The cover of Capt. Billy’s Whiz Bang, circa 1920s

Captain Billy’s Whiz Bang magazine was the first periodical of Fawcett Publications, founded by Wilford Hamilton “Captain Billy” Fawcett on West Broadway in Robbinsdale, MN in 1919. The Whiz Bang magazine was the bawdiest thing available in the 20’s. It would be comparable to “MAD” Magazine in the 50’s and 60’s. Filled with outhouse humor and ladies bloomers, it was quite the hit and made Fawcett a small fortune through the 40’s. Fawcett Publications left Robbinsdale for the Big Apple, but the spirit of Captain Billy’s Whiz Bang has lived on each July in the Robbinsdale civic celebration known as Whiz Bang Days.

Whiz Bang Days is our name, but the civic celebration has been acted out in countless small towns, suburbs and even metropolises for generations. Parades, fireworks, street dances, queen coronations, carnivals and kiddie rides, you have experienced the routine countless times I am sure.

I well remember my introduction to Whiz Bang Days, it was the year I graduated from the U of M and began working at the funeral home, 1976. One of my very first days I was sent to a Whiz Bang meeting held in the basement conference room of Twin City Federal (now the Wicked Wort Brewery). The meeting was run by Lyle Nash, president of the TCF branch and that year, president of the festival. The conference table was large and had about 12 senior committee members about (the powers that be). On a row of folding chairs against the wall were the junior members and the recruits. 1976 recruits were Lois Ford, Greg Ranczka, Sue Senger and yours truly. In rapid boss fashion, Lyle gave us our assignments- I was delegated to Bruce Krogstad, Treasurer and Ticket Sales Chair. My assignment was to assist Bruce in disseminating the tickets throughout Robbinsdale and to canvas every street in the small 2.99 square mile hamlet. Sounds boring until Bruce told me the duty included squiring the young lady queen candidates to do the sales. Prime duty for a 22 year old single guy!

I was a part of the Whiz Bang Committee for about 15 years. In that time, I was ticket sales, fireworks orderer a few years (a job Sue Senger settled in for many years), I organized the parade alone a few years and for a number of years with Gary Laurant and Mark Steinhauser, both still close friends. I took my turn at President, as most of us eventually did. I met hundreds of wonderful people and whole families, pulled the float in parades with Junior Royalty dads who quickly realized that I was better at being the emcee than handling any kind of tool!

Robbinsdale Whiz Bang Days introduced me to so many civic leaders like Dr. John Luckow, Doc Spurrier, Roger Thompson; all gone now and all leaders with the city band, a spot that Mike Serber has handled for at least two decades. Many competent women business leaders like Bea Wiggins, Kay Marie and Carol, and Shirley Kramer of Citizens Independent Bank who was treasurer for decades before handing the duties to co-worker Mark Morris. My long-time friends Jill Steinhauser, Judy Corrow Raether and many other of the royalty who stayed on for years and assisted. I haven’t mentioned the city hall employees like Russ Fawbush, Bob Wicklund, Mick Spurrier, city managers Walt Fehst and Marcia Glick, police chiefs Wayne Shellum and John Spetch, I could go on and on for days.

Unfortunately, this July will see no parade on West Broadway, no Citizens Bank Ice Cream Social, and no softball tourney. This is the week of Whiz Bang and normally the merchants would be setting up Crazy Days Sales, and the Lions their famous hamburger/brat stand on W. Broadway where you could stop for lunch and catching up with someone you have known for years. It is the year of COVID-19 and the civic celebrations have all been shelved. From Raspberries in Hopkins to Duk Duks in New Hope, they are all canceled.

Civic celebrations have financially struggled for the past 10 years of so. There is so much competition for entertainment that the kiddie carnival and dancelines twirling batons with a visit from the Aqua Jesters just doesn’t seem to capture the fancy of the young anymore. Even the mighty Minneapolis Aquatennial, unquestionably the biggest Summer event around when I was a kid, has struggled and relied on a resourceful Downtown Council to keep the milk carton boat race afloat on a lake now known as Bde Maka Ska! The 10 Best Days of Summer have become 3 or 4 the past few years and this year, none.

The websites for various festivals all vow that they will be back stronger than ever in 2021 and I dearly hope they are. I know that it is much more difficult for the Whiz Bang Committee today than it was for us 25 years ago. The finances are tighter and the volunteer hours are down substantially. Their dedication, sweat and worry will hopefully be rewarded by a line tossed over a tarp announcing a 6 year old girl at the fish pond and maybe even a budding young relationship snuggling under the fireworks on the shores of Crystal Lake. They won’t know who “Captain Billy” Fawcett was, but they will appreciate the community that still holds a tiny spark for the past!