Do you remember Crazy Days the way it used to be in downtown Devils Lake?
Every store in the downtown area had merchandise out in the streets as early as 7 a.m.
Nearly every store’s personnel were dressed up in some goofy way – like clowns, cowboys or in Halloween costumes.
My mom worked at JC Pennys and she dressed up like a Hawaiian girl with a big flowery skirt, and a huge flower in her hair and a paper lei of flowers round her neck. I think they planned what costumes they would wear and there would be a theme – for some reason I think there was a prize for the store with the most involvement or participation. Everyone wanted to win!
The parade through main street was filled with floats and representatives of every store and organization in town. And if I remember correctly, it went from west to east rather than the traditional parade route of east to west. How crazy is that?
As I remember those days from my childhood, I also remember there were a whole lot more stores, restaurants and movie theaters on “main street” then, too.
Times have changed. Devils Lake has changed. Crazy Days has changed.
This Thursday, August 3 some of the stores downtown will be bringing Crazy Days back for the day with items on sale in the streets and extending their sales into Friday, August 4 and Saturday, August 5, too, although not necessarily outside in the streets on those two days.
Going Crazy at the Journal!
One of those places is the Devils Lake Journal – locally owned for the past nine months – and eager to expand its reach in the community. We will be offering a Crazy Day Special where you can get a whole year’s subscription to the newspaper for $99! That’s for everyone! Whether you currently subscribe and would like to add a year onto your subscription – we can do that! OR if you have not subscribed for a while and would like to come back and receive the Journal again – we’d LOVE to have you try us again! It’s ONLY $99!! For a whole year!
We publish two days a week – Tuesdays and Thursdays – and your newspaper comes to you through the US Mail. We are in the process of hiring help so we can expand our sports and news coverage of Devils Lake and the surrounding Lake Region. Already we have gotten lots of positive feedback from readers saying that they are “So glad the Devils Lake Journal is focusing on all local news and happenings!”
Your support and encouragement is vital to us and our community. The past nine months, since we’ve been locally owned again, volunteer parents and sports fans have sent us photos of games and events for us to publish in the paper. Our friends and supporters have written stories, columns, opinion pieces and submitted photos of many different events. It has been heartwarming to see the support and encouragement that is out there and hungry for local news!
We pledge to do our very best to cover as much as we possibly can year round. With YOUR help we will build our newspaper and its reach within the community!
So this Crazy Days – August 3 – stop into the Devils Lake Journal – and get your subscription – new or renewal – get one for Grandma and Aunt Esther, too! We may even have lemonade and cookies available for you and I can guarantee Editor Louise is planning something CRAZY, you’ll have to stop in to see what she comes up with! We are located at 516 4th St. NE in historic downtown Devils Lake! See you Crazy Day!
