Celebrations & Festivals
Calvin Kibby, 2013
 Josh Higgins Celebration (1939), Island Park |  Iowa Centennial Celebration (1946), Island Park |  First Sturgis Falls Celebration (1976), Island Park |
|---|---|---|
 Early Homecoming Parade at University (ca 1925), UNI Campus |  Ball for the Iowa Central Railroad (1865), Overman Hall |  Iowa Central Railroad proposed route map (1865) |
 First Sturgis Falls Celebration (1976), Overman Park |  Fourth of July Parade (1896), Main Street |  Christmas Tree (1974), Outside Maucker Union SW Corner |
 Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony (1953), North Campanile Lawn |  Cedar Falls Senior Sports Classic Brochures (1996, 1997), Northern Iowa |  Shopkeepers dressed up in traditional Danish attire for Danish Days (19 |
 The Square Wave, RAGBRAI (1989), West of UNI Dome |  Island Park (1925) |  Sturgis Falls Celebration Founders Bench- close up (2013), Overman Park |
 Sturgis Falls Celebration Founders Bench (2013), Overman Park |
Cedar Falls has become known for its festivals and celebrations. Some credit should be given to Peter Melendy, who helped organize the first fair in Cedar Falls in 1865.[1] He became so well-known for organizing festivals that when a committee was tasked with planning the Cedar Falls Centennial Celebration in 1952, they claimed that it had to be big enough to have pleased Melendy if he were still alive.[2]
In 1976, Tom Klemuk, Rosemary Beach, and Judith Cutler set out to organize the first Sturgis Falls Celebration. Since then, Sturgis Falls has become the largest annual celebration in Cedar Falls.[3] The associated parade has made its rounds through downtown since 1980.[4] Throughout the celebration’s history, hundreds of bands have performed different musical genres. Sports competitions included softball games, golf tournaments, bicycle rides, volleyball tournaments, and road races. Overman, Island, Birdsall, Blackhawk, and Tourist Parks have all been utilized for the celebration.[5] A bench, located in Overman Park, is dedicated to the three founders of this highly successful celebration.
In recent years, Community Main Street has been instrumental in organizing events downtown all year around. During the Christmas season, residents look forward to Holiday Hoopla, the Festival of Trees, Santa’s Workshop, and the Christmas Walk. In the summer months residents of Cedar Falls have turned out in large numbers for Antique Acres, the Cedar Trails Festival, the College Hill Arts Festival, the Cedar Basin Jazz Festival, in addition to 4th of July, and Memorial Day celebrations.[6] As a result of the organizational efforts of groups like Community Main Street, and the support of its residents, Cedar Falls continues to be a city where all seasons are worth celebrating.
1. Josh Higgins Celebration (1939), Island Park
On August 25, 1939, Island Park was the site of a celebration welcoming Josh Higgins’ return to Cedar Falls. Higgins was a character created by Finchford native, Joe Dumond, for his radio shows. Higgins became so well known that citizens celebrated him as a local celebrity. At the celebration, the nationally recognized Cedar Falls Municipal Band played and Joe Dumond spoke to the crowd in character as Higgins. After Dumond finished, Governor Nelson G. Kraschel addressed the audience. Afterwards there was a picnic lunch where fried chicken was served.[7] The park today known as George Wyth State Park was originally called Josh Higgins Parkway. Governor Kraschel even declared every third Friday of each August “Josh Higgins Day.”[8]
2. Iowa Centennial Celebration (1946), Island Park
On July 4th, the last day of the Iowa Centennial Celebration, Island Park was the site of a fireworks display that was reputed to be the best to date. There was also a beard judging competition at the baseball diamond where the winner received a twenty dollar prize. The same day, employees from John Deere and Stokes Used Cars played each other in a baseball game, a concert was held, and a boat parade took place, all here in Island Park.[9]
3. First Sturgis Falls Celebration (1976), Island Park
Island Park was the site of some festivities during the first Sturgis Falls Celebration. From June 27 to July 4, 1976, citizens enjoyed boat rides, an old fashioned church service, pancake breakfast, and horse hitch rides to Overman Park here.[10]
4. Ball for the Iowa Central Railroad (1865), Overman Hall
On September 19, 1865, a celebration was held to break ground for the next leg of the Iowa Central Railroad. Thousands of people came to celebrate the beginning of production for a train that would simplify North and South travel and bring sections together that had just been divided by a Civil War. The aim of this railroad was to link St. Paul to St. Louis. Signs were shown reading, “This is the day we welcome our friends and break sod for the enemy.”[11] The evening concluded with a ball at Overman Hall, which was located at the corner of 2nd Street and Main Street.[12] Unfortunately, construction on the railroad was soon abandoned after a rival Chicago based railroad put the Iowa Central out of business. Over a hundred miles of road had already been graded but not a single track was ever laid down.[13]
5. First Sturgis Falls Celebration (1976), Overman Park
Overman Park received a lot of use during the first Sturgis Falls Celebration in 1976. Bands played for the masses on the lawn. Food stands and a farmers market were set up. There were horse hitch rides to Island Park. The Historical Society offered tours of the Victorian House and Little Red Schoolhouse.[14]
6. Parades and Fairs (1865), Lincoln Elementary School
In 1865, the original Lincoln Elementary School was the site of the first fair in Cedar Falls. This horticultural fair was complete with produce stands and farm animals for the children to pet. The schools here have also served as the staging area and starting point for numerous parades, including the first Sturgis Falls Parade in 1980, which made its way to Main Street and then to Overman Park.[15]
7. Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony (1971-1983), Maucker Union Southwest Corner
The second location for the tree lighting ceremony at the University was outside the southwest corner of Maucker Union, the current location of the “Iowa Cycles” sculpture and fountain. In 1974, the large spruce that grew there was decorated with a single light in recognition of the Energy Crisis.[16] By December 1, 1992, the 50th annual tree lighting ceremony was held outside the northeast corner of Maucker Union. Another part of the Christmas celebrations at the Union that year was the Les Halle Chorale Holiday Concert on December 6.[17]
8. Homecoming Parade (1922, 1929), University of Northern Iowa
The first homecoming for the Teachers College was held in 1920, but, the first homecoming featuring a parade was held on October 20-21, 1922. This relatively short parade most likely went over the current site of Rod Library on its way around campus.[18] The first parade to leave campus was held on October 12, 1929. The route went north on College Street to 18th Street, east on 18th Street to Main Street, and then north on Main Street to 1st Street. It featured the Varsity Band, the Ladies Band, and floats entered by local businessmen. The 1929 Homecoming also marked the last homecoming before the Great Depression caused declining enrollment numbers for the Teachers College.[19] In 2008 the traditional homecoming parade was discontinued due to construction along College Hill. A parade has yet to be reintroduced to the homecoming festivities.[20]
9. Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony (1943-1967), North Campanile Lawn
Beginning in 1943, the University had its first Christmas tree lighting ceremony. This tradition went uninterrupted until 2000. In the early years, an evergreen between the Commons and the Campanile was used.[21] This tree is pictured above in the Christmas tree lighting ceremony of 1953.
10. Cedar Falls Senior Sports Classic (1996, 1997), University of Northern Iowa
On May 17-19, 1996, and May 16-18, 1997, the Cedar Falls Senior Sports Classic was held on the UNI campus. In 1996, adults 55 years and older could participate, but the age was lowered by 5 years the following year. Sport competitions included archery, badminton, basketball, bowling, cycling, golf, racquetball, softball, swimming, table tennis, track, triathlon, and volleyball, among others.[22]
11. Danish Days (1959), West Gym, Iowa State Teachers College
For the conclusion of the Danish Days celebrations in 1959, everyone was invited to the Men’s Gymnasium for the world famous Shaggy Dog Act. This show consisted of five dogs performing tricks for the audience. Musical groups included the headliner, Irish singer Carmel Quinn. A number of floats in the Danish Days parade had a Danish theme. Shopkeepers along Main Street and children dressed in Danish attire.[23]
12. RAGBRAI (1989, 2007), UNI Dome
Registrar's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) stopped in Cedar Falls in 1989 and 2007. The UNI Dome was the center of festivities both years. In 1989, the Dome was filled with food, drink, and music, while hot air balloons set up nearby.[24] In 2007, temporary shelters were constructed nearby to accommodate some of the 10,000 riders who would stay in town overnight. Hundreds of these tent-like shelters were set up on the intramural fields west of the UNI Dome. This community was given the name “Square Wave” and, with florescent lights attached to the top of each shelter, it was truly a magnificent sight.[25]
[1] Rita Congdon, Interview, Cedar Falls, October 15, 2013.
[2] Cedar Falls Historical Society Archives: Series 2B (Cedar Falls Celebrations) Box 1: Anniversaries and Centennial: Folder (Statehood Centennial).
[3] Cyndi Sweet, Silver Celebration: a History of the Sturgis Falls Celebration, (2000) p 4-5.
[4] Cyndi Sweet, Silver Celebration p 8.
[5] Cyndi Sweet, Silver Celebration p 4-48.
[6] CFHSA: Series 2B (Celebrations) Box 5: Misc. Celebrations: (Numerous Folders).
[7] CFHSA: Series 2B (Celebrations) Box 5: Misc. Celebrations: Folder (Josh Higgin’s Celebration In Island Park 1939).
[8] Edgar A. Thompson. “Radio Performers Leaving Names for the Future.” The Milwaukee Journal, October 7, 1938.
[9] CFHSA: Series 2B(Cedar Falls Celebrations) Box 1: Anniversaries and Centennial: Folder (Statehood Centennial).
[10] Cyndi Sweet, Silver Celebration p 4-5.
[11] CFHSA, Series XV (Transportation) Box 1: Transportation Historical: Folder (C7 RR History).
[12] CFHSA, Series XV (Transportation) Box 1: Transportation Historical: Folder (C7 RR History).
[13] Rita Congdon, Interview, Cedar Falls, November 14, 2013.
[14] Cyndi Sweet, Silver Celebration p 4-5.
[15] Rita Congdon, Interview, Cedar Falls, October 15, 2013.
[16] RLSP, UNI: Christmas Traditions at UNI: Tree Lighting Ceremony.
[17] CFHSA: Series 2B (Celebrations) Box 5: Misc. Celebrations: Folder (Holiday Hoopla).
[18] RLSP, UNI: History of Homecoming at UNI: Beginnings: 1920-1928.
[19] RLSP, UNI: History of Homecoming at UNI: Refining the Form: 1929-1942.
[20] RLSP, UNI: History of Homecoming at UNI: Modern Homecomings: 1977-2005.
[21] Rod Library Special Collections, University of Northern Iowa: Christmas Traditions at UNI: Tree Lighting Ceremony.
[22] CFHSA: Series 2B(Celebrations) Box 5: Misc. Celebrations: Folder (Senior Sports Classic).
[23] CFHSA: Series 2B (Celebrations) Box 5: Misc. Celebrations: Folder (Danish Days).