William Posted September 10, 2021 Report Share Posted September 10, 2021 Does your Town or City have an annual event or celebration that's near and dear too the community? We have one here this weekend in little Mabel, Minnesota this weekend that's in it's 69th year. I thought it would be interesting to see what happens in everyone's little corner of the world! Post away and enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Posted September 10, 2021 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2021 Here's mine, The Hesper-Mabel Steam Engine Days Celebration! It's a fun filled weekend for everyone! Activities, Events, a Grand parade of Antique, Steam Engine and modern tractors followed by the Festival Parade, music, good food, vendors, cash and prize drawings, etc. Excited! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Posted September 10, 2021 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2021 1 hour ago, William said: Here's mine, The Hesper-Mabel Steam Engine Days Celebration! It's a fun filled weekend for everyone! Activities, Events, a Grand parade of Antique, Steam Engine and modern tractors followed by the Festival Parade, music, good food, vendors, cash and prize drawings, etc. Excited! Just took these while down at the post office 😊 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad G. Posted September 11, 2021 Report Share Posted September 11, 2021 RAINIER DAYS IN THE PARK, ALONG THE MIGHTY COLUMBIA RIVER derp !! What started out in the early 1900's as a beer run race from tavern to tavern drinking a pitcher of beer at each stop has evolved into a family oriented festival, along with a fair rides and fireworks launched off a barge in the middle of the river there are vendors galore, food and of course a beer garden and live music, logging show w/ pole climbing and "hot saw" competition. All I could find I have left from the old "Rainier Daze" when I was a kid was this button, I'll post a link showing this years festivities. Original Rainier "Daze" button from 1962 Now renamed "Rainier Days in the Park" and no longer a race to get plastered. LINK : https://www.rainierdaysinthepark.com/ Facebook, fireworks show etc.. : https://www.facebook.com/RainierDaysinThepark/ LINK : https://www.myfamilyguide.com/events/united-states/oregon/rainier/festivals/rainier-days-in-the-park-city-of-rainier/ City LINK : https://www.cityofrainier.com/ The Columbia river where the fireworks are launched from the barge is just out of sight along the bottom of this pic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Posted September 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2021 10 hours ago, Chad G. said: RAINIER DAYS IN THE PARK, ALONG THE MIGHTY COLUMBIA RIVER derp !! What started out in the early 1900's as a beer run race from tavern to tavern drinking a pitcher of beer at each stop has evolved into a family oriented festival, along with a fair rides and fireworks launched off a barge in the middle of the river there are vendors galore, food and of course a beer garden and live music, logging show w/ pole climbing and "hot saw" competition. All I could find I have left from the old "Rainier Daze" when I was a kid was this button, I'll post a link showing this years festivities. Original Rainier "Daze" button from 1962 Now renamed "Rainier Days in the Park" and no longer a race to get plastered. LINK : https://www.rainierdaysinthepark.com/ Facebook, fireworks show etc.. : https://www.facebook.com/RainierDaysinThepark/ LINK : https://www.myfamilyguide.com/events/united-states/oregon/rainier/festivals/rainier-days-in-the-park-city-of-rainier/ City LINK : https://www.cityofrainier.com/ The Columbia river where the fireworks are launched from the barge is just out of sight along the bottom of this pic. Looks like a great time! Yeah, I miss the fair/carnival aspect of Steam engine days...back in 2008 we had massive flooding in Southeast Minnesota followed by another bad year around 2011 I think? The grounds area in the picture where you see the tractors, used to be set up with the rides. Well, when steady, heavy rain sets in, the creek comes up and half that area down there gets flooded. Insurance issues came too light and none of the available carnival companies in the tri-state area wanted to deal with it so were stuck with what you see on the program. It was a mess down there with the water damage and heavy equipment sinking in the mud. The few years following this Steam engine days actually went downhill, attendance was down big time because of the lack of carnival rides. It's made a comeback now and this little town of under 1,000 people now hosts around 10,000 or so over the whole weekend. Anyways, I'll share some more pics also in the coming days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Posted September 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2021 20 hours ago, William said: Here's mine, The Hesper-Mabel Steam Engine Days Celebration! It's a fun filled weekend for everyone! Activities, Events, a Grand parade of Antique, Steam Engine and modern tractors followed by the Festival Parade, music, good food, vendors, cash and prize drawings, etc. Excited! Another thing that has changed is the Grand Prize for the $20 (red) ticket. For as long as I can remember, it's always been a brand new car. And they would only produce 1,500 tickets. Now it's a cash prize for the first time and not sure on the amount of tickets printed, maybe 2,000? I never win, but I toss my $35 in the ring every year. Actually, I gifted these too Patty because Sunday the 12th of September, day of the drawings, is her 50th birthday! Maybe that will change the luck! 😊 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad G. Posted September 11, 2021 Report Share Posted September 11, 2021 6 hours ago, William said: Looks like a great time! Yeah, I miss the fair/carnival aspect of Steam engine days...back in 2008 we had massive flooding in Southeast Minnesota followed by another bad year around 2011 I think? The grounds area in the picture where you see the tractors, used to be set up with the rides. Well, when steady, heavy rain sets in, the creek comes up and half that area down there gets flooded. Insurance issues came too light and none of the available carnival companies in the tri-state area wanted to deal with it so were stuck with what you see on the program. It was a mess down there with the water damage and heavy equipment sinking in the mud. The few years following this Steam engine days actually went downhill, attendance was down big time because of the lack of carnival rides. It's made a comeback now and this little town of under 1,000 people now hosts around 10,000 or so over the whole weekend. Anyways, I'll share some more pics also in the coming days! Yes my hometown of Rainier is only 6 miles away across the state line (Columbia river) also small 2300 people now and 1800 0ver 50 years ago so hasn't changed much, the local creek (fox creek) also floods our town every couple years. With Longview & a couple other towns in the close vicinity we have a 3 day draw of over 50,000 people all together, fireworks night is the biggest w/ right around 15 to 18,000. kinda ridiculous, it takes two hours to get your car out of town afterwards because of all the cars. A great time anyway, something I remember as a kid the fresh beer sausages made from Elk meat cooking on an open grill, Mmm, Mm !! not made from Elk meat anymore but still Deeeliciouse !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Posted September 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2021 On 9/10/2021 at 9:50 AM, William said: Here's mine, The Hesper-Mabel Steam Engine Days Celebration! It's a fun filled weekend for everyone! Activities, Events, a Grand parade of Antique, Steam Engine and modern tractors followed by the Festival Parade, music, good food, vendors, cash and prize drawings, etc. Excited! Another thing that has changed is the Grand Prize for the $20 (red) ticket. For as long as I can remember, it's always been a brand new car. And they would only produce 1,500 tickets. Now it's a cash prize for the first time and not sure on the amount of tickets printed, maybe 2,000? I never win, but I toss my $35 in the ring every year. Actually, I gifted these too Patty because Sunday the 12th of September, day of the drawings, is her 50th birthday! Maybe that will change the luck! 😊 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Posted September 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2021 The beginning of the 69th Annual Steam Engine Days Parade featuring the Steam Engines themselves leading the way! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Posted September 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2021 Tons of vintage tractors too start the parade...didn't even get pics of half of them! Leading the way on the first tractor was my good friend Dean Stortz and they finished the tractor part of the parade with another nice steam engine 😊 Enjoy! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Posted September 11, 2021 Report Share Posted September 11, 2021 Two Rivers, Wisconsin has Ethnic Fest, Apple Fest, Kites over Lake Michigan, many more. One interesting one is Snow Fest. In July. Celebrating this fun find from 1936. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Posted September 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2021 5 minutes ago, Steph said: Two Rivers, Wisconsin has Ethnic Fest, Apple Fest, Kites over Lake Michigan, many more. One interesting one is Snow Fest. In July. Celebrating this fun find from 1936. Wow, I remember a late snowfall here in June shortly after I moved here in the mid 90's! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Posted September 11, 2021 Report Share Posted September 11, 2021 2 minutes ago, William said: Wow, I remember a late snowfall here in June shortly after I moved here in the mid 90's! The print may be hard to read on that, but the town was actually in a heat wave that July. Then workmen uncovered a buried snowbank from the spring. And winter fun ensued. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Posted September 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2021 More pics from the parade at Steam Engine Days here in Mabel 😊 Law enforcement, Mabel Legion Post 299, and area First Responders and Firefighters lead the way. My wife, Peggy, her father Clarence Remick was an original member of the Grenadiers. So proud to see that old truck still going! Pumpkins from the weighing contest, the Mabel Canton High School band, the Steam Engine Days Queen and her court along with Little Miss Mabel (my neighbor and best friends granddaughter!), and other cool stuff. Not sure if we will make it down to the Steam Engine Grounds this year or not, but if so, more pics coming! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad G. Posted September 11, 2021 Report Share Posted September 11, 2021 2 hours ago, William said: Tons of vintage tractors too start the parade...didn't even get pics of half of them! Leading the way on the first tractor was my good friend Dean Stortz and they finished the tractor part of the parade with another nice steam engine 😊 Enjoy! Those steam powered tractors are killer man, I love em !! They really earned their oats in them days !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Posted September 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2021 2 hours ago, Chad G. said: Those steam powered tractors are killer man, I love em !! They really earned their oats in them days !! They only had the ones pictured. There used to be at least a dozen of them that went through but the owner sold them to a buyer in Germany a while back. They were as big or bigger! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Posted September 12, 2021 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2021 Finishing off Steam Engine Days Saturday with a little snack, some stuffed peppers and bacon wrapped kabobs 😛 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad G. Posted September 14, 2021 Report Share Posted September 14, 2021 On 9/11/2021 at 5:49 PM, William said: Finishing off Steam Engine Days Saturday with a little snack, some stuffed peppers and bacon wrapped kabobs 😛 Me Hungry !!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Posted September 14, 2021 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2021 17 minutes ago, Chad G. said: Me Hungry !!!!!!! It was pretty tasty, minus the Duffy beer 🤣 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Posted September 8, 2022 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2022 Well, it's that time of year again...snuck down to the grounds for a sneak peek at the old Steam Engines. Hopefully the forecasted rain (60% Saturday, 70% Sunday) doesn't damper the parade so that we can't admire these Iron Horses going through Downtown 😊 It's always a spectacle too this old machinery running AND after the parade too see how they were used so many years ago! I also had a nice suprise...the 95' Jaguar I shared in the non marble related "eye candy" made a cameo appearance with the Steam Engines! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Posted September 8, 2022 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2022 Front Gate too the Steam Engine Grounds at the end of South Main. Just inside the gates, Memorials dedicated to all our local men and women who served, and still serve, in the Armed Forces 🇺🇸 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Posted September 11, 2022 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2022 Wrapping up Steam Engine Days here in Mabel, Minnesota...thought I would share some pics from the parade and a few videos also.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Posted September 11, 2022 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2022 The Steam powered Calliope 20220911_132107.mp4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Posted September 11, 2022 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2022 20220911_123741.mp4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Posted September 11, 2022 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2022 These kids were awesome on those drums 👍 20220911_130041.mp4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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