October 9, 2017
On September 23, 1891, Minneapolis celebrated the plentiful harvest and the industrial might of the Northwest with the Harvest Festival Parade. The celebration was planned after a bumper crop that followed several years of economic hardships for farmers. The parade was advertised in the Minneapolis Tribune as “over 25 miles of gorgeous floats and splendid industrial displays.” Organizers widely advertised the event and it drew attention from around the country.
The parade, itself, was quite the sight to behold. It winded its way down Nicollet Avenue to 10th Street onto Park Avenue. The Minneapolis Tribune on September 24, 1891 claimed that the parade drew 300,000 spectators with over 100,000 from outside of Minneapolis. The floats represented numerous industries from the theaters to electricians, newspapers to lumberjacks. The Minneapolis Tribune described the sight of 500 retail meat dealers “attired in their white aprons and caps” riding their horses as “one of the finest displays of manhood and horsehood Minneapolis has ever seen.” These riders and hundreds of floats held the crowds’ attention for over 3 ½ hours. Without a doubt, the event was considered a huge success for Minneapolis.
This image from HHM archives shows the Gardeners’ Float with the unidentified queen waiting to begin the ride down Nicollet Avenue.