Guide to Grand Old Day
The official kickoff to summer is back!
About Grand Old Day
Since 1973, the Grand Avenue Business Association has hosted Grand Old Day, a truly family-friendly event for all ages. Over 200,000 people converge along 30 blocks of Saint Paul’s iconic Grand Avenue, from Dale Street to Fairview Avenue, to celebrate the arrival of summer at the largest one-day festival in the upper Midwest.
What is it that draws in such a crowd? Over 150 food vendors, a family fun area, an art district, festival gardens with live music, a parade, and much more.
2026 Event Schedule
Mark your calendar for Sunday, June 7, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
8 a.m. - Grand Old Day Fun Run
9:30 a.m. - Grand Old Day Parade (Dale Street to Snelling Avenue)
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. -
Food and Art Vendors
Sports & Wellness Zone (Willwerscheid Funeral Home Parking Lot)
Family Fun Zone (Kowalski's Lot)
Car Show (Grand and Hamline)
NEW Kids Market (Future Innovators Zone)
12 p.m. - Wiener Dog Races
11 a.m. to 6 p.m. - Entertainment and Beverage Gardens + Live music on six stages!
Tickets
Grand Old Day is a free event featuring six live music stages to jam out at. For an elevated experience, purchase a 21+ Wristband ($10) to the beverage gardens or upgrade to the Music Pit Pass ($25) that grants you front row access to all six stages and the adjacent beverage gardens.
Parking and Transportation
- Take Metro Transit to the festival for free! Fill out this survey to download your free ride pass.
- Park for FREE at Central High School and queue up for $10 MOOV rideshare to Grand Old Day
- Anderson Parking Facility: Free parking and free shuttle along Summit Avenue. Shuttles run every 30 to 45 minutes, traffic dependent. (Corner of Grand Ave & Cretin Ave S)
- Bike Parking: The Wedding Shoppe parking lot (south side of Grand Ave near Ayd Mill Road)
Live Music Stages
The Grand Stage (Grand Ave. & Avon St.)
The headliner stage, powered by The Current, focuses on indie, rock, and Twin Cities heavyweights. This year's lineup includes:
- Gully Boys
- The Plastic Constellations (playing their first shows in over 15 years following a 2026 reunion)
- Bunny Blood
- Thomas Sticha
Americana Stage (Grand Ave. & Milton St.)
Rooted in folk, bluegrass, blues, and regional Americana, this stage runs deep with local talent. Catch:
- Molly Maher
- Katey Bellville & Sons
- Clover and The Bee
- Stringdingers
- Hurricane Schwalbe & Otto
- Bettina V. & Lenz n Frenz
- Haley E Rydell
Nothing But Canna Stage (Grand Ave. & Grotto St.)
This stage features reggae and world music all afternoon. Don't miss International Reggae All Stars, featuring Kingston vocalist Lynval "Golden Voice" Jackson, as well as more acts that will be announced soon!
Live and Local Street Stage (Between Dale St. & St. Albans)
A showcase for emerging Twin Cities artists. This year features:
- LASALLE (funky, danceable pop with live instrumentation)
- Love Band (a cover band devoted to love songs)
- Obi Original & The Black Atlantics (Afrocentric music blending tradition with modern energy)
Decades Stage (Grand Ave. & Snelling Ave.)
All the songs you know by heart. The Cellar Dwellers cover 90s-to-now hits from bands like The Killers, Green Day, Third Eye Blind, and Semisonic. More bands will be announced soon!
School of Rock Stage (Between Oxford St. & Lexington Pkwy.)
Young performers from School of Rock's Twin Cities programs take the stage, including:
- St. Paul Youth Road Crew
- Plymouth House Band
- St. Paul Tour Band
- Eden Prairie bands
We can hardly wait for Grand Old Day to return—here are events to enjoy this summer. Share your photos with us on Facebook, Instagram, and X using the hashtag #MYSAINTPAUL!
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