Scenic Stillwater draws festive crowds. How much tourism is too much?

It's festival time in Stillwater this weekend — the giant pumpkin drop on Sunday should draw tourists by the thousands — but for some local residents, that will bring a longing for the old Stillwater, the one before mass tourism, before the parking problems, before the events and street parties and hashtags.

The historic river town they pine for was a place of family-owned stores selling necessities like clothes and furniture, where shoppers went to Hooley's supermarket and Thompson's Hardware. If the sidewalks were crowded, it was a rare event, not a typical Friday.

"It's changed 100 percent," said Kim Westbury, who lives a few blocks away from the business district. "No locals go downtown because it's all tourists."

It's tough to be anti-tourist in a city that enjoys its reputation as the birthplace of Minnesota and a beautiful place to visit — those rave reviews for the Historic Lift Bridge and the dining scene stir a lot of local pride. But the crowds leave some residents grousing and wondering who's actually profiting from all the visitors. On social media, critics bemoan how "the tourists replaced the locals," or how the small-town feel became "a tourist trap," or how the city's historic integrity has been ruined. And don't bring up the parking. When the City Council earlier this year tried to fix the space crunch by charging for some parking spots near downtown that used to be free, they got blasted by locals.

The City Council and mayor have doubled down on Stillwater's tourism potential, overseeing a period of growth in recent years with new events like the world snow sculpting championships, the construction of a new pedestrian-friendly plaza near the river, and the expansion of bicycle trails. The closing of the Historic Lift Bridge to vehicle traffic in 2017 made it an ideal selfie spot. There's a cottage industry of catering to walkers and bicyclists who use the bridge for the 5-mile Loop Trail, which is also new.

A local option sales tax on the ballot in November would authorize the city to collect $6 million for yet more riverfront development on both ends of the city. The proposed projects would open up more riverfront park space, add a large dock for visitors to arrive by water, a smaller dock for canoes and kayakers, a boat launch, an events space, and a place for the National Park Service to post a ranger serving the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.

Downtown balancing act

Stillwater resident Erin Korich said she likes the changes, especially those brought by the closing of the Historic Lift Bridge to traffic. Big trucks on their way to Wisconsin no longer rumble through town, black smoke trailing in their wake.

"It's better now that the bridge is fixed," she said while visiting Lowell Park during the Rivertown Fall Art Festival last weekend. The things that go on downtown feel manageable, she said, not like the 2004 Lynyrd Skynyrd concert at Lumberjack Days that drew 55,000 people. Mayhem ensued, and the famously chaotic event still lingers in local imagination.

The city should keep things balanced so locals don't want to stay away, said Denise Grogan, a Stillwater resident who was at the Rivertown fest: "You don't want locals to feel like it's too busy to come downtown."

Grogan's friend Carmen Colombo said she loves seeing the downtown flourish. Her family owns a bar in town, and she says there's still room for improvement for Stillwater. The St. Croix River could be designated a no-wake zone in front of Lowell Park for boaters to raft up the way they do in Hudson, she said.

It can be a balancing act to keep everyone happy, Stillwater Police Chief Brian Mueller said. He hears the nuisance and noise complaints, but his police officers serve the tourists, too.

"You want to be able to respond to all things," he said.

The police department these days sits in on event planning from the earliest stages, helping organizers set up a solid security plan and working with the local Chamber of Commerce and downtown businesses to see that things stay manageable.

Events every season

The push to make Stillwater a year-round tourism destination was fueled in part by a 2007 decision to create a 3% lodging tax on hotel stays. The revenue funds a convention and visitors bureau, Discover Stillwater.

Discover Stillwater President Kelly Nygaard said collaboration and communication ahead of busy weekends is the key. Some events have also begun providing a complimentary shuttle service to alleviate traffic and parking concerns.

"We're really lucky," she said. "There's a couple of events every season that really elevate the community."

City Council Member Mike Polehna said he doesn't hear tourism complaints and feels like the city's events are driven by and managed for local people.

"I think we've changed Stillwater for the better," he said, pointing to the Chestnut Street Plaza, the bike trails, and plans for more river access.

The city hasn't said yes to everything that comes along. A rumor that Viking River Cruises might be interested in a Stillwater stop that would take over Lowell Park for their disembarking passengers got a negative reception at the City Council earlier this year.

Matthew Haumschild said he can understand why some locals get upset about the tourism, but it's always been there, he said.

"It's right on the river, it's got a bunch of bars, it's small and quaint and old. … People have been flocking to Stillwater for the summertime since I've been alive," said Haumschild, a 1999 graduate of Stillwater High School who lives in Maple Grove. On return trips to visit his mother, he always finds something new, he said.

Julie Gordon said she loves her life in Stillwater, even though she lives close enough to downtown to sometimes hear the rumble of motorcycles or — once in a while — the live music. She likes that the city is within walking distance from her home, yet it's easy to get to nature nearby.

She once worked on a TV series that roamed the country looking at dying small towns. Stillwater would be the envy of many of those places, she said.

"If you want to go to a restaurant when it's not busy, you go Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, or Sunday night," Gordon said. "There's still options to live in this community and have access to the downtown."