The International Jugglers’ Association (IJA) is holding its 64th annual juggling festival in town this week, and between all of the workshops and performances they have scheduled, they came loaded for bear.
There’s also no doubt that the IJA knows how to make a first impression, as they chose to hold a benefit show on their fist night in town. The show, titled "Celebrate the Joy!" had an amazing lineup of some of the best jugglers in the world and it was able to raise $6,000 for the Boys & Girls Club or Rochester.
I was lucky enough to have attended the performance and I was blown away. Having never been to a juggling show, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect (you know, other than juggling). Obviously the performers are juggling, but they are also able to seamlessly integrate elements of interpretive dance, comedy, ventriloquism, and even stop-motion animation into their acts. The result was a highly entertaining show that put a smile on everyone’s face and even better, was able to raise money for an excellent cause.
Some of the funniest moments of the show were provided the performance group Playing By Air, who are able to perfectly blend juggling and comedy into their performance.
Playing By Air Promotional Video from Playing By Air on Vimeo.
Make sure to watch the segment beginning at 1:51!
The show also featured world champion juggler Doug Sayers, and by about the one minute mark of his performance you realize why he’s received so many accolades. The speed, height, and apparent ease with which he hurls balls, rings, and clubs into the air is mind blowing.
His performance was also kind enough to provide me with many of those moments where you realize that you could work your entire life at something and never be as good as the person you’re watching.
Video courtesy of http://www.whatsupjuggling.com/
As I mentioned, the schedule of events during the IJA festival as jam-packed. The exhibit hall has open juggling going on every day from 9AM – 4PM, there are workshops going on every day from 10 AM – 5PM, and there are competitions being held in the evening. Thursday night features a youth juggling showcase, as well as the Juniors championships, and that competitive spirit will carry over into Friday evening, when the individual and team championships will take place.
And if you’re up late Thursday through Saturday, you can check out the Club Renegade stage each night at 11pm. While I’m not sure exactly what that entails, the festival program promises, "The always unpredictable, usually inexplicable and quite frequently astounding acts that trod upon the Club Renegade stage add an element to the IJA festival that is easier to watch than describe."
They had me at "…usually inexplicable…"
For more information and scheduling information, visit: http://www.juggle.org/festival/
Coming up in my next post:
Our next adventure will be taking as all over this fine city, as we’ll be stopping by restaurants that have live music for you to listen to while you grab a bite or have a cocktail. As Elvis would say if he were still with us (or, in our presence if you’re not sold on the whole death theory) the two go together like peanut butter and banana, provided you also fry them. So wait patiently, and I’ll be serving up a helping of Mozzarella Styx soon!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Model T’s as Far as the Eye Can See
The Ford Model T holds such an esteemed place in history because it is considered to be the first car that the average American could afford. When it was released in 1909, you could buy the “Runabout” model (read: base model) for only $825, and during their production run from 1909 until 1927, over 15 million Model T’s were sold.*
In fact, at its zenith of production, Ford plants could turn raw materials into a finished Model T in only 3 days!* In some respects, I guess you could say they were the roughage that kept Ford plants regular.
I also remember the late Jon “Snuffy” Williams, my high school history teacher at John Marshall, telling our class that the Model T was important because it was the first time a guy and a girl could get into a car with a couple blankets, tell everyone they were going to a football game, and drive off into the country with no questions asked.
Seeing a restored and running Model T is a pretty cool experience. It’s a moving snapshot of history and seeing one drive past makes you wonder what the streets must have looked like when they were primarily traveled by Model T’s.
In fact, at its zenith of production, Ford plants could turn raw materials into a finished Model T in only 3 days!* In some respects, I guess you could say they were the roughage that kept Ford plants regular.
I also remember the late Jon “Snuffy” Williams, my high school history teacher at John Marshall, telling our class that the Model T was important because it was the first time a guy and a girl could get into a car with a couple blankets, tell everyone they were going to a football game, and drive off into the country with no questions asked.
Seeing a restored and running Model T is a pretty cool experience. It’s a moving snapshot of history and seeing one drive past makes you wonder what the streets must have looked like when they were primarily traveled by Model T’s.
And while seeing one Model T is great, the chance to see a couple hundred Model T’s (241 to be exact) all lined up in show formation, is a must-attend event for anyone even remotely interested in classic cars.
Rochester area residents will have that chance this Tuesday, July 19 when the Model T Ford Club, who are having their 55th Annual Tour event in Rochester, will be at the History Center of Olmsted County with over 200 Model T’s on display from 9-11 AM.
The display at the History Center also has a competitive component to it, as Model T’s from 15 different classes (open touring cars, sedans, modified speedsters, and commercial trucks, to name a few) will be judged against one another.
And don’t be fooled by the famous Henry Ford quote, “Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black” fool you into thinking these cars all look the same. Model T’s didn’t even come in black until 1914, and these Model T’s are customized and chock full of nuance to make each of them unique.
The Model T Ford Club is the oldest and most active Model T Club in existence. It was founded in December 1952 and is dedicated to the preservation of the history, literature, and accessories of the Model T Ford. They publish a magazine (The Model T Times), have a website full of Model T resources (http://www.modelt.org), and also have chapters around the world. Three couples who are members of the Australian chapter even flew in for this week’s festivities!
For more information about the History Center showing on Tuesday, and other Model T Tour events happening in SE Minnesota, visit Model T Ford Club’s calendar of events.
Rochester area residents will have that chance this Tuesday, July 19 when the Model T Ford Club, who are having their 55th Annual Tour event in Rochester, will be at the History Center of Olmsted County with over 200 Model T’s on display from 9-11 AM.
The display at the History Center also has a competitive component to it, as Model T’s from 15 different classes (open touring cars, sedans, modified speedsters, and commercial trucks, to name a few) will be judged against one another.
And don’t be fooled by the famous Henry Ford quote, “Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black” fool you into thinking these cars all look the same. Model T’s didn’t even come in black until 1914, and these Model T’s are customized and chock full of nuance to make each of them unique.
The Model T Ford Club is the oldest and most active Model T Club in existence. It was founded in December 1952 and is dedicated to the preservation of the history, literature, and accessories of the Model T Ford. They publish a magazine (The Model T Times), have a website full of Model T resources (http://www.modelt.org), and also have chapters around the world. Three couples who are members of the Australian chapter even flew in for this week’s festivities!
For more information about the History Center showing on Tuesday, and other Model T Tour events happening in SE Minnesota, visit Model T Ford Club’s calendar of events.
*Stats obtained from Model T Ford Club’s website: http://www.modelt.org/
Coming up in my next post:
I’m super excited about my next post, which will take me to the 64th Annual International Jugglers’ Association (IJA) Juggling Festival that is being held in Rochester. It will feature “a full week of juggling, workshops, competitions, world-class performances, games, late-night shows, joggling, a parade, fire nights, busking, and so much more!” Plus, if the RCVB and I can come to an agreement about hospital bills, I will try my hand at juggling chainsaws. After that, I will try my limb at juggling fire.
Coming up in my next post:
I’m super excited about my next post, which will take me to the 64th Annual International Jugglers’ Association (IJA) Juggling Festival that is being held in Rochester. It will feature “a full week of juggling, workshops, competitions, world-class performances, games, late-night shows, joggling, a parade, fire nights, busking, and so much more!” Plus, if the RCVB and I can come to an agreement about hospital bills, I will try my hand at juggling chainsaws. After that, I will try my limb at juggling fire.
Monday, July 11, 2011
It’s All Good Up at Mayowood
I haven’t been to Mayowood since I was about ten years old and my Lincoln at Mann (Go Lynx!) classmates and I took the tour, then put in some gold old fashioned manual labor in the form of raking leaves on the property. I remember that my primary concern was finding out whether or not the house had secret passages, or at least a dumbwaiter like Webster Papadapolis had. It was a great time, and believe it or not, 30+ 5th graders can actually rake a yard pretty quickly and effectively.
To give you the one-cent history recap of Mayowood Mansion (for more in-depth information, visit www.olmstedhistory.com), it was constructed in 1911 for Dr. Charles (Charlie) H. Mayo and his wife, Edith, who raised their six children in the house. After Dr. Charlie’s death in 1939, his son, Dr. Charles (Chuck) William and his wife, Alice, moved in and raised six children of their own in the house. In 1965, Dr. Chuck and Alice donated the home and its collected furnishings to the Olmsted County Historical Society, who still maintains and oversees the house. Along with my house, it is typically regarded as one of the finest residences in Olmsted County.
One of the first things I encountered at Mayowood this time around set a great early tone for my tour. It was also entirely accidental. You see, I drive a gently used (read: beaten up) 1999 VW Jetta, and while it is a reliable steed, the AC quit working about 4 years ago. As a result, my windows are rolled down even on the most sweltering of summer days (like the day of my tour).
As luck (read: old car) would have it, as I was driving past the front of the house to the parking lot, my brunette locks feathering nicely in the wind, I was suddenly immersed in the smell of the flowers that are planted in the front yard. It was wonderful first impression for the day, and is something I would have missed out on had I been rocking the AC with my windows up.
In responsible journalistic fashion, I was about fifteen minutes early for the tour, so I had some time to walk the grounds outside of the house. As I mentioned, the front lawn area of Mayowood is beautifully landscaped and the flowers look and smell absolutely amazing.
After about ten minutes I meandered back over to the garage area, which is where the tour begins. At this point I met my tour guide, Sheri Lu Pappas, who, over the next hour, would drop some serious Mayowood knowledge on me. I’m not going to play spoiler and give it all to you in this post, you’ll have to head over to Mayowood and get it for yourself.
Perhaps the best compliment I can give Mayowood is that since Chuck and Alice also donated all the home’s furnishings to the Historical Society, it remains an authentic version of how it looked when they last lived there in the 1960’s. Getting to see all these items as they were 45 years ago greatly enhances the tour.
My favorite room of the tour is the music room, which features a still working, 1914 Aeolian Player Pipe Organ, along with a stack of player scrolls that is about five feet tall. Walking by the pipes, which are hidden behind cabinetry in the room, part of me hoped that Doug Ingle would walk in, sit down at the organ and rip into the intro to “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”. Alas, it did not happen.
The music room also contains the Baroque doorway casing, which is from a German castle and was purchased by Dr. Chuck and Alice.
In addition to the player organ and Baroque doorway, tour participants will also get to see a plethora of rare and luxurious items and furnishings that the Mayo family personally purchased and collected to be part of their home. You will also get to see some wonderful artwork, much of it created by members of the Mayo family, as well as get an excellent glimpse into the home life of the Mayo family during their time living at Mayowood.
Tours of Mayowood are offered year round, however, the schedule of tours changes over the course of a year, so be sure to visit www.olmstedhistory.com ahead of time to make sure you have the correct tour times.
To give you the one-cent history recap of Mayowood Mansion (for more in-depth information, visit www.olmstedhistory.com), it was constructed in 1911 for Dr. Charles (Charlie) H. Mayo and his wife, Edith, who raised their six children in the house. After Dr. Charlie’s death in 1939, his son, Dr. Charles (Chuck) William and his wife, Alice, moved in and raised six children of their own in the house. In 1965, Dr. Chuck and Alice donated the home and its collected furnishings to the Olmsted County Historical Society, who still maintains and oversees the house. Along with my house, it is typically regarded as one of the finest residences in Olmsted County.
One of the first things I encountered at Mayowood this time around set a great early tone for my tour. It was also entirely accidental. You see, I drive a gently used (read: beaten up) 1999 VW Jetta, and while it is a reliable steed, the AC quit working about 4 years ago. As a result, my windows are rolled down even on the most sweltering of summer days (like the day of my tour).
As luck (read: old car) would have it, as I was driving past the front of the house to the parking lot, my brunette locks feathering nicely in the wind, I was suddenly immersed in the smell of the flowers that are planted in the front yard. It was wonderful first impression for the day, and is something I would have missed out on had I been rocking the AC with my windows up.
In responsible journalistic fashion, I was about fifteen minutes early for the tour, so I had some time to walk the grounds outside of the house. As I mentioned, the front lawn area of Mayowood is beautifully landscaped and the flowers look and smell absolutely amazing.
Perhaps the best compliment I can give Mayowood is that since Chuck and Alice also donated all the home’s furnishings to the Historical Society, it remains an authentic version of how it looked when they last lived there in the 1960’s. Getting to see all these items as they were 45 years ago greatly enhances the tour.
My favorite room of the tour is the music room, which features a still working, 1914 Aeolian Player Pipe Organ, along with a stack of player scrolls that is about five feet tall. Walking by the pipes, which are hidden behind cabinetry in the room, part of me hoped that Doug Ingle would walk in, sit down at the organ and rip into the intro to “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”. Alas, it did not happen.
 |
| Photo courtesty of Olmsted County Historical Society |
In addition to the player organ and Baroque doorway, tour participants will also get to see a plethora of rare and luxurious items and furnishings that the Mayo family personally purchased and collected to be part of their home. You will also get to see some wonderful artwork, much of it created by members of the Mayo family, as well as get an excellent glimpse into the home life of the Mayo family during their time living at Mayowood.
Tours of Mayowood are offered year round, however, the schedule of tours changes over the course of a year, so be sure to visit www.olmstedhistory.com ahead of time to make sure you have the correct tour times.
Coming up in my next post:
I’m super excited about my next post, which will take me to the 64th Annual International Jugglers’ Association (IJA) Juggling Festival that is being held in Rochester. It will feature “a full week of juggling, workshops, competitions, world-class performances, games, late-night shows, joggling, a parade, fire nights, busking, and so much more!” Plus, if the RCVB and I can come to an agreement about hospital bills, I will try my hand at juggling chainsaws. After that, I will try my limb at juggling fire.
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