On Sunday October 20th we gathered a group of talented stylists and barbers, braved our stuffy noses, and the cold. We set up an outdoor salon at The Commons outside of US Bank Stadium.

We were so lucky to have such beautiful weather which set the tone for our day.

Whenever we do these bigger red chair projects we have the expectation that there are no expectations. We always say these events are a success even if only one person shows up.

However, we lucked out because we had the privilege of cutting hair for over 30 people. From a sweet little babies first haircut, to a haircut fit for a job interview, we connected with some pretty amazing people.

We teamed up with Katrina, our friend Chris over at Prohibition Barbers, as well as our Red Chair veteran friends, Solimon and Henry at Tribes Studios. AJ and Katie represented our Steller Hair crew!

Each stylist specialized in a unique look for their clients. We also teamed up with our talented friend, Jessica Zerby who captured the event through the eyes of her camera lens! Jessica has donated her time photography talent to the Steller Kindness Project since the start (2017)! She dedicated her involvement to the haircutting process as well as the after photos.

This intimate salon experience gave us the opportunity to connect with people in our community as well as making them feel valued in a space that is welcoming and inclusive.

We began setting up the red chair outdoor salon at 10am and by 10:15 there was already a line to get a haircut! 5 red chairs lined up the plaza with a small wait area that was soon welcomed by a line of people. Our setup included; a sanitation station, a styling tool/product station, snack table, and a small waiting area.

The evening before, Katie visited the spot so she could navigate where to park for the event. People Serving People, which is a incredible organization downtown, was a block away from The Commons. As Katie drove by, she saw an opportunity to connect and let people know about the Red Chair event the next day! The people she talked to shared that they had already heard about it, and were excited to attend. This was a such an exciting surprise, since we weren’t sure how to spread the word!

Each client had the opportunity to check in and wait their turn for a new do (or a fresh style). At the end of their service we made sure everyone left with a Red Bag. Our Red Bags vary with essential items depending on the season, so for this event we put mittens (generously made and donated by Steller Handcrafted Goods!), socks (made by the fantastic local organization, Hippy Feet), snacks, and a gatorade in each bag.

We are so excited to continue to do events like these in the future. We often get asked what is going to happen to the Red Chair in the winter and we are hoping to collaborate with local shelters to offer more hair cutting events like the one we put on at The Commons.

The Red Chair Project is ever growing and we are looking forward to connecting with more people in our community throughout these next few weeks. Stay tuned for more updates on future events!

Interested in supporting our future Red Chair ventures? Our MN Nonprofit has received Fiscal Sponsorship through Propel Nonprofits, which means your donation is tax deductible!

Looking for other donation options? Our Give to the Max platform is available through January 1st, 2020! We also have a GoFundMe!