Goodbye, Taste: No music or food, just fireworks, on the 4th

The bands and beer might be missing, but at least there will be fireworks.

St. Paul officials have spurned the four suitors who wanted to replace the penniless and defunct Taste of Minnesota celebration and decided to put on a July 4th show of their own.

It will be the first time in nearly 30 summers that there won't be a days-long family festival featuring music, food and fireworks in Minnesota's capital city. The tens of thousands of people who attended the celebration each day will have to make different plans for the bulk of their long holiday weekend.

Instead, there will be a one-night "traditional" fireworks display, according to a memo sent Tuesday from the Parks and Recreation Department to Mayor Chris Coleman's office.

Plenty of plans still need to be finalized, such as how long the show would be and how it would be paid for, said Brad Meyer, parks and rec spokesman. He said the city isn't in the business of putting on big events, but a fireworks show is manageable.

Officials made it clear, however, that they'd like the 2011 show to be a short-term solution. The hope is that there will be plenty of time for another group to come up with an event to replace Taste in 2012.

"Beyond 2011, we're not shutting the door on anything," Meyer said.

Creditors have filed a petition against the company for involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy, hoping to collect more than $270,000 in unpaid debt. The city, not a party to the legal action, is owed more than $110,000.

In November, the city put out a call for proposals for a replacement July 4th event on Harriet Island. The park, across the Mississippi River from downtown, is considered by city officials to be a prime location for events. It was home to Taste for the past eight years.

Among the city's expectations were that the new event would be from one to three days, include food and drink vendors, have live music, fireworks, and cost the city little to nothing. The organizers would need to be able to handle up to 45,000 visitors per day and keep the event friendly to families.

"We didn't get the kind of response we were looking for," said City Council Member Dave Thune, whose ward includes downtown and the West Side. "But we want to make sure we have something for the Fourth."

All of the proposals called for a cash payment from the city. That was a deal-breaker, Meyer said.

There have been financial struggles in previous years. Sponsors have come and gone. But it always has been a favorite for fireworks watchers.

The event was free until 2009, when International Event Management took over. The new owners updated the food and band lineups and improved the sound system. But an admission charge -- $20 to $30 this year -- was hard for some to swallow. Coupled with uncooperative weather, attendance waned and the festival came to an inglorious end.