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It's Coming . . . Sputnikfest!
Celebrate Manitowoc's own glowing chunk of Sputnik IV. Friday & Saturday
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| FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains some copyrighted material the use of which has not necessarily been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. “Fair Use” of such copyrighted material is provided for by United States Copyright Law. We believe the amount and substantiality of such material used here has no effect upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work. We believe that this not-for-profit, educational use to promote Sputnikfest constitutes a “Fair Use” of the copyrighted material. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. We survived the Russians dropping a satellite on our town at the height of the Cold War, but we are still afraid of lawyers. Fair Use notwithstanding, we will happily and immediately comply with any copyright owner who wants their material credited, modified, or removed - or any humorless spoilsport who would threaten legal action based on a more narrow interpretation of 17 U.S.C. Section 107. |
October 1957 - it was the beginning of our fascination with space when the Russians launched the first Sputnik satellite. Although the space age has since faded to the information age, the memories are still strong for people of all ages. Here in Manitowoc we hold a very special tie to that time of new discoveries.
On September 6, 1962, a glowing chunk of debris was found embedded in the middle of North 8th Street. Even though police officers initially disregarded the glowing piece of metal as a stray piece of scrap fresh from a local foundry, it was later sent to be analyzed and was officially determined to be a piece of Sputnik 4. Of all the places in the entire world the debris could have landed, it landed right here in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Residents of Manitowoc are almost all aware of the unique event. School children and visitors to the Rahr-West Museum all remember seeing the replica and picture of the officers who recovered the artifact. The Sputnik story is a little-known fact about our city that we want to share with the rest of the world. 46 years after the recovery of this piece of history, we are ready to celebrate the space age and Manitowoc's tie to that fascinating era with... Sputnikfest. The festival will be a celebration of not only the Sputnik/Manitowoc tie, but to that fun and sometimes frightening space age. Before the actual festival, we will be getting everyone prepared for the feel of the festival with a sci-fi film festival and 10k space walk/run. It will bring back a simpler time when cars had fins and duck-and-cover drills were the norm. The festival will be held on Friday, September 5 and Saturday, September 6th around the vicinity of the crash site. Ironically the debris landed smack dab in front of the Rahr-West Museum, so naturally there will be a juried art fair named Artta This World. It will feature both fine artists and indie designers. As with most festivals there will be good food, cold drinks, and great local and headliner entertainment. History will also play an important role in Sputnikfest. There will be space stations set up throughout the festival area with pictures and first hand accounts of the space age and memories of Sputnik landing in our small town. It will bring the feeling of the times to all age groups. A Miss Sputnikfest contest, build a Sputnik, re-enactment plays, and a specially brewed Sputnikale are just a few more projects in the works to celebrate Sputnikfest.
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