SHA Supports Grand Old Day 2024
Grand Old Day 2024: Waiver Of Block Party Petition Requirement
The Grand Avenue Business Association (GABA) attended the February 8th Summit Hill Association (SHA) Board Meeting to present initial plans for Grand Old Days 2024. As part of their permits for the event, GABA sought SHA’s support for their event permits. SHA voted to support the event which means GABA does not need to gather petition signatures to close Grand Avenue for that day.
The 2024 event will be held on June 2nd, 2024 and will extend from Dale to Snelling Avenue. More details are included in the letter below. GABA will also mail information about the event to neighbors in late May. SHA will post maps, event details and contact information for Grand Old Day as we receive it.
Letter from GABA
February 8, 2024
Executive Directors of Macalester Groveland Community Council and Summit Hill Association, The Grand Avenue Business Association has hosted Grand Old Day since 1973. In 2024 it is our intent to host a celebration of our 51st year of a kick‐off to Summer for our community. The one‐day celebration has attracted up to 200 thousand people which has enhanced our commercial corridor and helps solidify the Grand Avenue brand of a corridor which brings unique dining, retail and experiences. We are hopeful to plan and implement a Grand Old Day which is reminiscent of past events while making the event more family friendly. We intend to bring back some aspects of the event which have been absent from our more recent activations including a fun run, a car show, along with a maker's market and non‐profit corridor which will serve as a service‐learning corridor for residents and their families.
Grand Old Day is Scheduled for June 2, 2024. GABA respectfully requests Macalester Groveland Community Council and Summit Hill Association support of a waiver for required block party petition.
Footprint in 2024 is Snelling to Dale.
8:00 a.m. Fun run – to begin at St Albans and end at Saratoga St.
9:30 a.m. Parade from Dale to Saratoga St.
11:00 a.m. street Festival and tentative stages at the same spaces as 2023; Billy’s, Red Rabbit. We will also have GABA stages at additional locations in past they have included the Walgreens, Grand Experience, US Bank parking lots.
Gardens sponsored by businesses will close at 7:00 p.m.
GABA stages plan to close at 5:00 p.m.
All vendors west of Victoria to Fairview cease business at 6:00 p.m.
Safety is one of our greatest concerns for Grand Old Day. The Grand Old Day Committee is working with the Saint Paul Police Department to have the same level of safety equipment that was used in 2023 to reduce the potential of a high‐speed vehicle impacting the event. The safety equipment will take a considerable amount of me to install and remove. There may be some intersections closing earlier and opening later due to the installation and removal of safety barriers due to the request of the Saint Paul Police Department. Funds collected from Grand Old Day have always been the primary funding source for the Grand Avenue Business Association budget. Funds will be allocated to advance the interests of this vital and important corridor. We plan on increasing our investment in the beautification of our corridor and increasing the collaboration and marketing of our member businesses.
Respectfully submitted,
Chris Jensen
President, Grand Avenue Business Association
Letter of support from SHA
February 8, 2024
To: Department of Safety and Inspections
CC: Grand Avenue Business Association
Re: Grand Old Days Block Party Petition Waiver
The Application
The Grand Avenue Business Association plans to hold Grand Old Days on June 2, 2024 and close Grand Avenue for the event from Snelling Avenue to Dale Avenue. GABA presented the plan for the event at the Summit Hill Association’s February 8th, 2024 Board Meeting.
SHA Board Recommendations
Having hosted a public meeting and evaluated the application, the Summit Hill Association supports the waiver of the block party petition for Grand Old Days 2024. Please let us know if you have any further questions.
Kind regards,
Monica Haas Simon Taghioff
Executive Director President
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