piece of jewelry, sculpture, painting, drawing or an art piece that fits into these little boxes.

The Art-o-Mat has an element of mystery and intrigue that is sure to delight you with a pleasant memento.

To “kerplunk” your own Art-o-Mat art work come visit us during our open hours: http://bit.ly/1lyvR7z

To become an Artist in Cellophane visit: http://bit.ly/1lyvR7z

The Painting on the Wall

When you walk into the St. Cloud River’s Edge Convention Center. What is the first thing you see?  It is almost always the mural painted on the wall by the stairs that go up to our second floor. This mural is a sight to see. A lot of work went into making this possible and we are proud to have it in our building.

The mural represents the cross section of the Mississippi River as it flows through the town of St. Cloud, MN.  The Mississippi is the 4^th largest watershed. It crosses 32 U.S. states and takes approximately 90 days to get from the headwaters in Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico. The St. Cloud part of the river is lush in nature and wildlife and was a key aspect that they wanted to convey in the mural design.

The painting process started in October of 2011 and was a collaborative effort of artists for 3 months. Melissa Gohman, the Visual Arts Director for the Paramount Arts Resource Trust was the director and driving force behind the whole project. The origin and idea for the wall came from the name change of the St. Cloud River’s Edge Convention Center, which was originally named the St. Cloud Civic Center. When the name changed it was important to focus on the river instead.

Willicey Tynes was the lead artist on the project. This mural was the largest painting that he has ever worked on. He was nervous as to what the painting would look like when the scaffolding came down, but he made sure to render the painting correctly and it turned out well! Dan Mondloch from St. Cloud State worked on the mural from the beginning. He started on the base of the painting first – the green and blue and worked his way to the detailed fish and leaves.

The mural takes place on an August day in mid-afternoon and there are over 118 species represented on the wall. The more species in the river, the healthier it becomes.  The mural features native species of birds such as Wood Ducks, Geese, King Fishers, Cardinals, Blue Birds, Bald Eagles, Great Blue Herons, Loons and Swallows. There are also wild flowers that line the banks that consist of Black Eyes Susans, Wild Bergamot and Showy Milkweed. The trees that line the banks are Maple, Oak, Birch, Willow, Elm and White Pine. Insects in the painting are beetles, butterflies and moths. The animals that roam the painting are deer, river otters, fox, and owls.

As they added species, the Camp Ripley Environmental Office checked species lists to see if they were accurate. There was also a species guide written to be incorporated into the piece. The mural has served as education material for teachers while doing field trips and for Biology classes to learn from. What a great resource for the community!

Not only is it a painting, but there are 3D elements added as well. Some animals, fish and plants are sticking out of the wall. It gives the mural a nice sense of push and pull and gives it that “real-life” look. Melissa Gohman, a ceramic artist, led a team of apprentices in creating the ceramic elements of the installation.  The first level is the underwater portion and the second level is what is above the water. The mural all together is 44 feet long and 28 feet tall. That is 2 generous stories to get the painting done well.

The goal in creating this mural was to support local artists and help them make a livable wage. Every artist on the project lived locally and was an artist that was committed to the community. The ribbon cutting ceremony of the mural was on January 5^th, 2012. They unveiled it to the public by dropping a curtain and showing the whole piece.

Stop by the River’s Edge Convention Center today to see this amazing mural for yourself! 

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What's in a Name?

Glenn Carlson, Terry Haws, Wilson, and Opportunities. What do these names have to do with the St. Cloud River’s Edge Convention Center?

They are all names of the spaces available for your next event, but what is so special about these names?

Read on to find out…

Glenn Carlson Hall:

The Glenn Carlson Hall is one of the bigger spaces available at the St. Cloud River's Edge Convention Center. Glenn Carlson was the face of St. Cloud and to say that he was a busy guy is an understatement. He was the executive director for the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce from 1953 until 1986. He was a founder, executive director and secretary of St. Cloud Opportunities from 1954 until the time of his death is 1999. He was also the founder, member and secretary of the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame for 35 years.

Glenn Carlson was involved with the Lions Club, St. Cloud Sports Inc., Minnesota Princess Kay contest, Stearns County Historical Society, St. Cloud Economic Development Partnership, St. Cloud Methodist Church, St. Cloud Little League, and the business manager for the St. Cloud Rox. Glenn was able to get legislative funding to establish the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau to make Crossroads Shopping Center exist.

He was named one of St. Cloud’s Most Influential People in 1979. The exhibit hall at the St. Cloud River’s Edge Convention Center was named Glenn Carlson Hall in his honor and the main street of St. Cloud I-94 Business Park was named Glenn Carlson Drive.

Terry Haws Center:

Terry Haws taught and coached at St. James High School from 1948 to 1958, where he started the St. James wrestling program. He then went on to teach and coach at St. Cloud Cathedral High School from 1958 to 1967. Once he finished at Cathedral, he went to St. John’s University to teach and coach for 6 more years.

He had coached wrestling for over 25 years. He also coached individuals in football, baseball, basketball, golf and track and field. He was named the National Catholic College Coach of the Year in 1972.

Sports were one of Terry Haw’s passions in life, along with his wife and his 10 children. Two of which are now the soccer coaches at St. John’s University. He was also an inspiring youth mentor. Needless to say, he was a very busy man and remained that way until his untimely death in 1973.

The Terry Haws Center is made up of 3 sections: A, B, and C and is one of the bigger spaces available for your event.

Wilson Suite:

John L. Wilson, known as the “Father of St. Cloud” filled the county seat in 1851. He chose St. Cloud as the name of his new town because he was reading “The Life of Napolean” and observed that in the book; Empress Josephine spent much of her time at the magnificent palace at St. Cloud, a few miles out of Paris. This circumstance appealed so strongly to Wilson that he decided to name the town St. Cloud.

The city with Benton and Sherbune Counties is the only city in the state that is located in three counties and was all developed at the same time and eventually merged into one. Wilson controlled Middle Town, where German Catholics primarily settled the central business district. The other two parts were known as Upper Town and Lower Town. The city was incorporated as a town in 1856 and a city in 1868.

Wilson Avenue, Wilson Park and many other areas around town have been named after John L. Wilson. You can find the First American and Thielman Rooms in the Wilson Suite.

The Opportunities Suite

Glenn Carlson founded St. Cloud Opportunities in 1955. It was created to enhance, extend and increase opportunities for employment in the St. Cloud area.

This organization still exists today. They accomplish their goals by developing business and industrial parks, the first two parks of which are now sold out. St. Cloud Opportunities is currently marketing lots in the Airport Business Park and St. Cloud I-94 Business Park.

You can find the Bell, Alexander, Weidner, Clarke, and Edelbrock Rooms in the Opportunities Suite.

There are many other spaces available at the St. Cloud River’s Edge Convention Center, if you are curious about the size and prices of spaces available click here. 

We would love to help you with your event!