During Public Comments at Monday’s council meeting, B’Elanna Powell said she was very disappointed with the Antique Car Parade this year. She said it was only 15 minutes long, and claimed at least four vehicles in the parade were not classic or antique cars. She also did not like the “rehearsed” presentation of the Bank Robbery. She missed seeing the floozies and church ladies engaging with the crowd, and for her the whole production seemed like an advertisement for one of the sponsors.
In Council Comments, alderman Mickey Schneider echoed Powell’s sentiments. She said she has heard nothing but negative responses about the two events last weekend. She remembered when year after year the Antique Car parade lasted 45 minutes, and this year’s parade lasted only 15 minutes. She blamed the timing of the event for the disappointing parade. “Remember when all parades were going to be on Friday night at 5 p.m.?” she asked. “This one was moved to 4 p.m. on Saturday, so timing was the problem, not the rain.”
She also complained about the “rehearsed” bank robbery and the absence of local color stirring up the bystanders. She called this version “ridiculous.”
“I hope you sit up and smell the coffee and realize when things work, don’t screw with them,” she remarked.
Mayor Butch Berry responded to Schneider by pointing out the Chamber of Commerce, not the city, planned the Antique Car parade.
I played the roll of the towns undertaker for 8 years, in the reenactment in some part for 15 plus years. My daughter grew up with this morning till just after lunch performance. One of the big facts about the real robery attempt is it took place right at lunch time, well the robbers thought so. The one in the group of outlaws with a watch was off by one hour. Opps the bank was full of staff when the theives entered. They had planned to steal the loot from a skeleton staff on duty while most were out to lunch..
The brilliance of performing a reenactment at 4 or 5 in the afternoon eludes me. How does this work to match the past? A parade at 11 am puts more people downtown and thus more revenue into local economy and so forth.
I should know after living here for 27 years that the ofiginal schedule was working so it has to be messed up by someone who knows how to do it better in Eureka Springs because of something similar from their past elsewhere.
I must say it is unfortunate. I did enjoy playing a roll, but not in the evening. I will stick to my prior obligations and recall my fond memories of the past. Best Wishes!
Spectators, don’t forget your ear plugs. It can get loud, especially with fewer people to absorb the sound in the streets.
Clearly Ms. Powell doesn’t understand collector car owners and why there wasn’t much of a turnout. I signed up to come, but I am not about to drive through thunderstorms and flash flood watches and warnings to get there. The other issue in play is that after investing thousands of dollars and countless hours restoring our classics, we’re not about to take them out in bad weather and risk ruining all our hard work.
The parade can only last as long as the cars that enter. If “modern” cars are not allowed that is on the organizers. The reenactment was based on historical facts and based in 1922. There were no floozies or Church ladies mentioned in the news article of the incident. I was involved in the reenactment for crowd control and automobile movement. Everyone that I talked to after the reenactment enjoyed the show. We rehearsed to make sure everyone knew what they needed to do. When you are dealing with guns firing blanks it is always SAFETY first. We had no injuries to actors or viewers.