By Ann von Dehsen, January 28, 2021 — Since I grew up in a town less than an hour’s drive from the World’s Fair, I was very fortunate to go several times, sometimes with my family, sometimes with friends and their families. Despite the huge modernistic corporate pavilions, the beautiful Unisphere, and the impressive flags of all nations, the very first thing that came to my mind was the Belgian waffles with strawberries the size of apples.
This is because my favorite area was the World Pavilions, consisting of maybe 50 countries; I’m not sure. But each country featured their nation’s history, music, food, and dance, and many constructed little villages showcasing their famous sights and streets. So yes, you could actually walk down the boulevard and visit things like the mini Eiffel Tower or the Trevi Fountain. My favorite pavilion though was Belgium, where you could stroll down a quaint cobblestone street complete with shops and yes, Belgian waffle stands. It was there that I sampled the exquisite combo of three-inch high waffles covered with huge strawberries and dusted with powdered sugar for the first time. I don’t think I’ve had waffles that good since. The Moroccan pavilion also comes to mind, but not so much for its food as the architecture, music, and belly dances.
Of the corporate pavilions, I mostly remember the GE Building and its long lines to get into the Carousel of Progress, featuring typical rooms from houses of the past and future. I’m not positive, but I think that very large microwaves were shown in the “House of the Future.” I also think that flying cars were predicted. It was very Jetsons-like. The Kodak Building had a circular theater that you stood in while the fast-moving movie encircled you. I only remember the very dizzying scene of a hundred people closely riding their bikes in a very crowded street in China, and my claustrophobic mother saying, “Oh god, please, I have to get out of here!” Other vague memories include ‘It’s a Small World After All’ before it went to Disneyland, and an area of amusement park rides with a huge Ferris Wheel in which the wheel was made to look like a huge truck tire. I’m sure I saw many other amazing sights on our visits, but those are the ones that come to mind.
My final memory was also my final visit to the World’s Fair on the occasion of my 13th birthday and I was allowed to bring three friends. Better yet, the friends and I were allowed to roam freely, without having parents nearby. So, of course, our first stop was the Belgian waffle stand, and after my friends sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me, the waitresses serenaded me with the Dutch version of the song. All in all, lots of good memories from the World’s Fair.