Stoddard letter: Fiesta Ballroom

I’ve just read Tim Woodward’s column about his days at the Fiesta Ballroom. I’m just slightly younger than Tim and also grew up in Boise’s North End. Many of his columns stir nostalgic memories of the 1950s and 1960s, as he and I shared more than a few similar experiences as youth and teens. I can remember many a fun night at the Fiesta, dancing to the music of the Mystics, flirting with the local girls, and sometimes flirting a bit too much with the wrong side of the law. Vern Bisterfeldt was not a cop you wanted to get on the wrong side of, and I’m impressed that Tim and his band avoided some of the serious rear-end chewing that Vern could dish out. Yes, out front of the Fiesta, light-to-light drag racing was often going on. There was occasionally some underage drinking, and more than a few fights. I’m not advocating any of these, but I’ll say that mostly the nights spent at the Fiesta were pretty innocent — and we mostly all made it home safely after closing. Boise was a great place to grow up, and those decades were certainly among our most interesting. Thanks, Tim.

This story was originally published April 7, 2017 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Stoddard letter: Fiesta Ballroom."