by Debbi | Mar 15, 2010 | St. Patrick's Day
St. Patrick's Day 2007. My favorite float of all-time: The Sandbar Showboat.
It wasn't my love of this particular float that inspired this flashback, however- it was an article in today's Lawrence Journal-World about a couple who was married during the first St. Patrick's Day Parade in 1988. Even better, the bride worked at AJ's Tavern once upon a time! For those of you who don't know, The Sandbar was AJ's in a previous life.
Which brings me back to the Showboat.
This float had nothing to do with weddings (that was the year before, when we built a giant wedding cake), but a wedding really happened on the float.
A couple contacted Peach and asked if they could have a small ceremony on our upstairs beach. On St. Patrick's Day. Clearly, we're a little busy that day and scheduling a wedding upstairs wasn't happening. Our quick-thinking leader suggested that they be married on our float instead, and cool couple that they are, they agreed.
Dave, an internet-ordained minister who's performed five weddings, officially married them on our float as it crossed the Kansas River.
As you can see, this float had two levels. Although we know the upper level was sturdy- Dave was the chief construction man, after all- it shook a lot as we danced through town.
This year's float also has two levels. At dance practice last night, we discovered that the top floor shakes like crazy once again. Especially if you jump around.
Be sure to check us out on Wednesday!
by Debbi | Mar 14, 2010 | St. Patrick's Day
Here's another golden oldie for you. It's amazing to see how far our floats have come in the last decade!
Back in 1998, we built a St. Patrick's Day float that replicated a Jimmy Buffett concert. Well, a Buffett concert in his early days, before he had much of a band or much of a crowd.
It was a chilly, rainy day on St. Patrick's day. We had a group of girls (and Garreth, long time bartender/manager) huddled in the back of the truck dancing to the music. The trailer we used was short by today's standards. We built a stage for "Jimmy" complete with tidal waves and backup dancers and palm trees.
We were shocked when Tyler, a bartender at the time and future Harvard law school graduate, agreed to be Jimmy Buffett. He was kind of a shy guy, but he lip-synced his way through the parade like a superstar.
We had some band members with actual instruments and hula girls dancing along with the music.
Doesn't the float look tiny?!?
This was also the first year we had a dog on board. We've had animals as part of the float before, but usually it's a camel or zebra or horse that walks in front of or behind the float. But this year, I'd adopted a puppy from Peach & Ted's dog's latest litter, and she was barely six weeks old. I didn't have a kennel for her yet, so she came along for the ride.
Maggie didn't like the puppy carrier, so we turned her loose in back of the truck. She promptly crawled into someone's duffel bag and curled up inside a sweatshirt and slept the entire parade route.
Does anyone remember this float, or any of our other older ones?
by Debbi | Mar 9, 2010 | St. Patrick's Day
It was so much fun reminiscing yesterday about our St. Patrick's Day float from 1997, we thought we'd share some other float memories the rest of the week. After all, St. Patrick's Day is one of our all-time favorite subjects!
Back in 2000, we built a pirate ship. That's probably one of the most expected floats we could build, and in fact we've build all kinds of variations of boats and ships through the years. This float was special for many reasons.
The pirate ship was long-time Friday bartender Heather's first float. In fact, it was her first real Sandbar experience. She didn't work here yet, but she'd been visiting the Sandbar and befriended Phil, who invited her to be on the float. Everyone loved her (of course!) and when Dave had an open shift she filled it, and the rest is history.
Another unique part of this float: rollerblading sharks. This was our future art director and his wife's first Sandbar float also. They volunteered to wear sharks on their helmets and rollerblade alongside the float, like sharks circling the ship. Both of them were exhausted the next day. We've never had rollerblading participants again, either.
We had pirates and wenches and cannons that shot puffs of air out the side of the ship. It was a big float compared to the ones we'd previously built…but it was only a sign of what was still to come.
by Debbi | Mar 8, 2010 | Off the Wall, St. Patrick's Day
In honor of our upcoming favorite holiday of the year, here's the story behind one of pictures nailed to our wall.
St. Patrick's Day, 1997. The float theme was "Under the Sea" and we built a giant aquarium. By 1997 standards it seemed huge and elaborate; by today's standards, not so much.
Doorboy Andrew was a wee little thing back then. He was a scuba diver on the float. What this really meant: he was suspended in mid-air in the "aquarium." Dave was a giant red lobster. There were mermaids and sea creatures and King Neptune.
And a zebra.
Peach and Ted had started acquiring their various exotic animals, and the zebra deserved a place of honor in the parade even though she didn't fit the theme at all. Peach and several other staff members walked alongside the float, decked out in Hawaiian shirts and beachcomber hats, and the zebra walked with them.
This picture features Cheryl, one of the first and only doorgirls (she kept the Tuesday night crowd in line- literally); Peach; the zebra; Ted's daughter Betsy, and little Andrew. Wasn't he cute?
This picture hangs near the front door. Check it out next time you're in the bar. Oh, and notice the old white paint on the building, and the palm trees that used to adorn the old windows!
by Debbi | Mar 6, 2010 | St. Patrick's Day
Ever wonder what it's like to build a giant St. Patrick's Day float? Imagine piles of lumber…a garage full of power tools…gallons and gallons of paint…and boys goofing around almost as much as they work.
Here's a look behind the scenes at float prep the other day.
Somehow, in between the horsing around, they still manage to put together a pretty great float.
