Parallel Matter: Grand Old Day 2010

Grand Avenue and Summit are siblings of a sort, perhaps as closely related as fraternal twins. One block apart, Summit and Grand are a residential and a commercial spine connecting neighborhoods and creating vibrant spaces in St. Paul to drive, walk, bike, shop, gather, worship or just down a latte with a cookie. So when things change on Grand Avenue, they often change on Summit as well.

In that spirit I thought I would share an article from the Summit Hill Association newsletter. One of Grand Avenue's grandest days each year is the first Sunday in June: Grand Old Day. Grand is closed to traffic and open to pedestrians; busses run down no-trucks-allowed Summit Avenue; and cars snarl all adjoining neighborhood streets looking for a place to park.

In 2010, the Grand Avenue Business Association is proposing to test a new on-street main stage featuring a "beer garden," The stage and beer garden would be similar to those operated on private property in parking lots of Grand Avenue businesses. It looks to me that the plan has been well thought out, and perhaps most importantly, the stage and beer garden are being proposed as a one year only 'test' that would automatically sunset after 2010, so neighbors have the opportunity to approve or reject the change.

Read on:

Grand Old Day--Proposed Changes


Grand Old Day, in its 37th year, will take place along Grand Avenue from Fairview to Dale on Sunday, June 6, 2010. Grand Old Day is produced by the Grand Avenue Business Association each year as its annual fundraiser and includes sporting events, a parade, live music & festival gardens, kids' activities, international performance, an art air and more.

This year, GABA is seeking to produce a via in Stage located on Grand Avenue between St. Albans & Dale to replace one of the 3 GABA sponsored festival gardens. The Main Stage. would be produced in partnership with Rock the Cause, a non-profit organization working to create a positive, life-changing experience through the power of music and community. The Rock the Cause main stage will promote volunteerism and stewardship for non-profits like Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Children's Cancer Research Fund and Minnesota AIDS Project, that make a measurable impact in the community. Like other Grand Old Day festival gardens, the Main Stage area would be fully enclosed by barricades and guests must be 21 + to enter. The Main Stage would close at 4:30pm (30 minutes earlier than other stages).

In order to move forward with this proposal, Grand Old Day will need to be included in City Ordinance 245.04, which provides an annual festival an exception to the city code barring the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages in the public right-of-way. Ordinance 245.04 currently includes Taste of Minnesota and River Fest.

Over the past few months GABA staff has presented the Main Stage plan to St. Paul Police Department, Department of Safety & Inspections, St. Paul Fire Department, Ward 2 Councilmember Dave Thune, Grand Avenue property owners and Summit Hill Association. GABA has received support to move forward with the ordinance change process from all of these groups. The process includes four readings at the City Council and a public hearing. Information about the public hearing date/time will be posted at www.summithillassociation.org as soon as it is scheduled.

If you have any questions about this proposed change, please contact the Grand Avenue Business Association at 651-699-0029 or david@grandave.com.