![Richard Tsong-Taatarii/rtsong-taatarii@startribune.com St. Paul, MN;6/6/10;left to right ] At the Grand Old Day celebration which takes place on the first Sunday of June, St. Paul resident Solomon Rinehart, three and a half months old, did not wake up to the smells of curly fries and corn dogs while carried by his mother, Andrea and accompanied by dad, Nate, second from right. "It's perfect weather. Not too hot," said Andrea.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/6RSDAGKYQ72ORVYA33B6XAN7GI.jpg?&w=1080)
Grand Old Day, St. Paul's unofficial opening day of summer, is seeking vendors for the 2018 festival.
This year's event is scheduled for Sunday, June 3, and will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The entertainment district will stay open until 7 p.m.
Each year, hundreds of thousands of people stroll along Grand Avenue from Dale Street to Fairview Avenue.
The event is free, but wristbands allowing entry to the entertainment district can be purchased online starting in April, or at several booths along Grand Avenue on the day of the festival.
Dozens of musical acts will perform on several stages along the route. In addition to the entertainment district, which runs from Lexington Parkway to Dale Street, Grand Old Day hosts a Family Fun district, a sports and wellness district and an area featuring local businesses.
Last year more than 300 vendors participated, including more than 150 selling food ranging from hot dogs to gyros, mini doughnuts to jerk chicken. This is the 45th year of the festival, which is sponsored by the Grand Avenue Business Association.
In 2016, Grand Old Day experimented with expanding the event to two days but returned to the single-day format last year. Business owners interested in being vendors should register by April 15 at: grandave.com/vendors.
Vendors will be required to attend Grand Old Day Vendor Day on May 9 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
