What is Grand Old Day?
It’s my fourth summer as a Twin Citizen, and I figured it was time to go check out this Grand Old Day everyone seems to talk about this time each year—the 34th annual GOD, no less! I packed up the family and we headed out of the burbs and into St. Paul, parking nearby Fairview Ave and walked our way onto Grand Avenue at about 10 a.m.
At this point, neither my wife nor I was sure of what Grand Old Day was, but we were there to see it.
photo stolen from ervansetiawan
At the west end of Grand, a few food vendors were still setting up and a handful of people were cheering the marathon finalists. We started our walk east down Grand and quickly realized we were on the completely wrong end of the festival. At this point we were too far from the car to turn back, so we continued our trek towards…well, whatever Grand Old Days was, we were sure the answer lay a few more blocks east.
Walking, walking, walking through residential areas, past college grads tailgating in front of their brownstones, past Kowalski’s where the restrooms were closed, past closed business storefronts apparently not interested in GOD goers.
We set up camp to watch the parade on the Ayd Mill Road Bridge. What followed was no different than the winter carnival parades, including huddling together to keep warm. There was the obligatory unicycle brigade, trampoline-girl-throwers, political lackeys and get this — sober Vulcans kept behind ropes on a truck for once. Candy and coupons filled our booty bag. Perhaps this is Grand Old Day? A community parade.
Post-parade, we continued our trek towards the east end of Grand to finally “get” to Grand Old Day. More closed businesses greeted us, but lots of people were now wandering up and down the street — keeping to the right and mostly single-file, just like we learned in grade school. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry, but where were they going?
Fat people eating Chipotle, skinny people sipping Caribou coffees, angry moms pushing strollers and drunken frat guys with their shirts off. Is this Grand Old Days? Or maybe it’s eating cheese curds and watching music from local bands like Coach Said Not To and Tapes ‘n Tapes? I guess I’m still not sure.
From what I can tell, it’s like the State Fair with no fair. Gathering for gathering’s sake. Everyone walking from one end of the street to the other, commenting on weirdos and their dogs, picking at each other, amateur weather forecasting and scarfing fried food. Like the others in our section of the line arriving at the east end of Grand, we promptly did a U-turn and started the trek back to the west and the long walk back.
We finally got back to the car an hour later; I turned to my wife and said, “I’m not trying to be a jerk, but I still don’t get it. What was that?”
She didn’t know either. But we’ll probably go next year, just like the rest of you sheeple.
It is a music festival. To you it was people gathering, but if you looked a little closer. there was at least 10 different stages of local bands playing all kinds of music out there. Not into live music? So if you didn’t want to spend 10 bucks on a wristband to hear some live tunes and drink overpriced beer. Then yes, to you it is nothing but a gathering of people.
“the State Fair with no fair”
that was exactly my conclusion after last year. we lived in the neighborhood and went, but were truthfully a little underwhelmed. and yet, I could see it just sort of being what it was. an excuse, a gathering, some people-watching, a rip-off of a “free concert”….
didn’t go this year. might go next year. just thought your write-up was very similar to our experiences.
Actually, I’m all over the music portion of GOD. But judging by the amount of strollers, families and old people, I can guarantee the majority of patrons did not pay to enter the 21+ music portions of the festival. Why were the non-music-going public there?
To win awesome prizes!
I went once, in 1999. I think it was still more than one day back then, but I can’t remember (gawd, I sound old). I remember being underwhelmed, but I had never seen Grand Ave before, so it was kind of neat.
Haven’t been since, though. I’ve heard similarly bland reactions from most people that did go.
Except for Ang. Yay for Ang!
Oh, I did see Eliot Halverson in the parade and got super excited. I think I was the only one who understood who he was and weirded out the people standing next to me.
Ang, way to win a tape deck! Yes!
Eliot Halverson’s website linked to your MB post, Greg.
I’m bummed I wasn’t able to go this year. There were a ton of bands/artists/musicians I wanted to see - The Evening Rig, Tapes ‘n Tapes, Dessa, The Alarmists.
Was it last year.. The Hold Steady played the Dixie’s stage - That was worth the whole day.
For me it’s always been a music festival. That’s what is going on at every location down the block. There are always at least 3 bands I’d love to see.
I miss the older out door music festivals (CedarFest, LynLake Fest, etc.)