MN Bear Ball 2008 was a great weekend full of events. Thanks to all who came, saw, and conquered! The Friday night UnderBear Ball was a crushing party with tons of bears showing off their boxers and dancing the night away. Even the bartenders got in the act with their new bathhouse-towel uniforms! Grrr!
The weather was absolutely puurrrfect Saturday for the Wet Fur Country Pool Party! The best day most can remember... the sun was hot, the beer was cold, and the bears were wet all day! Thanks Jeff for the help and Holly for the glorious pool and scenery! Jeff, don't you dare cut down that willow!
While the Saturday night Bear Dinner at the new restaurant Picosa was a mixed bag (the Peppercorn Crusted Pork Chop was wonderful, but the chicken entree was... well... not), the Aquatennial Fireworks were absolutely amazing up on the roof of Riverplace. See the video below for the finale... "...look at the rainbow!"
The Riverplace Fireworks Ball was a fun experiment... the convenience of the fireworks and the views of the downtown skyline was amazing. DJ Chuck's sound system put out quite the deep bass beat, as most of the partiers stayed till closing time. Thanks to honorary Bear Grrrrl Bev for running a late-night shuttle run to the hotel for us!
The Sunday afternoon Big Muddy River Cruise down the Mississippi turned out to be a real treat. What a great way to wind down, relax, and chat with some long-time-no-see friends after a frenzied weekend of back-to-back parties. Passing under the newly connected 35W bridge was something to remember, and floating by the old 35W bridge laid out along the bank for the CSI-style inspections was an eerie reminder of one year ago. But that didn't stop the party... how those bears got through 16 bottles of champagne and remained upright is still a mystery...
AQUATENNIAL FIREWORKS FINALE 2008
Great Pride!
Great Pride!
What a beautiful weekend! A great Pride in great weather, eating great food, and of course meeting great bears! Owen Raines literally had his hands full keeping up with the bears on his massage table, and the Pride crowds were fast and furious grabbing those suckers! Weren't the Sunday crowds were unbelievable? Thanks to Kevin V. for organizing and manning the NC Bear Booth and to all the others who helped setup and tear down this year!
Congrats to the Movie Bears for winning the Best Use Of Pride Colors award for their great movie theater float! Great job guys! And thanks to Jeremy and Jamie for coordinating NC Bear float's truck, decor, and sound system, and to everyone else who helped out with the first ever NC Bears float this year!
Bear Prom Pictures
Bear Prom Pictures
Bear prom pictures are up and available! Flickr allows pictures to be downloaded at various resolutions, from small to original size.
We LOVED the martini bear ice sculpture at the prom! Many bears got their martinis chilled by pouring the elixir down the sculpture's throat and into their glass via... well, I'm sure it was tasty!
Thanks for your patience!
MN Bear Ball 2008 was a great weekend full of events. Thanks to all who came, saw, and conquered! The Friday night UnderBear Ball was a crushing party with tons of bears showing off their boxers and dancing the night away. Even the bartenders got in the act with their new bathhouse-towel uniforms! Grrr!
The weather was absolutely puurrrfect Saturday for the Wet Fur Country Pool Party! The best day most can remember... the sun was hot, the beer was cold, and the bears were wet all day! Thanks Jeff for the help and Holly for the glorious pool and scenery! Jeff, don't you dare cut down that willow!
While the Saturday night Bear Dinner at the new restaurant Picosa was a mixed bag (the Peppercorn Crusted Pork Chop was wonderful, but the chicken entree was... well... not), the Aquatennial Fireworks were absolutely amazing up on the roof of Riverplace. See the video below for the finale... "...look at the rainbow!"
The Riverplace Fireworks Ball was a fun experiment... the convenience of the fireworks and the views of the downtown skyline was amazing. DJ Chuck's sound system put out quite the deep bass beat, as most of the partiers stayed till closing time. Thanks to honorary Bear Grrrrl Bev for running a late-night shuttle run to the hotel for us!
The Sunday afternoon Big Muddy River Cruise down the Mississippi turned out to be a real treat. What a great way to wind down, relax, and chat with some long-time-no-see friends after a frenzied weekend of back-to-back parties. Passing under the newly connected 35W bridge was something to remember, and floating by the old 35W bridge laid out along the bank for the CSI-style inspections was an eerie reminder of one year ago. But that didn't stop the party... how those bears got through 16 bottles of champagne and remained upright is still a mystery...
