Controlled Violence: The Anvil has Dropped

Let’s go on to a happier topic: Violence!

Controlled violence, anyway. Today was the 6th annual Gardner Hardware Anvil Drop. Featuring live music, hot dogs, cold pop, hardware reps, and an anvil dropping from a four-story building onto a car. It is preceded by half-a-dozen watermelon, which fling watermelon bits onto the crowd. After the anvil, the car is ceremoniously chainsawed in half. It’s really really cool.

Seriously.

If ever you’re in downtown Minneapolis and happen to hear about this event, head on over to the warehouse district. It’s worth it.

This year was quite the success, with (I’m guessing) at least 100-125 people. It had media coverage even. And the band was a new thing. It’s gonna be on the news tomorrow. WCCO. The owner was very pleased, as was his wife and son. Who just happen to be my uncle, aunt and nephew, respectively.

I got a free shirt out of the deal. They rule.

Anyway, it was fun. I think the crowd got into it. But it’s hard not to get excited over exploding fruit.

So, in conclusion: Go to Gardner Hardware for all your home repair/hardware needs. Why?

Because it’s been around for 122 years. Because it’ll give you indie cred. Because when your suburban friends mention going to Menard’s or Home Depot you can say, “Home Depot? That’s so pedestrian. I go to Gardner in the Warehouse District.” Or you can call it “the North Loop” because appaerently they renamed it recently.