What do you think about parking hassles?

District 10 is looking at ways to deal with the parking pressures that major events cause on our streets. On Monday, June 25, the district will host two meetings to explore challenges in different parts of the neighborhood.

The first meeting will focus on streets between Hamline Avenue on the west, Larpenteur Avenue on the north, Victoria Street on the east, and Arlington Avenue on the south. Specifically, they are looking for resident feedback on two ideas: whether it makes sense to expand the number of streets on which parking is restricted to one side during the Minnesota State Fair and whether it makes sense to expand the parking overlay district during the fair, so more residents can park cars on their front lawns.

This first meeting will be held June 25 from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Fireside Room at Como Park Lutheran Church, 1376 Hoyt Ave.

The second meeting will focus on streets south of the lake and east of Lexington Parkway. This meeting has three main topics on the agenda:

• Whether to expand the number of streets on which parking is restricted to one side during the fair.
• A request by some residents to allow lawn parking during the annual Hmong Freedom Festival.
• Unveil the plan for new lane configurations on Lexington, primarily for northbound traffic from Orchard Avenue to the Horton and Como avenue intersection.

This second meeting will also be held June 25 at 7:30 p.m. in the back room at Gabe’s by the Park, 991 Lexington Parkway.

Join the next wave of rain gardens

Capitol Region Watershed District will lead a hands-on workshop and scouting expedition to identify locations for the next wave of boulevard rain gardens in District 10. These types of gardens are one of the most cost-effective ways to collect and filter polluted street runoff before it reaches Como Lake. The best part: The selected locations may get rain gardens installed at no cost. Details: The free workshop is Saturday, June 23, from 9 a.m. to noon, at the Como Park Streetcar Station.

Make your ComoFest plans now

District 10’s Ice Cream Social will launch ComoFest 2018, which will again offer affordable neighborhood fun the last three weekends of July.

The Ice Cream Social will be held Friday, July 13, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Como Park Streetcar Station. It’s a chance to kick back in your park with friends and family, enjoy the Baron of Bubble, enjoy music from the She Shells, learn about and talk with neighborhood organizations, enjoy Shakespeare in the Park (with Romeo and Juliet by the Classical Actors Ensemble) and, of course, enjoy ice cream. It’s free.

Here is the rest of the ComoFest lineup. Get full details at www.comofest.org:

• Friday, July 13: North Dale Movie Night, 9 p.m., featuring “Coco.”
• Friday, July 20: Lyngblomsten Mid-Summer Festival, 2-8 p.m.
• Saturday, July 21: ComoFest 5k Walk/Run for Everyone (benefiting Como Park Falcon Heights Living at Home Block Nurse Program), 8-10 a.m., Como Lakeside Pavilion.
• Sunday, July 22: ComoFest Art Fair, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Como Lakeside Pavilion
• Friday, July 27: Northwest Como Movie Night and Campout, beginning at 6 p.m., featuring “Beauty and the Beast” (2017 version)
• Saturday, July 28: TopLine Federal Credit Union Community Appreciation Picnic, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Saturday, July 28: Gabe’s Mini Mania, 1-5 p.m.

Upcoming District 10 meetings

Como Community Council monthly meeting: Tuesday, June 19

Environment Committee: Wednesday, June 27

Neighborhood Relations and Safety Committee: Tuesday, July 10

Land Use Committee: Wednesday, July 11

All meetings begin at 7 p.m., typically at the Como Park Streetcar Station, which is at the northeast corner of Lexington Parkway and Horton Avenue. Community members are always welcome to attend and participate. Whenever possible, agendas are posted in advance in the “Board News” section of the District 10 website, which is listed above.