Powderhorn Park was indeed host to the famed Southside Picnic. This was a
huge community gathering for just about everyone on the Southside. It was so
big that every year they published a magazine-size program for the event. I
believe the Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association office may even have
some of the old programs. Politicians of all stripes would come, speak,
shake hands, kiss babies, etc. I think that it happened around the 4th of
July, which would seem about right given the mosquitoes that still infest
Ron's memory.




Robert Cooper 
Powderhorn Park
For the first time hitting my two-posts-per-day limit 


-----Original Message-----
From: Ron Lischeid [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Friday, May 17, 2002 10:40 AM
To: Minneapolis Issues E-group
Subject: [Mpls] Aquatennial Torchlight Parade around Powderhorn Park?


As a small child growing up in Minneapolis in the 1950's, I remember
attending a summertime/nighttime parade around the area of a small lake in
Minneapolis.  I remember that it occurred after dark and contained floats
and marching bands and people on horseback and ladies in white gowns wearing
jeweled tiaras waving to the crowd from the back of convertibles.  I also
remember the mosquitos.

The questions that I have are:

Was this part of the Minneapolis Aquatennial, a torchlight parade, even back
in the 1950's?
Could that lake have been Powderhorn Lake and the Powderhorn Park area or
was it Loring Park and Loring Lake?
 
I remember attending with my little brother, my mother and my aunt.  I
remember steep embankments.  And I remember that the parade procession was
proceeding down a paved street with curbs.  I remember that the crowd was so
large that my brother and I had to sit on my mother and aunt's shoulders to
be able to see what was going on.  I also kinda remember the smell of
sparklers or maybe fireworks.  Was there a major 4th of July event in the
1950's that I might be confusing this with?  I remember that when the event
was over, we had to walk several blocks to get back to where our car was
parked.  I remember that we were up well past our normal bedtime.

Any help from anyone out there?

Ron Lischeid
Windom
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