Friday, March 12, 2021

Midway Mall Shows – Feb. & March 1971

Fifty years ago, Midway Mall was still in its early days – and very much committed to attracting new shoppers. One technique that the Mall’s owners used to increase traffic there was to sponsor shows.  

Above is the ad for a camping show, which appeared in the Journal on Feb. 10, 1971.

It’s an odd ad. I get the feeling that the newspaper's art department just didn’t have any clip art of happy campers roasting marshmallows or curled up in sleeping bags. Thus the clip art of a guy with a bow tie holding a tape measure.

I can’t remember if the Brady’s went to this camping show or not. We were slowly winding down our camping days about this time, and would sell our pop-up Bethany camper within a year or two.

The ad for the Midway Mall Boat Show was much more conventional. No 1950s beer commercial guys in this ad, which ran in the Journal on March 5, 1971.

There’s been rumors for years about the current Midway Mall ending up repurposed as a medical facility. Hopefully the current Mall owners will do something ambitious to try and get local shoppers out there again.

After all, you can’t have a boat show at Crocker Park in winter.
at

3 comments:

  1. MarkMarch 12, 2021 at 9:02 AM

    Loved the mall... vaguley remember going to some of these shows in late 70's early 80's

    ReplyDelete
  2. LHS Blazer ManMarch 12, 2021 at 11:23 AM

    Was it coincidence that the Route 2 segment between Routes 57 & 58 was built at the same time as Midway Mall, thus allowing quick and easy access to the mall from Lorain? In my opinion, that is what killed downtown
    Lorain businesses. That and the demise of the city's bus company. Who needs the Loop when there's no more buses to loop around at the end of the route.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMarch 12, 2021 at 5:29 PM

    I purchased a new vehicle at a car show in 92 at the mall. A 92 Dodge Dakota with the new 3.9 Magnum V-6 for $9000. $254 per month. Lorain County Bank. I'll never forget it since it was my first adult purchase. That's the only large scale show I remember at the mall. The entire mall was lined with new cars from local dealers. The only drawback was you couldn't test drive them. Jim

    ReplyDelete