Are you a fan of vintage neon signs?   The people of Casa Grande, Arizona are  looking for your vote.  The small town is competing for the funds in the Partners In Preservation, Vote Your Main Street Competition.   In this competition 25 cities submit projects that they believe will preserve the history of their city and vie for votes and prize dollars to make their dream become a reality.

The dream of Casa Grande is to create a neon sign park.  The city  hopes to procure and restore several vintage neon signs that once enticed shoppers in their town and then install them in a city park that connects  several local attractions.   The city believes that a neon glow will once again tempt shoppers , attract tourists and add some excitement to the city scape.

http://VoteYourMainStreet.org.

If you judge by the popularity of the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio or the Neon Boneyard of Las Vegas Nevada, the people in Casa Grande are right!

As American as apple pie and baseball;  Neon Signs are an important part of the American Landscape.  From the roaring 20's through the 50's neon was often associated with the excitement of prosperity.  On the iconic route 66,  motorists with a plethora of choices were bombarded by a neon glow.  Signs visually screaming PICK ME  and I AM THE BEST vied for attention. 

But as time passed and the economy got rougher much of the neon advertising fell into disrepair.  As the neon glow faded so did many towns.  The excitement was gone.

But NOT forgotten.

Casa Grande is not the only city looking to a neon past to restore hope in the future.  Tucson, Arizona  is embarking on a plan they call Neon Pueblo.  In this plan, vintage signs are being restored to their former glory and tour maps are being distributed so motorists can tour the city at night.   Los Angeles California ( an area with notoriously strict sign rules) has lifted many regulations in order to encourage vintage style neon in the area of their Bring Back Broadway initiative.

New businesses hoping to catch the trend are not left out.  New vintage neon signs that take advantage of the metal and exposed neon tubing style of the past are available in  stock and custom designs.

Much like the ending scene in Disney's Cars- Neon means something so much more than just the advertising it was originally intended for.  The flip of the electric switch means that we are OPEN for business, that we are expecting prosperity, and that we are looking towards a very bright future.

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