August 30 - September 1, 2008
Up and Down Front St. and City Island
FREE! You can't pay for this kind of entertainment... I mean... no one would...
This is one of the three reasons each year that Steven Reed, HMFL, closes Front St. from the Harvey Taylor Bridge to Market St. so people can mill around to take in the spectacle.
I have to tell you, I have no idea what a Kipona is. But it qualifies as a roadside attraction by virtue of the fact that it occurs by a roadside... it occurs ON the road, for crying out loud. And the side of the road. And half way across the river on the City island.
This year the sponsors are advertising it as an Art festival (sort of), Bass Fishing Tournament, Boat Race, Kiddie Park, Drum Circle and Chili Cook-Off.
You know there was a committee involved, right?
What does a Rubber Duck fundraiser for the March of Dimes, an Iron Chef demonstration, a bunch of people paddling canoes with dragon heads at the front and dragon tails at the back up and down the Susquehanna River, a rash of bands you've never heard of, a karate tournament, bad fair food and the Bath Fitter company have in common? I mean other than they're ALL happening on Front Street RIGHT NOW?
No. Seriously. I want someone to tell me what the hell ties all this activity together.
I mean. Bath Fitter?
The music , I am so sorry to tell you, is really not the draw with the incredibly notable exception of Darcie Miner who holds forth on a stage next to the Market Street bridge on Monday at noon if it doesn't rain again and drown her set out as it has the last 3 of the 4 times she's been a good enough sport to show back up in Harrisburg to play for free. She's got a real alt.country approach and this chick can rawk... I love her and you do, too, if you've ever seen her. The Martini Bros. are also worthy and are listed to close this moneymaker down at 8:00 PM Monday evening.
The only other thing I can truly get behind would be the fireworks.
They are supposed to be happening at 8:35 PM tonight-- that would be Sunday, August 31 and I have to get a move on here to let you all know about this in time to get over to my secret Harrisburg watching site because I won't miss a fireworks display if I can help it.
I'll even go to a pretty poor showing and I will say that Harrisburg has redeemed many of its shortcomings with decent fireworks. I'm going to cross my fingers and toes to make sure they send the Summer off in a manner becoming the season...
The food is the same bunch of folks hawking the deep-fried fat balls wrapped in powdered sugar and then dipped in chocolate you see at every gathering... you're not expecting haute cuisine, I know, I know but rest assured that if you are feeling a little fat, salt or sugar deficient today, these people will fix you right up.
The Broad Street Market is open part way through the day on Saturday so you can get some good Indian at Curry In A Hurry if you feel the need to eat while you're here. These people operate Passage to India at the bottom of Front Street and that is the only restaurant I would eat in willingly the first three years I lived in Mooville. It is, hands down, the best Indian in town and to this day one of maybe 4 in the city where I would send anyone I liked. I saw cantaloupes for $1.50 at the vegetable stand at the front of the Brick Building and there was some real nice-looking produce at the stand set up between the buildings... very nice peppers... beets... watermelons... the little sweet sugar-babies were a dollar a piece. It wasn't Kipona which is why they were probably the best thing about the day...
But I digress...
The Kipona part makes you pay to go see the Art and I wasn't in any mood by the time I schlepped all the way from Broad Street to Market Street so you're on your own with whether there is anything remotely art-like there. The drumming over at City Island was very primal and rhythmic but I don't know why all these indigenous people come to Harrisburg to drum. Maybe it's to irritate the people who took their land. It worked on me and I swear I bought my house from a guy in San Francisco.
The Kids Village is all slap fulla people painting children's faces and making balloon hats and shoving them on kid's heads and getting them to make what purports to be edible sand art. This seems like a set-up for a real cruel pair of shoes... teach a kid to eat sand then take him to the beach. Nice.
The chili cook-off in the middle of State Street was more Halloween Party than serious chili and I've been to Hatch and I know the smell of real chiles roasting in the air... this wasn't it... Sorry, again...
The weather HAS been cooperating this year. It was overcast mostly yesterday and that kept it from being really pain in the ass hot and sticky... Today it's been a perfect low-humidity, sunny Mooville day... really a sweet fairytale of a day to make you think it will be like this until it gets nice again... I wouldn't ruin a day like this by slogging through the masses at this Kipona thing but maybe you haven't yet filled your dance card of odd things people in Mooville do and if that's the case, you have another unknown band / footbag tourney / art show/ kid ride / drumming day ahead of you.
You really ought to try to catch Darcie Miner...
And don't forget the FIREWORKS!!
Next time: I'll tell you where my secret firework peering place is and where to see the best fireworks in Mooville.
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