The Garden City Telegram
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Headlines from 1957: Crowds See Fall Opening
Published 9/26/2009 in History Page
The town's third Fall Festival is over. An estimated 2,000 persons flocked downtown last night to see store windows bedecked with merchants' fall merchandise. They also enjoyed other entertainment planned by the sponsoring Chamber of Commerce.
The crowd came early for the window unveilling at 7 o'clock and stayed late to watch dancing on Laurel street.
Some of the spectators were winners of merchandise prizes given by 46 firms.
The $100 cash grand prize donated by The Telegram went to Mrs. Neva Parish, 910 N. 7th.
An autumn table setting in the window of Patterson Jewelry took top honors in the window decorating contest. Judge Ernest Rayner from Wiley's Inc., Hutchinson, selected that window and displays at Rose's House of Flowers and the Burtis Motor Co., the three winners.
He gave honorable mention awards to displays at the J.C. Penney store, Mullin's Furniture, Laughlin Electric, Sweetbrier Shaff's, Porters Flowers, Woolworth's and Wren Studio.
Patterson's winning window was arranged by store employee Phyllis Villarreal. She chose a cocoa-brown, gold-flecked cloth with a centerpiece of artificial bronze mums and autumn leaves flanked by gold candles in crystal holders.
A wall shadow box back of the table featured a fall flower arrangement and a small statue of St. Francis of Assisi.
The window would be "at home on Fifth avenue in New York or any place else," said Rayner, often a prizewinner himself in display-window competition.
A patio party, with formally-attired young couples dancing and small children playing in a wading pool, was featured at Rose's House of Flowers, the 2nd-place window.
The new Edsel took the spotlight in the Burtis display.
Banjo player Walt Rundell from Pierceville got the crowd's most enthusiastic applause at the talent show directed by Herman Beringer and emceed by John Hendry. Rundell and his piano accompanist, Mrs. John Collins, were called back by the crowd for encore numbers.
Other acts in the talent line-up were a jazz combo from Lakin High school; the Blendaires, men's quartet from Ulysses; dance team Grace Ann and Dale Bjorklun and marimba soloist Mrs. Bill Alley.
Todd Williams from Lamar, Colo., called square dances and many in the crowd stayed to watch the dancers swing their partners on Laurel street until almost midnight.
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