Random images and thoughts post-Cuba Fest... - Cuba, MO

The Chili Cook-off brought out some discriminating tasters.

It’s over, and it seems as if the 2009 Tri-C Cuba Fest was a hit. The old stand-by events were expanded to some new activities this year. Tri-C members, volunteers, crafters, and Cuba area businesses united to create a successful community event. It is nice to hear visitors to the town appreciate what we have in Cuba, Missouri “Rt. 66 Mural City.” Viva Cuba gets contacts from other towns and organizations requesting information on what has been done in Cuba.

Viva Cuba‘s members and committees worked hard and,with the help of other volunteers, the Chili Cook-Off and the Mural and Cemetery Tours were well attended.

The Chili Cook-Off brought in almost $800 dollars, which will help pay for this summer’s costly mural restoration and maintenance. The public responded well to Past Fair Queens and their “Royal Chili.” Rockael Chaudhry received the imperial ladle for her chili recipe based on votes cast.

The heated trolley helped tourers stay warm during the brisk fall weather.

The heated, enclosed trolley filled for the narrated murals tours around Cuba’s uptown historic district. There was a little bit of fate or divine intervention involved in that. Esther, the trolley driver, started out early from St. Louis with the open-air red trolley that she usually brings to Cuba Fest. It was cold.

A little way out of St. Louis, the trolley started malfunctioning, and Esther called in an SOS. She was told to drop the ailing trolley off at a dealership for repair and wait for a replacement. Esther was soon back on the road with a heated, enclosed trolley. Since Saturday was such a cool day, the heated trolley was a hit as it rolled up and down Route 66 and Cuba’s historic district.

Sunday’s first “Echoes from the Past” cemetery tour was successful. It lays the groundwork for a “second annual tour” in 2010. The volunteers that took on the parts of the historical figures gave “life” to the tour.

Historical figure Dr. Walter Sherman Cox ventured from Kinder Cemetery on Saturday to promote Sunday's Cemetery Tour.

Both the Saturday and Sunday tours add something extra to the Cuba Fest experience. The trolley is not inexpensive to bring to Cuba for two days. The Tourism Tax levied on Cuba motels helps make this possible. The tourism tax also aids in advertising and making Cuba known to others outside the area.

An example of how others find out about our events and what we have in Cuba was brought home to me while my husband and I were having lunch inside Recklein Auditorium on Saturday. Two couples shared a table with us. They had been on the mural tour and visited the History Museum. They were from St. Louis, and this was the second Cuba Fest for two of the ladies. I asked how they knew about the event. The one lady said she had seen it in a Missouri Life Magazine ad and brought some of her friends out the year before for camping and the event. This year the two women brought their husbands.

The bus tours that take place throughout the year, individuals traveling, and publicity that Cuba gets help make others aware of Cuba, its businesses, and its attractions and contribute to “word-of-mouth” promotion. This helps the economy and makes for an interesting town.

Not only does Cuba, Missouri have attractions to bring others to Cuba, but for the most part, the attractions preserve our heritage in a positive way. We all benefit from that. The children of Cuba learn about the town’s past in a way that can’t be found in a text book.

The last two photos are in the “just because” category. Everyone makes a contribution. Remember next year’s Cuba Fest is the third weekend of October. Put it on your calendars. You don’t want to miss it.