Bill Caldwell: Joplin's Fiesta -- a time to kick up your heels
May 8—By 1935, the Great Depression was going into its sixth year. Lead and zinc prices had declined, which resulted in layoffs or part-time operations of local mines and mills. Businesses had gone bankrupt. Area farmers were hit with years of drought and dust storms. It wasn't unusual for families to pull up stakes and move to California in search of greener pastures.
Joplin businessmen decided something had to be done to change the area's mood. The Chamber of Commerce set up a committee to plan a community project to create a festive spirit. The committee was a who's who of city leaders such as Arthur and C.D. Christman, Sol Newman, Robert Ramsay, August Junge, Cowgill Blair, D.J. Poynor and Mayor Arthur Maher.
The chamber had sponsored special shopping days through the years to bring in shoppers. But something different was required, something to break the routine, something out of the ordinary.
On March 9, 1935, the Globe announced the special committee had come up with a new community event. In a special meeting in the Connor Hotel's roof garden, 300 people gathered to learn what they proposed.
The concept
With those words, the Globe reported the committee's idea: "Elaborate plans for a spectacular festival event Wednesday, April 24, were approved in a rising vote of more than 300 business and civic leaders ... as presented by a special committee of the Chamber of Commerce. It was one of the most enthusiastic meetings ever held here to promote a community project.
"Streets will be cleared of traffic and decorated in gay colors of old Spain — musical organizations will parade through the downtown area throughout the day — beautifully decorated floats will glide through the business district in a parade, which will include bands and drum corps — dances, ranging from a formal affair in the roof garden to a street gathering of merrymakers, will offer a special attraction to fun-seekers."
The committee was inspired by New Orleans' Mardi Gras and St. Louis' Veiled Prophet celebration. Chairman Arthur Christman said the event would be "the biggest event of its kind in the Middle West." Merchants would sponsor the activities. Upon payment of their pledge, merchants would be given "invitation tickets," which they could give to their customers. On Fiesta Day, ticket holders would deposit their tickets in collection boxes set up on downtown street corners, from which would be selected winners of cash and merchandise.
The budgeted cost of the Fiesta was $5,000 ($96,000 in 2021 dollars). Announced on March 9, the budget was oversubscribed to almost $6,000 ($115,00 in 2021 dollars) by March 31. Two hundred Boy Scouts were enlisted to affix 10,000 stickers on automobiles, with permission.
On March 27, the American Legion Robert S. Thurman Post announced it was contracting the United Shows of America to bring its carnival to Joplin to coincide with the Fiesta. The carnival consisted of 16 shows and 12 rides and employed 500 people. It required 40 rail cars to transport all the equipment, animals and staff.
While the Fiesta events were set for downtown, the carnival would set up on six blocks of Main Street from First Street to F Street. A wild animal circus and an underwater ballet were featured acts. The legion volunteered three teams to visit surrounding towns as far away as Independence, Kansas, and Bentonville, Arkansas, to post placards advertising the Fiesta.
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Joplin's first Fiesta scheduled several parades and musical groups on Tuesday evening and all day Wednesday, April 23-24, 1935. The Globe ran photos of the parade and the Fiesta Queen, Eleanor Kincaid, on Thursday, April 25. The Chamber of Commerce estimated the crowd size between 50,000 and 60,000 people. Joplin schools were dismissed for the event.
Credit — The Joplin Globe, April 25, 1935
Joplin's event was being watched by other cities. Sidney Carter, of St. Louis' Stix, Baer & Fuller store, had counseled the planners and reported businessmen in his city would attend as observers. The mayors of Kansas City and Springfield, the entire Tulsa City Commission and officials from Fort Smith and Little Rock, Arkansas, all came as well. Webb City declared a business and school holiday so everyone could attend the Fiesta.
Fiesta Day arrives
Tuesday night kicked off the Fiesta, though the carnival opened during the day. A Fiesta queen was selected from among 23 Joplin girls at ceremonies held on the stage of the Fox Theater. Eleanor Kincaid was chosen. She was crowned the next evening at the Connor roof garden.
Wednesday morning saw two hillbilly bands and a German band roving downtown serenading one and all from 8 to 11 a.m. A free auto show began at 9 a.m. into the evening on Fourth Street from Main to Joplin. At 10 a.m., the Fox, Paramount, Orpheum, Rex and Electric theaters opened their doors for free movies until 4 p.m. An oversize rail car hosted a variety of aquatic exhibits, live penguins, a flea circus and iguanas behind the Frisco building.
The first parade started at 11 a.m. Bands and drum corps marched from 20th Street to the judges' stand at Fifth and Main streets. The 15 musical groups competed for prizes. The first-place band was from Aurora, and the first-place drum corps was from Riverton, Kansas. Each was awarded $75.
Prizes in cash and merchandise amounting to $2,000 were distributed at 4 p.m.
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The first Fiesta Day planned by the Joplin Chamber of Commerce attracted a crowd estimated to be between 50,000 and 60,000 people on April 25, 1935. Parades, musical entertainment, free dances and a weeklong carnival attracted area residents to the celebration. The Globe heavily promoted the Fiesta with front-page stories and full-page ads in the week leading up to the event.
Credit — The Joplin Globe, April 14, 1935
By evening, an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 people filled downtown streets. The Globe said it was the biggest crowd to fill Joplin since the return of the 128th, 129th and 130th machine gun battalions at the close of the world war. Main Street was packed as the musical groups and floats returned for an evening parade from 20th to First streets. The Fiesta Queen presided from the queen's float.
At 10 p.m. sharp, Mayor Maher placed an illuminated crown upon Kincaid to mark the start of the formal ball in the roof garden of the Connor. At the same time, six more free dances began in various venues. It was not reported when the music stopped and the dancers left for home.
The next day, organizers declared the Fiesta a rousing success. Visiting officials were effusive in their praise, "declaring the Fiesta program the finest ever presented in this part of the United States."
A Globe editorial said it all: "There is a definite philosophy behind the Fiesta. For the past several years, Depression gloom has been bearing down on people everywhere in the world, and residents of this district have not been free of it. If many people feel blue for any considerable length of time, they are in danger of contracting the blue habit until they can't have a good time anywhere or anytime.
"The Fiesta is an effort to break the jam, in Depression speak, and let loose the floodwaters of happiness and good cheer once more. If enough people can be persuaded to forget their troubles for a day or several days, it will help a lot in retaining the perennial cheerfulness and optimism that has marked America.
"Come to Joplin several days this week if you can — Wednesday without fail — share in the excellent entertainment that has been provided for you, and forget your troubles. It will do you good, whoever you are. Life wasn't made either for all work or all worry. Join the crowd and emulate the sunniness of this fine April weather."
Bill Caldwell is the retired librarian at The Joplin Globe. If you have a question you'd like him to research, send an email to wcaldwell@joplinglobe.com or leave a message at 417-627-7261.
