Winter Carnival moves Grande Day Parade to Grand Avenue for 2025

The St. Paul Winter Carnival’s King Boreas Grande Day Parade is moving from downtown St. Paul to Grand Avenue.

A partnership between the mid-winter fete’s producer, the St. Paul Festival and Heritage Foundation, and the Grand Avenue Business Association (GABA) is behind the move of the signature daytime parade in 2025, Winter Carnival officials said Tuesday.

“The Winter Carnival has always been about celebrating St. Paul,” said Lisa Jacobson, president and CEO of the St. Paul Festival and Heritage Foundation. “By relocating the Grande Day Parade to Grand Avenue, we reach more people in the community who want to be involved in the ‘Coolest Celebration on Earth.’”

Previously held in downtown St. Paul, the parade featuring floats, marching bands and hundreds of units will make its way down Grand Avenue from Dale Street to Lexington Avenue at 2 p.m. Jan. 25.

“We are so excited to be partnering with the St. Paul Winter Carnival and bringing the beloved Grande Day Parade to Grand Avenue,” said Chris Jensen, president of GABA, which also puts on summer’s Grand Old Day event. “We can’t wait for January 25th to get here as we know the businesses on Grand Ave and the entire community will enjoy celebrating the treasured tradition of Winter Carnival’s Grande Day Parade.”

Todd Russell, who will soon open a new dining establishment on Grand Avenue called Russell’s Bar and Grill, hopes the parade will help revitalize the historic street that has seen several high-profile closures, including Pottery Barn, Tavern on Grand and Salut Bar Americain, in the past year. But other businesses have opened on the street during the same time.

“We hope it will inspire people to rediscover Grand Avenue and fall back in love with all it has to offer,” Russell said.