Friday...
Elkhart Jazz Festival weekend. The important point for those of us in the office? The food vendors will be set up on Civic Plaza in time for lunch today! Most years you find the B&T crew chowing down on festival food, and I'm guessing this year won't be any exception. hmmm. Hot forecast again; better wear something cool.
Next day...
Not typical festival fare, but I'm glad they have the sirloin tips and red potatoes vendor again. SO yummy. The booth wasn't open when we got to the plaza (I overheard a few floating phrases that made me think they were waiting for the health inspector to give the okay to open), but I remembered them fondly enough from previous years that I stood in line and waited. I don't eat beef often, but I may have to make another trip downtown today for food, if not the music.
And in case anyone is worried that I'm not a true Hoosier, we did browbeat one of the guys into going out again later in the afternoon to bring back a stack of elephant ears. Nothing says summer in Indiana like fried dough. You may think I'm kidding, but I know from the time I spent on the Jazz Festival committee that the years when they do not have a vendor selling elephant ears, they get complaints. The public has their priorities, and deep-fried dough ranks right up there!
This is the 22nd year for the EJF. Again from my time on the committee, I know longevity of this sort is unusual for festivals. Kudos to Elkhart for managing to maintain a highly-respected festival for so many years. This year they've moved the free stage from the block of Main Street right in front of Civic Plaza to the grassy knoll directly east of it (what they are now calling "Central Park"). While lunching on the plaza yesterday it seemed odd not to have the flurry of set up of the stage going on around us while we were eating. Less exciting. But as a practical matter, crowds will move more easily with this set up. With no stage in Main Street, there is plenty of space for people to mill around in front of the food vendors on the plaza and Festival headquarters. And the free stage is tented this year so there will actually be shade! They are also encouraging people to bring their own chairs and blankets to spread on the grassy area behind the tent. Cool; has my stamp of approval -- I'm sure that's important to them. =D
Hope they have a great festival!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Rhapsody in Green
Elkhart's 30th Rhapsody in Green, but this evening is the first time I've gone. Island Park entirely covered with festival food vendors, and a Mick Jagger wannabe on the bandstand: what finer entertainment could you ask for on a lovely June evening? *tongue in cheek* I shouldn't be a smart ass though. In reality, the people watching was pretty good. I had three faves.
One of the interesting people -- the gal with wings tattooed on her back. Really. Life-sized wings. Well, what would be life-sized if a person actually had wings. I'm assuming she wore the backless top to display them in all their glory.
Second interesting person (group of people) -- I was with my friend Becky, and we ran into her son. On that island of 100's of people, I could've given you information that would've made it possible for you to identify him. Me telling you what he was wearing and that he was a hottie in his early 20's wouldn't have made it possible. With the crowds, it would've still been tough even with the additional information that he was strolling the island with an entourage of three attractive girls. But if I added the fact that said posse of girls were all dressed like Paris Hilton (in a land of funnel cake- and elephant ear-eaters), I bet you could've picked him/them out of the crowd.
And the third interesting person stayed on my mind. I hope his evening had a happier ending than the part I saw. A little boy (probably around 10) I spotted moments before he dropped his just-purchased hamburger face-down on the straw-covered, muddy ground. I waited, thinking his family would be around to come to the rescue, but with a stiff upper lip he picked it up, deposited it in a nearby trash can, and took off at top speed toward one of the exits. Bugged me. I hope his family was there, that he wasn't alone. Wish I'd been faster and checked and offered to buy him another burger if he was alone and didn't have money for one. He didn't cry, but I wanted to.
One of the interesting people -- the gal with wings tattooed on her back. Really. Life-sized wings. Well, what would be life-sized if a person actually had wings. I'm assuming she wore the backless top to display them in all their glory.
Second interesting person (group of people) -- I was with my friend Becky, and we ran into her son. On that island of 100's of people, I could've given you information that would've made it possible for you to identify him. Me telling you what he was wearing and that he was a hottie in his early 20's wouldn't have made it possible. With the crowds, it would've still been tough even with the additional information that he was strolling the island with an entourage of three attractive girls. But if I added the fact that said posse of girls were all dressed like Paris Hilton (in a land of funnel cake- and elephant ear-eaters), I bet you could've picked him/them out of the crowd.
And the third interesting person stayed on my mind. I hope his evening had a happier ending than the part I saw. A little boy (probably around 10) I spotted moments before he dropped his just-purchased hamburger face-down on the straw-covered, muddy ground. I waited, thinking his family would be around to come to the rescue, but with a stiff upper lip he picked it up, deposited it in a nearby trash can, and took off at top speed toward one of the exits. Bugged me. I hope his family was there, that he wasn't alone. Wish I'd been faster and checked and offered to buy him another burger if he was alone and didn't have money for one. He didn't cry, but I wanted to.
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