Grand Old Day 2012

Grand Old Day is almost here! Wild fans, I know you like a good live band and a great beer to go with your sports, so I am giving you the inside scoop on one of the best events to kick off your summer.

Sunday, June 3 is Grand Old Day - a celebration that takes place on Grand Avenue from the cross streets of Cretin to Dale in St. Paul, Minnesota.

There are four 'zones' that make up the celebration: Family Fun District (Cretin to Snelling), Art District (Saratoga to Albert), Sporting District (Hamline to Dunlap), and the Entertainment District (Lexington to Dale).

The Family Fun District features games, pony rides, a petting zoo, music & entertainment fit for the entire family! In the Whole Foods Market lot, there are several entertainers provided. The day starts at noon with Paul Spring and progresses to Koo Koo Kangaroo, Snapdragon Seeds, and Radio Disney. At Grand & Cambridge, the little ones can enjoy free pony rides, petting zoo, inflatables, mini-golf and other games!

The Art District is likely to draw major crowds as it features art and crafts by local and regional artists. From Saratoga to Albert, you can get your fill of art and crafts. Noon-5pm will feature the Artstart Art Project at Pascal & Grand. There you can make your own Grand Hand Headpiece out of recycled materials!

The Sporting District features interactive games and fun from the Minnesota Wild, St. Paul Saints, Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Rollergirls and more!

Also in the Sporting District is Bike Parking. Free bike parking is available on the Ayd Mill Bridge. There are over 140 bike parking spaces installed along Grand Avenue for convenient parking. Generally it will be easier to find a bike parking space than a space for your vehicle.You should bring your own bike lock. 

Perhaps the most popular area of the Grand Old Day is the Entertainment District! This district, from Lexington to Dale, presents live music in 6 festival gardens. In the Grand Garden (between Lexington and Oxford), bands will kick off the day in the US Bank Lot. At noon Zachary Scot Johnson will perform, followed by Dan Rodriguez at 1pm and SarahLou at 3pm. This garden is presented by Summit and Barefoot Wine, which means you should gear up for a good time!

At the Billy's Stage you will hear performances by Arc Flash Hazard, Orange Whip and Hookers and Blow. The Wild Onion Stage will bring White Iron Band and Rocket Club. The Grand Country Stage, located in the Pier 1 Lot, will feature Maiden Dixie and Tim Sigler. The 80's Stage in the Walgreens Lot will highlight Mish Mash and Boogie Wonderland. The Dixie's Stage will feature a heavy and fun lineup with Charlie Parr, Blind Shake, The Soviettes and Solid Gold.

The Grand Old Parade starts just after Dale & Grand and finishes in the Family Fun District at Fairview & Grand.

7:45am 
ON THE GO SPORTING EVENTS w/ start/finish line at Wheeler & Grand

7:45am In-Line Skate
7:50am 8K Run
9:05am 1/2 Mile Youth Run
9:15am 5K Walk/Jog

10:00am 
GRAND OLD DAY PARADE - "A Grand Salute to St. Paul" from Dale to Fairview

10:15am 
KID'S PARADE - registration at 10am, from Dale to Fairview 

10:30am 
FAMILY FUN ZONE until 5pm

12:00pm 
ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT from Dale to Lexington
6 festival gardens with live music (21+)

TEEN BATTLE OF THE BANDS until 5pm
WHOLE FOODS MARKET FAMILY FUN STAGE until 5pm
ART FAIR STAGE until 5pm

6:00pm 
EVENT CONCLUDES

There is free parking located in the Anderson Parking Ramp at the University of St. Thomas (Cretin & Grand). A free shuttle runs along Summit Avenue (one block north of Grand Avenue) from Cretin to Dale from 10am to 7pm.

Player Profiling: Minnesota Wild's Pierre-Marc Bouchard

Meet Pierre-Marc Bouchard, a center for the Minnesota Wild.

Pierre-Marc Bouchard grew up in southeastern Quebec, in the town of Sherbrooke. Like many boys growing up in Canada, Pierre-Marc was drawn to hockey at an early age…and his brother followed suit. From the frozen ponds of Canada to the glitzy indoor rinks of the NHL, Pierre-Marc Bouchard and younger brother François have made their mark. Pierre-Marc even busted out a crazy spin-out in an overtime match-up against the Chicago Blackhawks. Later, he attributed the move to François, revealing how much the two brothers learned from each other while patenting admittedly unconventional hockey moves.

The Chicoutimi Saguenéens were Pierre-Marc Bouchard’s junior league team. He started in 2000 at the young age of 16, and instantly earned recognition as a member of the league’s first All-Star Team. After another season in the juniors—and plenty of Rookie awards and honors—Bouchard took his play to the NHL and debuted with the Minnesota Wild in 2002.

During his inaugural Wild season, Bouchard made 7 goals and completed 13 assists—relatively solid standards in the NHL. Though he was bumped down to the Houston Aeros for the 2004-2005 season, Bouchard took that lemon and made some sweet lemonade. In short, he improved his play, maneuvering, and focus. By the time he returned to the Wild in 2005-2006, Bouchard impressed fans with 17 goals, 42 assists, and 59 points across 80 games.

Don’t worry, Minnesota Wild hockey fans. Players like Marian Gaborik may break your heart by leaving the team or losing their Wild spirit. However, Pierre-Marc Bouchard is a solid bet for the future of the Minnesota Wild.

Neil Diamond at the Xcel Energy Center

The Wild season may be over, but there are still plenty of great events taking place at the Xcel Energy Center!

Neil Diamond is coming to the Xcel Energy Center on Wednesday, July 11! The concert will kickoff at 8:00pm. Don't wait to move on these great tickets!