Saturday, January 13, 2018

1.13.18 A Notable Neon Event Prompts a Return to the Isle

Return to Nicollet Island! The Grain Belt Beer sign, languishing in desuetude for so many years, has at long last been revived, reanimated, relit! While residing on the island, we often lamented that so prominent a landmark had been permitted to remain unlit and in a state of neglect. We knew there were reasons for this, but still ...

When we heard that the sign would be lit up on December 30, 2018, we knew we had to travel back in time and space to the place we had so enjoyed living for 3 years, just to witness this historic event. So we laid our plans, boarded our time machine, and traveled back - from Chicagoland, where we now reside, through Madison, Wisconsin, where we resided for 3 years, to Minneapolis and the island where we lived for 3 years.  Imagine our surprise, while planning our lodgings, to discover that one of our former island neighbors, one of the island's most delightful residents, was offering airbnb accommodations in her home! Mary had been friendly to us from the moment we moved onto the island, and it was a pleasure to see her again, get to know each other even better than we did while we were neighbors, and throw a little business her way.

It was cold in Chicagoland as we set off for Minneapolis, but Minnesota cold is something else again. Having lived there for 16 years, we knew it well, and knew enough to bring our woolies. On the evening of December 30th, the temperature was -10. We won't even talk about the wind chill, but the wind was present and accounted for. We bundled up and drove to the downtown side of the Hennepin Avenue bridge, where we parked the car and winter-walked over slick sidewalks down to the river to await the blessed event - the re-birth of neon splendor bathing the bridge and welcoming tourists to the city of Pillsbury, of Gold Medal Flour, and yes, of Grain Belt Beer. Here is what the scene looked like, pre-lighting:

If anything justified a return to this blog for one final post (maybe), it was this event. While living on the island, I had spent many happy hours wandering its paths, exploring its nooks and crannies, and pondering life (and my next blog entry) while standing in the shadow of the towering Grain Belt sign. I used to wonder if I would ever have a chance to see the sign light up again, and why it had been permitted to sit dormant for so many years. I used to speak to island residents about this, and received various explanations and stories associated with the sign. There was a time when one resident owned a red and white boat that was anchored for a while right below the sign, providing a visually pleasing complement to the colors of the sign. The boat was no longer there, but the sign remained, awaiting its reanimation scheduled for approximately 5:30 pm. An "after-party" had even been planned to take place at the Pavilion on the southern tip of the island, with food and drink and live music. Since we had previously purchased tickets to a show at First Avenue that night, we would have to miss that party. But we would not miss the lighting of the sign which, from our vantage point, looked like this:


You think -10 would keep Minnesotans from attending this event? Then you don't know Minnesotans. A crowd stood huddled together near the river and on the stone stairway of the bridge's western side, awaiting what had not been seen for over 20 years. Whatever reasons had prompted the sign's owners to re-engineer and re-light the sign (commercial considerations, the upcoming Super Bowl, etc.), we were glad for the decision and the chance to be there to see it. The Mississippi wore its habitual winter coat of white, pockets of water glistening in places.


Armed only with my iPhone camera, the photos are not optimal - neon lights tend not to come out sharply in the photos, or maybe I just lack the necessary iPhone camera skills. I later took a few shots from up on the bridge, which came out better. But I think the photos are good enough to convey the overall effect. (Other photos included below)

We stood like statues awaiting the lighting, the feeling in our bared flesh gradually dissipating, the breathing of those assembled visible in puffs beside their heads, like comic strip dialogue balloons. A man associated with the company who now owned the Grain Belt sign began giving a speech, thanking all those who made the lighting possible. The freezing crowd glared with animus as the speech dragged on and fingers and cheeks grew numb. Finally, his speech wound to its conclusion, only for him to introduce the city's mayor-elect, who began a speech of his own. I began questioning my ability to endure, my contempt for speechmakers greatly expanding, like the ice on the river during winter in Minneapolis. At long last, the second speech came to an end and the lighting of the sign was counted down - here is what it sounded like and looked like (click on link):

Grain Belt Beer Sign Lighting

Once the sign was lit, we stood watching its various iterations of illumination, with differing color schemes and timings, then rapidly made our way back to the car.


Here is what crazy people look like:

Can you see the look of panic in my eyes as frostbite approaches?

But seriously, we are seasoned Minnesotans and knew how to dress for the occasion.
And the comfort of our recent meal at my favorite Northeast eatery, Punch Pizza, was still warm in my belly. And the carafe of wine certainly hadn't done any harm.



Below are the shots I took from the bridge, which give a better idea of what the sign looked like when illuminated.





It was a pleasure to revisit Minneapolis, to reunite with good friends, to witness the sign lighting, and to stay on the island again where we enjoyed so many good and memorable times. The island is a special place and Minneapolis a great city. Contact me if you wish to experience the island yourself, I know someone with fantastic airbnb accommodations - or just go to www.airbnb.com and search for accommodations on Nicollet Island - my friend's name is Mary and she would be thrilled to have you.

Life flows on, in and around us—and can illuminate us in ways we never thought possible—when we allow it to.

D.E.S.

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