The Observation Deck

Does anyone remember Lakewood Days? Would you please share your memories?

Rhonda

or the "Pride of Progress" City wide Celebration--RL and I are doing some research--so any memories would be helpful : )

Rhonda

Lakewood Days, easily the coolest weekend in Lakewood every year. You never went to one? I think I might have some photos, let me look.

Ruthie

Pride of Progress, was this where they brought in covered wagons and drove them around the city in races? About 60 years ago? I think we are digitizing a 120 page scrap book from the event.


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I never went to lakewood days...tell me more...and yes pictures would help!!!!

Rhonda

When did Lakewood stop doing Lakewood Days?

They were a blast....

They were fantastic. Bands, food, cultural events, picnics, you name it, it was going on. Police and Fire dept. sometimes had a vehicle for the kids to check out, pool sometime had events....Shame they stopped at all.

They were something to look forward to.

Mark Crnolatas

Ah Lakewood Day,

Often held around the third weekend of July, we had bicycle races organized by yours truly :lol: , rock band battles (July 22, 1970 SKIE vs. HAZE- a tie- I was a drummer in SKIE :D )

All in all, a nice extra weekend of fun for Lakewood.

Gary Rice wrote:Ah Lakewood Day,

Often held around the third weekend of July, we had bicycle races organized by yours truly , rock band battles (July 22, 1970 SKIE vs. HAZE- a tie- I was a drummer in SKIE )

All in all, a nice extra weekend of fun for Lakewood.

Gary

I will never forget Skie and you doing Journey to the Center of Your Mind that day. Yep, that was really, really good positive fun for Lakewood.

Stopped by Madeline Cain, for cost savings!

.

I seem to recall that back then, the bands really tried to do original stuff. Although some material may have been parodied, the messages by bands then were generally trying to produce original, different presentations .

Some of the lyrics from those powerful times:


Some people tell us that we're too late...

That the peace march died at old Kent State...

But we're gonna tell you just one little thing...

Ain't never gonna die, long as we can sing....

Was there anything else to do besides bands any other type of music or concerts?

What kind of food?

What kind of cultural events??

Rhonda loje wrote:Was there anything else to do besides bands any other type of music or concerts?

What kind of food?

What kind of cultural events??

Well the cultural events could be called very "European."

It was just a nice time at Lakewood Park, carnivals with those rides that scare you just to get near for the pieces falling off. Various groups would set up booths, and offer various things, and the bandstand would be rocking. I believe a couple times there might have even been fireworks.

It was all about Lakewood.

My thought would be to have Lakewood Days over the fourth this year, and then spring it off as its own event in the future.

One thing I have never figured out is getting everyone to Lakewood Park, and then nothing to do all day long.

If you could pull in a little from each of the festivals it would add up quickly, cars, community fest food, fireworks, skateboard fun, swimming races, dog parades, and use it to advertise latter events.

Merely a thought.

.

Now who said I was thinking of doing any kind of event? I was just asking a question...OOOOOOOO......you presume too much!!

Rhonda

Rhonda loje wrote:Now who said I was thinking of doing any kind of event? I was just asking a question...OOOOOOOO......you presume too much!!

Rhonda

Rhonda

You know the Observer philosophy.

Ideas are a dime a dozen.

Action and follow through, that is gold.

Your idea, then you are the shepard.


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Anybody recall when Lakewood Days really waned? It seems to me it was the late 70s or early 80s. It was a big deal and oveflowed the entire parking area of Lakewood Park.

One of the main attractions was the carnival rides. Towards the end, however, there were problems with the with many of the carnival folk. I recall young girl(s) being harassed and houses on Manor Park being burglarized.

The City started requiring the correct identity of all the carnival workers for the permit. Some of the the so-called games of chance we found to be rigged. Building Dept. inspections found many instances of faulty wiring in the rides. Before long, the carnivals and rides did not come back.

Lakewood Days did not seem of do as well after the rides were gone.