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Renzie M. Hamilton
"500" Festival street light "500" Festival planter box dec-
pole decorations 1963 sea- orations (20 of these units in
son. tlie Indianapolis down town
area) 1963.
(Welcome Arch) Airline step decorations 1963 "500" Festival season
(6 of these in use in Indianapolis
i\InnicipaI Airport).
Indianapolis Dresses Up For The "500" Festival
Shortly after the April showers have subsided,
snow shovels abandoned, lawn mowers have been
removed from their winter storage places and the
family convertible top lowered for the first time of
the season, Indianapolis starts to get dressed for the
biggest party of the year, the annual "500" Festival.
Initial planning for the Festival decorations gets
under way, each year, early in January. Checkered
flags fluttering in the warm spring breeze, geraniums in bloom on Monument Circle, the stirring
sounds of a marching band and the roar of speed-
hungry engines at the track seem an eternity away
when the snow is blowing, temperatures hovering
near the zero mark and a festive spirit is hard to
come by. However, like all the Festival activities,
it takes many hours of planning, work and the cooperation of civic minded persons and organizations to give the Festival its party dress. Thus,
an early start is necessary to get the job accomplished.
Near the end of the second week in May, the
results of many committee meetings, sketch sessions,
telephone calls, letters and hours of detailing begin to materialize. Indianapolis Power and Light
Company, assisted by Citizens Gas and Coke Utility, voluntarily furnish the equipment and manpower to remove from storage, transport and erect,
at predetermined locations in downtown Indianapolis, the twenty large planter boxes, which set
the theme for the Festival street decorations. The
Park Department of the City of Indianapolis supply and install the 600 potted geranium plants
that are required to fill the planters and the Indianapolis Police Department provides an escort
to avoid traffic congestion while the planters are
being unloaded and erected on location. After
the planters have been positioned and the geraniums placed, the Indianapolis Water Company
furnishes men and equipment to clean each of the
twenty units. American and checkered flags are
raised, eight foot color photo reproductions of former "500" Mile Race winners are placed in position and the first phase of the decorations are completed.
In the next few days that follow, 150 street light
poles, lining the Festival Parade route, are decorated with "500" Festival plaques and colorful
flags, pennants and bunting, heralding the many
Festival activities, which arc about to begin. Indianapolis Weir Cook Airport is completely trimmed
with Festival decorations, as well as the deplane-
ing steps of all major airlines serving the city. Any
visitor entering the city is certain to get the impression that "something big is about to happen
here."
Many Indianapolis business houses and other
organizations decorate their store fronts, buildings
and windows, all in keeping with the Festival atmosphere. Decorating committees for each of the
different events arc appointed by the Chairman
of each event, who in turn spend many hours planning and preparing the decorations for their particular activity making sure that they will have
"just the right dress for their party."
Over 500 plaques, 300 large checkered flags, 3000
pennants, 400 red, white and blue bunting strips,
16 aluminum cutout race cars, 600 potted plants
and 20-12/ planter boxes are used in decorating
the streets of Indianapolis for the Festival each
year.
Although the decorations are only a small part
of the continually growing Festival activities, it is
one more way which the city of Indianapolis has of
saying to her many guests and visiting celebrities,
during the month of May, "WELCOME TO INDIANAPOLIS . . . HOME OF THE "500" FESTIVAL AND THE GREATEST SPECTACLE
IN RACING."
51
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| Title | page51 |
| Funding | Funding provided by The Library Fund, a fund of the Indianapolis Foundation |
| Standardized Rights Statement | http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
| Usage Rights | Copyright 500 Festival |
| Digital Publisher | IUPUI (Campus). University Library |
| Item ID | I5F-Prgrm1963-068_page51.tif |
| Have Questions? | Contact us: digschol@iupui.edu |
| Transcript | Renzie M. Hamilton "500" Festival street light "500" Festival planter box dec- pole decorations 1963 sea- orations (20 of these units in son. tlie Indianapolis down town area) 1963. (Welcome Arch) Airline step decorations 1963 "500" Festival season (6 of these in use in Indianapolis i\InnicipaI Airport). Indianapolis Dresses Up For The "500" Festival Shortly after the April showers have subsided, snow shovels abandoned, lawn mowers have been removed from their winter storage places and the family convertible top lowered for the first time of the season, Indianapolis starts to get dressed for the biggest party of the year, the annual "500" Festival. Initial planning for the Festival decorations gets under way, each year, early in January. Checkered flags fluttering in the warm spring breeze, geraniums in bloom on Monument Circle, the stirring sounds of a marching band and the roar of speed- hungry engines at the track seem an eternity away when the snow is blowing, temperatures hovering near the zero mark and a festive spirit is hard to come by. However, like all the Festival activities, it takes many hours of planning, work and the cooperation of civic minded persons and organizations to give the Festival its party dress. Thus, an early start is necessary to get the job accomplished. Near the end of the second week in May, the results of many committee meetings, sketch sessions, telephone calls, letters and hours of detailing begin to materialize. Indianapolis Power and Light Company, assisted by Citizens Gas and Coke Utility, voluntarily furnish the equipment and manpower to remove from storage, transport and erect, at predetermined locations in downtown Indianapolis, the twenty large planter boxes, which set the theme for the Festival street decorations. The Park Department of the City of Indianapolis supply and install the 600 potted geranium plants that are required to fill the planters and the Indianapolis Police Department provides an escort to avoid traffic congestion while the planters are being unloaded and erected on location. After the planters have been positioned and the geraniums placed, the Indianapolis Water Company furnishes men and equipment to clean each of the twenty units. American and checkered flags are raised, eight foot color photo reproductions of former "500" Mile Race winners are placed in position and the first phase of the decorations are completed. In the next few days that follow, 150 street light poles, lining the Festival Parade route, are decorated with "500" Festival plaques and colorful flags, pennants and bunting, heralding the many Festival activities, which arc about to begin. Indianapolis Weir Cook Airport is completely trimmed with Festival decorations, as well as the deplane- ing steps of all major airlines serving the city. Any visitor entering the city is certain to get the impression that "something big is about to happen here." Many Indianapolis business houses and other organizations decorate their store fronts, buildings and windows, all in keeping with the Festival atmosphere. Decorating committees for each of the different events arc appointed by the Chairman of each event, who in turn spend many hours planning and preparing the decorations for their particular activity making sure that they will have "just the right dress for their party." Over 500 plaques, 300 large checkered flags, 3000 pennants, 400 red, white and blue bunting strips, 16 aluminum cutout race cars, 600 potted plants and 20-12/ planter boxes are used in decorating the streets of Indianapolis for the Festival each year. Although the decorations are only a small part of the continually growing Festival activities, it is one more way which the city of Indianapolis has of saying to her many guests and visiting celebrities, during the month of May, "WELCOME TO INDIANAPOLIS . . . HOME OF THE "500" FESTIVAL AND THE GREATEST SPECTACLE IN RACING." 51 |
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