HIP, HIP, HOORAY FOR HARRIMAN!

Harriman's 22nd Annual Labor Day Celebration was held this past Monday at Riverfront Park. The celebration is normally held on the blocked-off Roane Street downtown, but the promoters decided to add cooler river breezes and shade trees this year. Those additions did help some, but the day was still very humid, although the temperatures were in the mid-80s.

As Judy and I entered the park, she immediately began meeting people she knew and it seemed like forever before we got to the heart of the celebration, the music, the antique cars, and the wonderful food the many concessionaries had prepared. Judy always seems to see someone she is kin to, used to work with, or someone with which she went to school! Me, no one remembers Mushy! Right!

There were vendors everywhere, selling baskets, jewelry, t-shirts, fried apple pies, brownies, funnel cakes, fried Twinkies or Oreo’s, Sno Kones, hot dogs, fried bologna sandwiches, popcorn, and most anything you can imagine.

The crowds seemed gathered mostly around the hot dog stand and the funnel cake maker, but the wait was well worth the trouble. They were delicious and very satisfying. It was like an old county fair, without the Ferris wheel and hawkers.

Further into the park was the large pavilion where people were square dancing and clapping to the music. Then there it was; the large open field at the north end of the park where all the wonderful old cars were parked! Hordes of people were milling around among the vehicles with fantasies and memories of yesteryear dancing in their heads. I’ve been to the “Cruisin’ in Harriman” shows on Roane Street, but there were only two cars in this showing that I recognized. There were nearly a hundred new cars for me to enjoy!

Judy and I sat by the Emory River and ate our bologna and hot dog lunches, and later we shared a funnel cake. It was a great time with music coming from the pavilion and the large gazebo venues, and many people passing by helping us hone our “people watching” skills.

We left before the Babahatchie Community Band got set up and played, but the couple of hours we spent there was more than enough for two vintage folks! So, we walked back to the soccer field to the car, discussing everything we had seen in the park. It was a great day for us and Harriman.

It’s these local events that need to be supported. If we are ever to bring back the “old days” in the downtown’s of our lives, we must show that we want it to happen. You might wonder what you could do to help revitalize our little town centers, well, it don’t take much, just participation in city and county events. The promoters are trying to draw you in, and get you excited about “small town USA” once again. Please…come on down next time!

Please go to my Flickr “Hooray of Harriman” set and look at all the wonderful people and cars at the event!