Grand Old Day in St. Paul canceled for 3rd straight year, looking toward 2023

St. Paul’s Grand Old Day has been canceled again.

After the COVID-19 pandemic led to its cancellation in 2020, it was canceled again last year and officially won’t return in 2022.

The Grand Avenue Business Association confirmed this year’s event was scrapped after deciding “that our community will be better served with a well planned event in 2023.”

The association says it has already begun gathering community partners and resources for next year’s event and released the following statement:

“Covid has brought many uncertainties for all of us and requires a new way of thinking about large scale, all age events such as Grand Old Day.  While we did consider bringing the event back in 2022, we ultimately decided that our community will be better served with a well planned event in 2023. We have already started the process of gathering the community partners and resources needed to create a vibrant, exciting and fun Grand Old Day 2023. We can’t wait to welcome you back to Grand Old Day. In the meantime, please continue to support our Grand Avenue businesses by enjoying the great food, drinks, shopping, events and all the great experiences our Grand Avenue Businesses offer year round.”

Grand Avenue Business Association

In 2019, financial questions with the Grand Avenue Business Association put the 2019 Grand Old Day in jeopardy and led to a police investigation. Chris Jensen, the association’s president, tells 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that has nothing to do with this year’s cancellation and they have a new board in place looking forward to 2023.

Grand Old Day typically hosts over 150 food vendors, a family fun area, an art district, six unique festival gardens, a parade and more across 30 blocks of Grand Avenue, from Dale Street to Fairview Avenue.

Several businesses in the area are excited for it to return.

“We haven’t had it for a couple years now, obviously we miss it but if they’re going to make it better, bigger and better, bring it on,” said Nick Nadeau, owner of First Grand Avenue Liquors.

“It’s super, super fun, so many people come down, it’s kind of like a mini State Fair coming down Grand Avenue. We like to throw those kinds of events so once it comes back we’ll have a good time,” said Ian Lowther, the beverage director of Red Rabbit and Red Cow.

Grand Old Day first started back in 1973.