W. R. “Win” Stephens was one of the original organizers of the Aquatennial, and played an instrumental role in the festival’s planning and organization for decades on the Board of Directors. Aquatennial Parade Floats [graphics], Sound and Visual Collection Call #I:3. Used with the permission of the Hennepin County History Museum

Waterskiing shows have been a mainstay of the Aquatennial from the early years to the present. A poignant indicator of the shifting views towards women in Postwar America, Aquatennial programs shifted from “pinup” style covers to illustrations of boats and Minneapolis skylines in the early 1960s. Minneapolis Aquatennial Souvenir Program Collection, Call # F.613.M93 M52. Used with the permission of the Hennepin County History Museum

Aquatennial Parade Floats[graphics], Sound and Visual Collection Call #I:3. Used with the permission of the Hennepin County History Museum.

Each year in the months leading up to the Aquatennial, the organization’s planning group put out a pictorial laying out the events, celebrities, and attractions to be featured in that year’s Aquatennial, paid for by local sponsors. A poignant indicator of the shifting views towards women in post-World War II America, Aquatennial pictorials shifted from “pinup”-style covers to illustrations of boats and Minneapolis skylines in the early 1960s. Minneapolis Aquatennial Souvenir Program Collection, Call # F.613.M93 M52. Used with the permission of the Hennepin County History Museum.

Description used with permission of Hennepin County History Museum: “The brilliantly bejeweled Hobe crown first worn in 1948 by Aquatennial Queen of the Lakes Patty McLane(Parker). The piece is copied from a crown which won first prize in the Exhibition of Arts and Crafts in Florence, Italy in 1906. Designed by James D. Dougherty and crafted by George Hatlestad and Lawrence Hensel, the crown exhibits emerald green semi-precious stones, blood colored garnets, seed pearls, rubies, and silver filigree work created by William Hobe and produced by the J.B. Hudson Company.” Hennepin County History Museum Aquatennial Collection, All Rights Reserved.

Float used in Grande Days parade, 1948. Aquatennial Parade Floats[graphics], Sound and Visual Collection Call #I:3. Used with permission of the Hennepin County History Museum.

Dance contests were a perennial feature in early Aquatennials. Used with the permission of the Hennepin County History Museum.

A showman at heart, Hubert Humphrey was a frequent guest at the Aquatennial, typically sporting an all-white suit. Humphrey returned to the parade as vice president in 1966. Used with permission of the Hennepin County History Museum.

Along with the “Aqua Dears,” stunt divers, often former Olympic athletes, drew thousands to the Aqua Follies every year. Ticket sales to this show helped to subsidize free Aquatennial programming. Used with permission of the Hennepin County History Museum

After debate over whether the festival should be cancelled for the sake of wartime rationing, civic leaders concluded that the Aquatennial would be good for morale at home: 400,000 attended an “On To Victory” parade promoting war bonds.