Lost In the 50's

Pictures from one of our towns most popular events. (We've always got something going on) This year we celebrated Lost in the 50's 20th anniversary.

What's Lost in the 50's? Let me describe the process to you.

Lost in the 50's is a 3-day-fest with events all over town ranging from a parade downtown, a street dance, A car show, 50's concerts at the Panida, the bunny hop (A huge everyone-in-town-is-invited-dance held out at the fair grounds or the local mall (if you can call it that. I think we have JC Penney’s and Hallmark), and it all ends with the Pajama Run where you dress in your pajamas and race all over town (and in local shops) on a treasure hunt trying to be the first to find the prize. Fuzzy slippers most adamantly approved of. There are other events but I can't remember them all:)

Basically people dress up in poodle skirts, fire engine red lipstick and wear their hair in a ponytails tied by a colorful scarves. Elvis and Marilyn are common words. Fuzzy dice hang from every rearview mirror, and 50's hit play anywhere, and everywhere, all day long. Amidst all of this 50's nostalgia, it is the cars that people come for. Big cars, little cars, nice cars, well...not so nice cars, cars from every decade except the last.

The people come from everywhere, from the big cities hours away descending in multitudes on our little town which has barely crossed the 7,200 population sign on the outside of city limits. The main streets downtown are blocked off entirely (which is a big deal because we have a highway running right through those streets and there is no other way north for the semi's!) It is necessary however for the show in which row upon row of ancient cars are parked perpendicular to the curb and myriads of people walk up and down the middle of the road gawking. We mull around downtown watching, the parade of cars dated between 1920-1989. The parade circles around the entirety of our downtown area (about 5 streets worth) approximately 3-4 times or until the drivers get tired of watching the crowd go by.

To sum up what Lost in the 50's means to us locals I will tell you a true, if not somewhat pathetic story. One year, a fresh army recruit was overheard trying to get a leave from his superior. He wanted to attend lost in the 50's. "No", said his superior who had never heard of "Lost in the 50's". The young man was deeply disappointed and somehow couldn't understand the news that "Lost in the 50's" was not a known national holiday. For some people Lost in the 50's has an even more significant meaning. "I met my wife there" an Elderly man said with a grin. "We've attended every year since" He wife added smiling. Special Lost in the 50's memories are definitely something the locals will treasure always.

This year we were threatened with it going out. The last year for Lost in the 50's. Why? We would miss it too much; our town won't seem like our town without Lost in the 50's. Who wants to see it end? It's always about the money... but for my vote and I think I can safely say for all avid Lost in the 50's lovers... you can banish it from existence but you can never banish it from the memory of our hearts.

Here's to Lost in the 50's Forever!