More Winter Carnival
Feb. 1st, 2004 12:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dreamsharkAlthough I approve of the concept of the Winter Carnival, I had never actually attended any of the festivities before (other than visiting the occasional ice palace). Since I'd worked myself up to defending the winter carnival in a previous post here , it seemed like a good year to finally attend some of it. So last night I finally agreed to accompany Richard, who likes this sort of thing more than I do, to the Winter Carnival parade.
It was good fun. More akin to the Powderhorn May Day parade than to the Hollidazzle. It was a little above zero, which was warm enough to seem luxurious compared to the 2 days preceding, but cold enough to keep the crowds manageable. We found a nice free parking place by Mears Park, which was a lovely sight in and of itself: a square block of medium-size trees bedecked with white Christmas lights. It was a 3-block walk to one of the parade staging areas, where we able to watch a dozen or so riders circling their horses around and around while they waited for the parade to start. I particularly liked the two very shaggy little gray horses with long white tails. We were right at the corner where various participants merged into the main stream of the parade, so we got an up-close view of the synchronized snowblower team and float after float of minor royalty from the suburbs (It's the Princess of Blaine! It's the Princess of Fridley! It's the Princess of St. Louis Park! and so on). Klondike Kate and her crew of boa-wearing saloon gals went by, actually doing their own singing in place of the usual boom boxes with recorded music. A beer truck or two. Then, oddly, several marching ATM machines, apparently representing St. Paul banks. Then the good stuff - the antique fire trucks overflowing with Krewes of Vulcans, blaring sirens and and flashing lights. And best of all, the giant flame fountain - actually a hot-air balloon burner mounted on a truck. It rocks back and forth and every now and then emits a huge belch of flame. It was fun watching it go under the skyways (which were full of spectators). I kept hoping they'd mistime one of the flame belches and set the spectators hopping about like popcorn. No such luck.
We started getting cold, so we struck out cross-country to get to the front of the parade and watch it all go by again. We eventually worked our way to the riverfront where the Vulcans have their big rumble with the Royal Court of King Boreas. In the past they have staged the final battle on the steps of Landmark Center, but this year the parade ended up at a different spot and the whole thing degenerated into a blurry shoving match on a small stage. As usual, Boreas was shocked to discover that he had been betrayed by his good friend the Prince of the South Winds, and the Vulcans won! If King Boreas had been a little more alert he might have noticed the sign over the stage where he was giving his royal press conference said "Vulcan Victory Fireworks here!" Or that the Prince of the South Wind had his name stenciled on the side of one of the Vulcan fire trucks. That Boreas. Not too ight-bray, if you know what I mean.
Actually, the fireworks weren't there (thank goodness), they were shot off from that island under the High Bridge (Harriet Island?), thus affording a beautiful view to all and sundry from the river bluff park behind the stage. The fireworks were short, but absolutely spectacular. By this time I was definitely getting cold, despite the long-johns and sheepskin boots, but warmed up adequately in the half-mile trudge back to the car. Came home and had hot chocolate and pumpkin pie. A very satisfactory winter carnival experience.
It was good fun. More akin to the Powderhorn May Day parade than to the Hollidazzle. It was a little above zero, which was warm enough to seem luxurious compared to the 2 days preceding, but cold enough to keep the crowds manageable. We found a nice free parking place by Mears Park, which was a lovely sight in and of itself: a square block of medium-size trees bedecked with white Christmas lights. It was a 3-block walk to one of the parade staging areas, where we able to watch a dozen or so riders circling their horses around and around while they waited for the parade to start. I particularly liked the two very shaggy little gray horses with long white tails. We were right at the corner where various participants merged into the main stream of the parade, so we got an up-close view of the synchronized snowblower team and float after float of minor royalty from the suburbs (It's the Princess of Blaine! It's the Princess of Fridley! It's the Princess of St. Louis Park! and so on). Klondike Kate and her crew of boa-wearing saloon gals went by, actually doing their own singing in place of the usual boom boxes with recorded music. A beer truck or two. Then, oddly, several marching ATM machines, apparently representing St. Paul banks. Then the good stuff - the antique fire trucks overflowing with Krewes of Vulcans, blaring sirens and and flashing lights. And best of all, the giant flame fountain - actually a hot-air balloon burner mounted on a truck. It rocks back and forth and every now and then emits a huge belch of flame. It was fun watching it go under the skyways (which were full of spectators). I kept hoping they'd mistime one of the flame belches and set the spectators hopping about like popcorn. No such luck.
We started getting cold, so we struck out cross-country to get to the front of the parade and watch it all go by again. We eventually worked our way to the riverfront where the Vulcans have their big rumble with the Royal Court of King Boreas. In the past they have staged the final battle on the steps of Landmark Center, but this year the parade ended up at a different spot and the whole thing degenerated into a blurry shoving match on a small stage. As usual, Boreas was shocked to discover that he had been betrayed by his good friend the Prince of the South Winds, and the Vulcans won! If King Boreas had been a little more alert he might have noticed the sign over the stage where he was giving his royal press conference said "Vulcan Victory Fireworks here!" Or that the Prince of the South Wind had his name stenciled on the side of one of the Vulcan fire trucks. That Boreas. Not too ight-bray, if you know what I mean.
Actually, the fireworks weren't there (thank goodness), they were shot off from that island under the High Bridge (Harriet Island?), thus affording a beautiful view to all and sundry from the river bluff park behind the stage. The fireworks were short, but absolutely spectacular. By this time I was definitely getting cold, despite the long-johns and sheepskin boots, but warmed up adequately in the half-mile trudge back to the car. Came home and had hot chocolate and pumpkin pie. A very satisfactory winter carnival experience.
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no subject
Date: 2004-02-01 07:05 pm (UTC)Pamela
Re: Blaming me
Date: 2004-02-01 09:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-05 04:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-05 11:12 pm (UTC)