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Nostalgia

2012-04-19 09:26:34

Remember...

Q: Do you remember the year Wichita began the River Festival?

A: Yes. I like to think back when the River Festival first started. Can you believe that this year will be the 41st year that our city and visitors from all around will enjoy this great event? Folks from all around the area have come and enjoyed all of the events that thrilled us, sometimes challenged us and we all enjoyed a relaxing time. One of our family’s favorites was the Sundown Parade which began the week of events. We enjoyed seeing the many personalities including our leading politicians like the mayor, many City Commissioners, Sedgwick Co. Commissioners, TV and Radio personalities, the live high school marching bands and the bands that were on floats. Of course there was the Wind Wagon with the Wagon Masters, many other floats, and sometimes large balloons. The parade usually was over an hour in passing, thrilling the watchers. Then the events started, including the bands, the shows with major personalities, races in the street and on the river. Another of our family’s favorite events was the bathtub races. One we particularly remember was an old car on top of the tub. It looked like the car was driving down the river. Other events we enjoyed were the Wurlitzer Organ Concert accompanying the silent movies at Century II and the short comic operas at the Mary Jane Teal Theatre. Food vendors from various restaurants in Wichita were set up around this great auditorium in the street. Many performers entertaining the people with outside shows and the Wichita Symphony finishing the week with the canons, a flyover and then thousands watched the greatest fireworks show of the season. There were so many different events in Riverside Park too. We just don’t have the space to mention them all. The festival was always in the month of May until last year and the board of directors thought the weather might be more cooperative in June, so they moved it to June last year and added a zip line which was fun to watch. This year it will be starting on June 1st. The month of May also includes Memorial Day or Decoration Day. I remember my mother and father taking flower arrangements to the various cemeteries. When I was just a child most of the cemeteries were in the east part of the city; now they are located in many areas. It is great to see them all with the brightly colored plants as memorials to friends and family. I always enjoyed watching my dad take his little hand shovel and make a small hole in which to place the vases of flowers. Out of town, we would go to the central information center and get the location of those we wanted to honor. I also enjoyed watching the pageants at some of the cemeteries that commemorated the various men who served our country in the many wars, some dressed in civil war uniforms, others honored World War II veterans, Korean War veterans and a bugler played taps. That always brought tears to the eyes of many who had paid the supreme sacrifice by giving their loved one to their country. May is the beginning of spring activities here in our city. We used to rent a boat, canoe or take a speedboat ride on the Arkansas River, or go out on North Broadway and rent a bicycle built for two or a bicycle; or maybe just take the family to Riverside, Linwood, Oak, Sims Parks or one of the parks for a picnic. May was always a fun month and still is. Enjoy it, the beautiful Spring, and your family.