Saturday January 30

It's "World's Fair Saturday!". I just made it up, and it's awesome. I've delved into my big box of slides from the 1964/65 New York World's Fair for a splendiferous selection. All of these are date-stamped "September, 1965". 

Here's a nice street scene from inside the massive "Belgian Village" pavilion that was... a meticulous copy of a walled Flemish village as it might have appeared in 1800 - from the roof tiles to the costumes the villagers wear in the cobbled streets. More than 100 houses, a 15th Century church, a City Hall with a rathskeller under it, a canal and an arched stone bridge occupy nearly four acres, making this the largest international exhibit at the Fair.

If you loved puppets, the World's Fair had you covered! Sid & Marty Krofft (of "Lidsville" and "H.R. Pufnstuf" fame) created Les Poupees de Paris. What was it? The official guidebook said: This sparkling French "musical revue" by Sid and Marty Krofft, mainly for adults, has a cast of 240 puppets, some miniature, some nearly life-sized. The puppets, many of which are caricatures of famous entertainers, sing, dance and act out humorous skits. Settings include a 20-foot waterfall, an ice rink and fountains. Among the starts depicted in wood are Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and Pearl Bailey (whose costume consists of $15,000 worth of chinchilla).

Löwenbräu Gardens? I prefer Schlitzland, but hey, to each their own. The brewers of Lowenbrau, a Bavarian beer, have reconstructed an open-air Bavarian-style restaurant set in a village square. The square is surrounded by five buildings, including a bell tower and gate. Three of the buildings are service areas for the restaurant. Every now and again Lowenbrau's brewery wagon, drawn by four massive horses, can be seen in the street outside, or traveling about the fairgrounds.

Bourbon Street was unique to the 1965 Fair (it was the "Louisiana" pavilion in '64 - in spite of the name change, I don't believe the area changed that much from one year to the next), and did a not-great job of evoking the Crescent City (judging by this photo). But hey, there's a monkey, so who cares! A variety of restaurants, plus sidewalk artists, Mardi Gras parades and an organ grinder with a monkey, lends atmosphere to this street. Shops feature Louisiana products such as pralines and hand-blown glass. Nightclubs offer music and dancing as well as other kinds of entertainment, and the restaurants include a French Quarter sidewalk cafe.

And no Fair post would be complete without at least one photo featuring the massive Unisphere (which still stands if you want to go lick it). High overhead (113 feet at its highest), the Swiss Sky Ride provides panoramic views for guests; the scale of this Fair is evident here.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit to the New York World's Fair!