Pirate Sean Radford added to the festivities
The street fair celebrating the reconstruction of Main and Sixth Streets was its usual exuberant affair. Party-goers brushed off the cold (some wrapped in blankets, like the fellow at left) and occasional drizzle to enjoy lots of music, dance, arts and food. Here's some of what we photographed, mostly before the Ferris Wheel rescue took place. From what we saw, there was plenty of party for all.
At top is Sean Radford, of London, who was helping kids (and adults) dig for buried treasure compliments of Plumb Gold. More than 150 pouches of pirate booty -- jewelry, toys and candy -- were buried in a sand-filled pool. Anyone with $5 ransom was permitted to dig, with all proceeds earmarked for the Racine County Food Bank.
Folkswagon entertained from the main stage on Monument Square
Metal sculptor Ed Janecek adds a finishing touch
Titus, Rench and Wheary harmonize
Macyn Taylor sings and plays guitar while Raiders mascot greets a fan
Chainsaw carving was just one of the demonstrations Sixth Street offered
Final Approach's Barb Halsima rocked Main Street
Horlick Cheerleader braved the dunk tank
Chris Duerkop wore his own artwork to the Art Walk
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It was a lot of fun. Once we realized the fire department and others had the ferris wheel situation under control, we went on to have a good time listening to music, eating good food and enjoying the crowds. Watching the last of the stranded riders brought down safely just put the cap on the day.
ReplyDeleteIt was a great party, thanks to all who must have worked so hard to put it together. Racine is fortunate to have such a dedicated group.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Racine Post for a balanced report on such a great event!
ReplyDeletePS -- cheerleader in the picture is Kylee Kubis.
Had a great time! Can't wait until next year!
ReplyDeleteI thought the party was a bust. There were no animals, no pumpkins, no hay, and not enough free children activities. It really was not for children at all. There were a couple free things to do, but not much.
ReplyDeleteLike most events in Racine, it's primarily (if not exclusively) for the elite and the upper-middle class. If you've kept an eye on recent festivities, you'll swiftly see that the DRC likes a pristine downtown devoid of paupers and other low-income people.
ReplyDeleteThe relative dearth of freebies was no accident. After all, the DRC and the family which funds it cater to--and for--solvent visitors. The last thing they want is crowds of peasants and their progeny scrounging for gratis goodies.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to panic the DRC and its moolah masters, bring some inner-city or low-income kids downtown. Let's never forget why our BUS transit center moved from the square to a location in the 'hood. The Sons of Sam couldn't bear the distasteful spectacle of common people swarming in their precious "Lakeside Business District."
ReplyDeleteAlas, the Waxclan and its retainers fret that working class people may spoil the ambience and appearance of their pseudo-Wright ego monument and their museum-cum-tax shelter. Inasmuch as free stuff draws the poor like a magnet, the elitists made sure that there was darned little of it at Party on the Pavement.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking candidly, I can tell you that Racine is run behind the scenes by a corrupt corporate clique assisted by Ivy League flunkeys and a gaggle of would-be big buck bozos. On the whole, the abovementioned snots, snoots and snobs scorn the poor as losers and would gladly exclude the less-fortunate from civic functions.
ReplyDeleteDear 6:33 PM, The lack of children's activities (especially freebies) was no accident. Long ago, a wise man said that while the rich get richer, the poor get children...
ReplyDeleteCorrect--the adjective "proletarian" ("of or pertaining to the working class") originally designated impoverished people who produced plenty of children ("proles"). In general, there's an inverse correlation between income and kiddie count. Although some groups (e.g. Mormons) defy this rule, usually small incomes and big families go together in the developed world. Hence, the local elite's apathy vis-a-vis children and free or low-cost fun for them.
ReplyDeleteHeck, even the far-from-free fun for youngsters was lousy. That ferris wheel ought to be carted off to the junkyard and its owners fined to the max.
ReplyDeleteThis once again was a wonderful event. It was unfortunate about the ferris wheel, but fortunately all got down safely. I cannot believe the coverage the JT's reported on this event. Of course the incident was on the front page as any paper including the Racine Post would cover, but the only other article indicated the event was a disaster with a photo of someone sitting in the rain. I do not know why the local paper would put such a negative spin on an event that is and will be enjoyed by all for years to come.
ReplyDeleteAs for the whiner/losers out there nothing will ever make you happy. You are a sad and pathetic group who has never been happy about anything in their lives. What a miserable way to live - just don't try and bring the rest of us down, you low life creatures.
Dear Sir, Nobody's seeking to bring you down. However, the truth about "Party on the Pavement" and the Ferris wheel incident won't go away. Until "Party on the Pavement" becomes a family-friendly event within ordinary residents' budgets, folks are going to gripe. What's more, unless our national media relinquish their obsession with near-disasters, they'll continue to cover stories such as our Ferris wheel fiasco. (MSNBC made sure that millions of viewers heard all about Racine's malfunctioning Ferris wheel.)
ReplyDeleteLet's improve "Party on the Pavement." For starters, I think we should ban dangerous and tacky carnival rides like that Ferris wheel.
ReplyDeleteFerris wheels had their heyday back in the early nineteen-hundreds. Today there's no justification for them. Either scrap them or send them to a circus/carnival museum.
ReplyDeleteIf MSNBC featured our ferris wheel story, you may be sure that ABC,CBS and FOX picked it up. Racine has enough problems without negative publicity. Most carnival rides are just accidents waiting to happen. We don't need them here in Racine.
ReplyDeleteI had fun. So there.
ReplyDelete9:32 - Just walking the streets during the party is enough. Anyone can do it and it does not cost a thing. It's a nice way for anyone in the city to get out, get some excercise, socialize and enjoy the outdoors. Other than a little wind the event was great and you can always dress for weather conditions. So quit complaining. There are plenty of us that enjoyed the event, and we don't let losers like you diminish it.
ReplyDeleteDear Sir, Who's a loser? By the way, as any parent can tell you, "Party on the Pavement" can be pretty pricey. Today's kids aren't satisfied with just walking through a crowd. Nope. They're going to want food and other non-gratis treats. Unless Mom and Dad have hearts of stone, each kid will cost them at least $20.00. If you're upper-middle class or rich, "Party on the Pavement" is great. However, it never was designed for the impecunious majority of Racinians because merchants and restauranteurs are businessmen and--as everyone knows--businessmen worship money.
ReplyDeleteThe job hunt in Racine: "Paupers Pounding the Pavement."
ReplyDelete"Party on the Pavement": High time for the haves, hoohah for the have-nots.
ReplyDeleteGive me a break. I didn't even spend $20 on either my self or my wife. Apparently you were not there, so you should not comment. And if kids have parents who allow them to be swindled - so be it.
ReplyDeleteThe CVCR had pumpkins available for only $2, and they were nice big pumpkins, and they could be decorated with sticker faces, and the kids got a free tattoo also. AND...we held onto the pumpkins until the families were ready to go home, so they didn't have to lug them around with them. If you bothered to look for us right on the corner of Main and 5th.
ReplyDeletecheer up! park 6 will be open again in another month.
ReplyDeleteDear 3:10, Perhaps we should have done a better job of advertising the freebies and low-cost stuff for the kids. Those $2.00 pumpkins sounded like a good deal--too bad more Moms and Dads weren't aware of them.
ReplyDeleteNext year let's have a bigger and better "Party on the Pavement" with NO FERRIS WHEEL.
ReplyDelete7:46 - I agree and rest assured there will be.
ReplyDeleteAmen!
ReplyDelete