My grandfather wrote in his diary in the summer of 1916 that he had worked for the\u00a0Neptuna Carnival in Peoria. \u00a0My dad’s recent research into this\u00a0Neptuna Carnival revealed the following article from\u00a0The Peoria Transcript, Sunday July 2, 1916:<\/p>\n
Neptuna Carnival Begins Tonight<\/p>\n
The Neptuna Carnival will open tonight with a concert program given by the famous Liberati band\u00a0of fifty musicians and company of opera singers. This concert will be given from the Island Beautiful\u00a0in the river directly in front of the grandstand. There are over 10,000 seats in the grandstand. at 25\u00a0cents each. The concert will begin at 8:00 and according to the advanced sale of seats will have a\u00a0really remarkable attendance. The ballet, which is to present a marvelous spectacular ballet on the\u00a0Island Beautiful on the night of the Fourth in honor of the coming of Neptuna.<\/p>\n
The entrance of the Court of Honor, which has been erected on lower Main Street near Adams and\u00a0on the parking lots of the river front, is a sight of majestic splendor and pure architecture, with its\u00a0columns gleaming white. It frames a vista with the sparkling blue of the river and the green hills as\u00a0a background. When the thousands of incandescent monster lights, which have been placed for the\u00a0illumination, are at last alight, the Court will present a vision of beauty not soon to be forgotten. \u00a0The river front will present a decidedly festive and carnivalesque appearance with many booths and\u00a0tents having sprung up during the day.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Ten thousand seats on the riverfront?!?! \u00a0Wow! \u00a0Sounds like a great time, doesn’t it? \u00a0I hope someone has photos of this 1916 spectacle that they can share on the Internet.<\/span><\/p>\n