The lawn of homeowner Mike Gondek, on Coolidge Street and St. Anthony Parkway, became the parking lot for nearly twenty-five cars on Friday afternoon, Aug. 4. It was as if you had come upon a house near the Minnesota State Fair selling spaces in the front yard, but only for exotic sports models. From a flaming-red Ferrari Testarossa to a dour Lloyd Alexander (sic), add a Borgward Isabella, a Citroen Mehari, a Nissan Figaro, three Mercedes-Benz two-seaters, and about a dozen Triumph roadsters and cars from England, France and Germany.
With the yard just a block from the end of the parade route, auto owners and fans had a prime spot to watch the festivities. Owners with the foresight to point their cars toward the street sat in their bucket seats and finished off burgers provided by host Gondek and grilled by chef Ruth Austerman.
See photos from the parade and other VillageFest activities on page 7 of the Northeaster August 23 edition archive.
Below: Mike and Susan McCloskey with their 1968 Oldsmobile 442, John and Angela Jacobson with their 1968 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL, owners eat while watching VillageFest parade. (Photos by Mark Peterson)
