Remember the Magic | Minnesota's Iconic Holiday Show | Full Documentary

[@sandrasolarz5560]

I am 61 and downtown was a magical place during the holidays. We would all pile into the station wagon and go down Lyndale Ave under thr canopy of trees as we sang the song "downtown." This was the start to an entire day of magic that led to the pinnacle of the 8th floor holiday display. When my daughter was born in 1993 I made it my mission to bring her to every event downtown during the holidays. What a beautiful treat to watch this video to reminisce and appreciate the vision, talent, and hard work that went in to every display! I am so happy that many figures have been saved and displayed!

[@WellEditedCo]

This was wonderful! As a child and young adult, I went to this every single year for many years. At some point in my 20s, I moved on in life and stopped going to the exhibit, and boy do I wish I hadn’t taken Dayton’s or the 8th floor experience for granted. Now that I’m in my 50s and back living in the Twin Cities again, this feels so nostalgic to me and I’d love it if it could be recreated. At least the beloved Dayton’s sign is back on the building-it’s a start!

[@SpaneenOomlong]

I'm glad I found this. My only memories of the shows in the 60's are that I really liked them and wanted to live in the sets. I knew Jack Barkla during the years I worked at the Children's Theater, and later got to know Marc Coleman, who built the animatronics and some of the sculptures, while we were both in the California Building.

[@RukaApfel]

Thank you, Twin Cities PBS for giving one of my early memories when I lived in the Twin Cities suburbs a date and place. In 1994, my dad took me to see the Dayton's Eighth Floor for the Wizard of Oz show. I was confused at first as kids are (my dad not telling me anything about it before hand), but I remember being really amazed by it all. Just how the space was crafted and work it all took. Seeing the show among frequent trips to the various museums and Children's Theatre Company really impressed upon me the craftmanship and artistry it takes transform spaces and got me interested in the arts.

[@cassandrabenson4963]

How amazing that this shows up in my feed when I was talking about this very thing with my now adult children. They got to go my youngest only once and me many many times with my mama who passed away many moons ago. Such happy fond memories and traditions. Thank you for this wonderful Christmas gift 🎁

[@nancyeveritt6495]

Yes, we always expected it to be good, year after year, because it was! That was the perfect description. Thank You so much Twin Cities PBS for making this fantastic memory for us. Thank you also to ALL of the artists, designers, storytellers, costumers, animatronics, and ALL of the staff who ever worked on the 8th Floor stories! You gave decades of us such magical memories. Your truly are all magicians! I wish the University of Minnesota, Performing Arts Archive would be able to use some of the archives documents and pictures, and memories of the magicians, to put together a printed book that could be sold as a fundraiser for the archives and the restoration of the characters so they would be available to show parts of the stories to children in storefronts downtown for many decades to come. I can guarantee, if you crate such a fundraiser book, I will definitely be one of the first to buy a copy!

[@jchow5966]

Working at Daytons in downtown Mpls during the holidays really was magical and some of the nost wonderful moments of my life. Thank you for this wonderful video!!! ☮️💟☮️💟😊

[@DSTADAV]

Such great memories there.

[@photh1of7]

Omg the sweet Christmas memories of Elementary school days when going to these shows❤ 🎄

[@deaconfrost4100]

The magic is in the memories and the emotions...magic beyond the dreams and understanding of mortal man❤️ childhood and wonder all in one❤ I'm much like some of these fans...I have a few pieces of shop display from random years and places long forgotten...some were in need of love and compassion...I've become the local guy who comes from the shadows in a shower of magic and then repairs and saves holiday display pieces for people...the memories and emotional connections are why I do it...the hopes and dreams of seasons and time long past.❤

[@giannamadison7275]

Amazing memories. The sights, the smells. The 8th floor always smelled amazing. Thanks PBS!

[@brianbabey]

Aww Memories. The Long Lines. I remember we started on the 7th floor and pass thru the stairwell to the 8th floor. Always long lines but worth the wait. Dayton's 8th Floor.

[@jamisonallen8710]

The rise of technology ruined soo much, but gave rise to soo much more. As a late 80s kid, the stories I heard about Daytons is a memory in itself. Watching this proves I missed out!

[@jchow5966]

The fire guy is amazing!!!

[@jchow5966]

I remember Lorie Line the piano player playing on the 1st floor during the holiday of 1993 or 1994. The whole store was ,agical and made you feel special. ☮️💟☮️💟

[@jelsner5077]

Thank you for this! I always loved those fabulously elaborate holiday installations. I wanted so badly to be part of the creative crew, I applied at Dayton's one year to work on the show. They explained that the installations were created by outside sources (and then pressured me to take a seasonal sales job). I didn't bite.

[@tklyte]

I wasn't here to experience this but just hearing from all of you guys makes me happy for you. It truly must have felt like magic. Happy holidays 2024 to all of you: 🎅🎄🎄❄❄🤶🤶 (guy from Kenya)

[@bgknowable]

@@tklyte: My father moved to Minneapolis in 1960 from Liberia; This exhibit was one of the first things he experienced in the US. Imagine-he had never experienced snow., and now this! The world is a wonder. 🩵Hug someone you love.

[@natewilson111]

I went to Dayton's Eighth Floor every year from 1985 til the year it ended

[@jchow5966]

I miss Daytons.

[@JoshWitte]

I remember going to the Harry Potter display. Will never forget that experience.

[@ronclinton766]

A+

[@GrandmaLM]

Memories.

[@mutantsquad1993]

I still own both Ron and Harry from the Harry Potter show in 2000? 2001? They are definitely decomposing, but still maintain a lot of charm. Would love to know who could preserve this history.

[@TwinCitiesPBS]

You could reach out to John Pihaly - he has something like 24 of the Dayton's Elves on display at his home and has learned how to preserve them (his display runs nightly through Christmas from 5 pm until 9 pm at 1887 Saunders Ave. in St. Paul).

[@aaronsticht3152]

We have First Bank, Target Corporation, General Mills, Wells Fargo, Honeywell and other large corporations either with headquarters located in Minnesota or at least large divisions of companies located here. Its obvious that the 8th floor auditorium is vacant from this video. Why can't the downtown council work with the owners of the Dayton-Hudson building and the big companies I listed to start bringing people back downtown? Holidazzle is back this year, why not bring the parade back? Have a reinvention of the 8th floor holiday experience for people in the Twin Cities, use the parade to draw visitors back downtown. Increase police presence and show the area that Minneapolis christmas is back in business. We used to go to the Daytons Holiday display every year. When Macy's killed the store it killed a very large part of Minneapolis' identity. I think Target should lead the pack and bring Christmas downtown back!

[@sydneys.8476]

Can you post the crew that made this documentary please?