I have a plethora of times paraphrased her and made preposterous puns pointing at her pronouncements, about bands that give brand new meaning to long running and return engagement, and all the other activity, old and even new, that just keeps bubbling up at The Fair …
I have worked with Gail Maier, an organizer of the St. Croix County Fair that now mid-July resurfaces to its forefront flair this weekend, for several years running now, so here is her on it, verbatim:
“Yes, by all means go for it. We especially want to promote The Tribute to the Troops for our Veterans, the wonderful Ukulele group, The Memories for their 38th Year, the Whitesidewalls for year 11, and of course the Pavilion bands Blue Moon Drive and Crabgrass Band.
“Do you (need) anything from me?”
I think you just gave it.
Just didn’t notice a logo, as they are everywhere around this time. But this is the fair that has been returning for many, many decades now and is about tradition and throwback, so we are going into the best of Old School, even though there are takes on them that become what’s new under the sun. Before the new school year gets going.
That said, and this is why we fete first in such a way, the initial item listed above as the one that tops our coverage, since it is just days into our celebration going on everywhere freedom rings into the 250th year since Independence from those (then) nasty folks from England, before they gave us all kinds of really gnarly music, In a good way. (see more on such below.) But this is everything that you would want from such a tribute, with all the related fixings of sight and sound that are centered around a bombshell group of three women, with their three different colors of flowing hair (usually) and the three patriotic colors of red, white and blue, such as all are encouraged to wear to the fair now that we’re just past The Fourth. Stars and Stripes Forever. In the trio’s promo picture they also are sporting matching threes of red sashes and flowers at (opposing) earside, so they also have that under their belt. They are going by the name The Divas. Hmm.
You can show renewed loyalty at the fair, held a couple of weeks into the year No. 251 of our Union, and lead it off with a bang by taking in their show of harmonies of touching, beloved war anthems and ballads about the plight of all of our troops and the respect due, and patriotic songs, beyond the traditional drum march but likely including that too.
There are two shows by the three women on Friday, at noon and 2 p.m. There is more music on Friday and Saturday nights. Stay tuned for more on times.
Personnel from the veterans service office in New Richmond — and just down the road and to invoke more of the county via Roberts and recently River Falls Days is the home base of additional act Blue Moon Drive, which their own take on honky tonk attitude and some rock — will be on hand to distribute information about resources and support options, and community connections for veterans and their families.
To that end, the return of the doowap of The Whitesidewalls comes off their June 7 show at the other end of the county in Hudson, which shows that they have staying power east and west, in addition to north and south, and there is plenty to take in no matter which end you frequent. So why not use the fair to make it both?
And nothing invokes the spirit of The Memories — who have been at the fair spinning lighthearted and light instrumental-backed stories and yarns for roughly one-fourth of its 150-plus year run — like The Good Neighbor Ukeles, also Roberts based, right? Tip-toe through the tulips, as they have been around nearly that long, but still stay fresh. Both groups will be here, too, as well as The Crabgrass Band and its telltale bluegrass, in Glenwood City, as things get started on Wednesday with a slow rollout, then really get rolling, and rocking, by early on Friday. You might even see as a part of this long run, one with the bulls at the grandstand later, as the judging endeavor of cows rolls over into the following weekend with a rodeo, as a separate event. So come back for that!