“Well, I’m standin’ on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, and such a fine sight to see,” those lyrics from “Take it Easy” written by Jackson Browne in 1972 and performed by the Eagles have breathed life into the small Route 66 town. Each year for the last 20 years, the town comes together to celebrate the song and the vibe it has brought with it at the Standin’ On The Corner Festival.
Before there was a festival, however, there was a foundation and it remains today as the organizer and promoter of the festival and proprietors of the park located on the corner of Kinsley Avenue and Second Street.
Foundation member Dr. Greg Hackler recalled, “The idea for the Standin’ On The Corner Park began in 1994. That’s when the La Posada restoration committee formed and was working toward saving the hotel. On that committee were Marie LaMar, Janice Griffith, Diane Patterson, Larry Payne, Burt Peterson and Gordon McHood. As they worked to restore the gardens at the La Posada, they began discussing plans for a park.
“Peterson and Patterson came up with the idea to put a park on the corner. The land itself was owned by the Kaufman family who had a western store there, The Bull Ring. After it burned, the committee was able to pay the taxes on the property and acquire the land.”
It would be another three years before the idea came to fruition as imagined by the committee. Joining together in 1997, 14 business men and women put together plans for the park and began commissioning artists for the mural and statue that still stand today, according to the groups website. It was at that point that the Standin’ On The Corner foundation, of which Hackler was and is a member, was formed.
World-renowned muralist John Pugh painted his rendition of a girl in a flatbed Ford immortalized in the song’s lyrics and sculptor Ron Adamson fashioned ‘Easy’ the man with a guitar made of bronze. Hackler explained, “Ron had never done a human sculpture before. He had only done animals. So, there was a whole design process that happened with that. Then local architect Loren Sadler donated his time to design the benches and the planters and things.” As a result of these efforts, the park had begun to come together.
“But of course, we needed more money to make it how we wanted. We raised as much money as we could through various bake sales and things. Then, my wife, Connie, came up with the idea of selling bricks. We sold our first brick to John Galley. The people believed in the foundation and that we could do what we said we were going to do,” said Hackler. The bricks were engraved with the name of the purchaser and each cost $50. The fundraiser was enough to cover the cost of the mural and the statue. Local businesses also donated money and are featured on plaques around the park. “We paid our way by coming together as a community,” said Hackler.
In September of 1999, the park was dedicated and the first Standin’ On The Corner Festival took place. “At that dedication celebration we had a little stage and some vendors, I think we paid a band like $100, it was supposed to be very small. We had no idea how many people would show up, it was just right here on the corner.” Many people attended the event, many more than were planned according to Hackler. “The next year we knew we had to fence off the alleys and close the entire street to handle all the people that were going to show up.”
The festival remained on the corner of Kinsley and Second for a few years then moved to the entirety of First Street. “We had so many people in that area that we couldn’t get emergency vehicles through, it was so congested. We knew pretty early on that we were going to have to expand. One year, four weeks before the festival, Glenn Howeth walked me down behind the Hubbell building and said, this is where we are having the event,” said Hackler.
The first year in the new location was, “Oh, at least 13 years ago,” said Hackler. The venue, named the Eagle Pavilion has changed and evolved since that first event in 2005. There have been stages built, bleachers and ramadas installed, grass planted and more. Last year, the City of Winslow granted the foundation $40,000 to install permanent lighting at the pavilion. “We aren’t finished with the pavilion,” Hackler said, “We still want to finish out the stage and a lot more. Those things, of course, cost money.”
The Standin’ On The Corner Foundation is made up of 15 members and Hackler has faith that they will carry on doing the work that the original foundation has begun. “We have a lot of really young, great thinkers and I know they will carry on with our mission statement which is to work toward the renovation and sustainability of downtown Winslow, Arizona.”
The Standin’ On The Corner Festival is always held the last weekend of September. This year, the 20th annual event falls on the 28-29 of the month. Festivities include live music, children’s activities, dance entertainment, a beer garden and a live auction. Admission to the event is $5 for adults, children under 12 years old are admitted without cost. For more information on the event or the foundation, visit www.standinonthecorner.com.
