Whiz Bang Days: Behind the Name

For many people in Robbinsdale, summer doesn’t officially start until Whiz Bang Days. The four-day festival has been going on for 71 years.

“Whiz Bang Days is probably one of the oldest festivals in the suburbs of Minneapolis,” said Amanda Roberg, president of Whiz Bang Days.

The family festival is named after the magazine “Captain Billy’s Whiz Bang.” The magazine’s popularity peaked in the 1920s and was published by Robbinsdale resident Wilford Fawcett.

“The beautiful thing about Nonna Rosa’s patio is it was once a building that housed the famed Fawcett Publication, is where Captain Billy published his raunchy little magazine,” explained Nonna Rosa’s owner Tina Suglia.

The original Fawcett Publications building was torn down during the mid-1990s, but its memory still lives on. The Robbinsdale Historical Society placed a plaque on the side of Nonna Rosa’s to remind folks of the rich legacy.

“We weren’t the ones who demolished it. I know how historical our neighbors can be, preservationist when it comes to our community’s history,” said Suglia.

Mr. Fawcett’s publication and history are celebrated every summer during Whiz Bang Days.  For more information: www.robbinsdalewhizbangdays.com

Robbinsdale