Vineyard

clancomyn · October 06, 2011, 11:43:36 AM

A photo in the Wayback Machine thread showed a Vineyard at SDC, which jogged my memory of the place and a puppet show -- where exactly was it located in the park -- on "Cardiac Hill"?

T.

rubedugans · October 06, 2011, 11:49:36 AM

Where the wagon works grill is now located on the corner of Main and Hill street.

clancomyn · October 06, 2011, 11:56:34 AM

Quote from: rubedugans on October 06, 2011, 11:49:36 AM
Where the wagon works grill is now located on the corner of Main and Hill street.

Aha! That seems familiar. When did it disappear?

T.

Junior · October 06, 2011, 05:28:20 PM

The Vineyard, otherwise known as "Welch's Vineyard," was the first place I worked on park as a 15 year old kid in 1978. Located where the Wagonworks is now. Really, other than some theming changes, it's very much the same. The patterned concrete floor is the same. Kitchen located in the same area down below. The area where the serving line and grilling area is was open and was part of the seating back then. Down on the lower level against the back wall of Jack and Mary's Pie and Sandwich Shop was where a large puppet show wagon and stage was. The puppet show was the "Wally Welch Review." It featured a melodrama/comedy with Wally Welch saving his girlfriend from a dastardly villian. Not much different than the Dudley Dooright cartoons of the 1960s some of you may remember. If you look way, way back on the threads from 2007 on this site, you will see many postings by "OLD GUY" who is John Corbin Goldsberry. John and I worked at the Vineyard. He was the puppet show guy. He worked the puppets and told a few goofy jokes. For instance, "What happened one day when John sat on the Wally Welch puppet? Not much, he just let out a little wine!" Hmmmmm...it was funny at the time! I worked in the kitchen, behind the check out counter, and mainly as the busboy. Cleaning tables and dumping trash cans for the ripe salary of $2.35 per hour. Good money for the time if you were a 15 year old kid, plus, on breaks, you could ride all the rides you wanted for free. I was costumed in black denim pants, a purple shirt with rounded old fashioned white collar, a black vest, a black string bow tie. The gals wore long dresses just like you see on park today but they were purple...yup, purple, because of grape juice. We were themed specifically for the vineyard. The Welch's grape juice company was corporate sponsor. They sold Welch's concord, white, and red grape juices, and sold Coke products from the soda fountain. The menu was hamburgers, cheeseburgers, philly steak sandwiches, bbq beef sandwiches, french fries, onion rings, and fried pies of various flavors. Decorating the restaurant were old grape and apple presses, and the roof was glass or plexiglass themed with grapevines and fake grape clusters. Going back to 1970 when I visited as a kid, the upper level of the Vineyard was where tintypes were made. Back then, SDC sold a continental breakfast with pastries and coffee, and the serving line was the lower level of the Vineyard behind where the puppet wagon was. By the time I came along in 1978, that area was our break room. I have many photos of the Vineyard and crew that I have not posted here, because up to now I concentrated on posting photos of the float trip and diving bell where I later worked. However, I will have some free time tomorrow and will be glad to post some vineyard photos on my Flicker account so check the site late tomorrow for some photos for the really old, old days at SDC for me! Hope this post answers a few questions.

Junior · October 06, 2011, 05:32:52 PM

Oh, by the way, last year for the Vineyard was about 1980 or 81. It was made into the basketweaving shop for a few years. Sat empty for a few years and used only as a seating area for the old Sorghum Shack concession/restaurant that was located on the street in front of the Vineyard. Later it was turned into the Wagonworks, but I don't remember what year it was. It was after I left the park employment, probably in the early 1990s.

sanddunerider · October 06, 2011, 07:17:12 PM

OK> i know we have been hammering on NO alchohol in the city.... BUT a small vineyard, and a winery showing how it is made step by step. might be interesting... I know they have wineries in town........ But a winery SDC style would be more interesting.....

clancomyn · October 06, 2011, 07:23:28 PM

Quote from: sanddunerider on October 06, 2011, 07:17:12 PM
OK> i know we have been hammering on NO alchohol in the city.... BUT a small vineyard, and a winery showing how it is made step by step. might be interesting... I know they have wineries in town........ But a winery SDC style would be more interesting.....

On that same note, a cidery would be appropriate as well, and could even turn out the non-alcoholic version.

T.

Junior · October 07, 2011, 01:04:19 PM

I posted a half dozen photos of the Vineyard Restaurant and crew from 1979. Check out the Flickr site for a trip back in time!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juniordugan

See if you can read the menu prices from that year in the photo of the menu board in front of the restaurant! Wow, if prices were still that low for food on the park!

Junior · December 22, 2011, 09:07:38 AM

By the end of the year I will have to remove some of the photos I've placed on my Flickr account to make room for new photos for next season. If you are interested in viewing the Vineyard photos from 1979, the time to do so is now. Don't worry. I keep everything on file, so the photos will return some day.