Blasterz love all big goofy roadside things -- and this banana is easy to love, since all it wants is a hug!
It's little bird friend reminds us that Melita is ALSO the Grasslands Bird Capital of Manitoba.
Why the big banana? Apparently, Melita is the Buckle of the Manitoba Banana Belt. Try saying that three times fast!
The banana and bird have names: Sunny the Banana and Breezy the Blue Jay. NICE!!!! :)
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"Big banana ups Manitoba town's 'a-peel'
CBC News Posted: Aug 03, 2010 9:57 AM CT
The town of Melita, Man., is preparing to peel back the curtain on Canada's newest oversized roadside attraction.
On Aug. 7, the community will unveil a nine-metre-tall banana holding a blue jay in its hand and wearing a championship wrestling-style belt.
The giant yellow fruit represents Melita's location in southwestern Manitoba's so-called Banana Belt, so named because of the comparatively moderate weather.
The blue jay symbolizes Melita's status as a key site for bird conservation in the province.
Melita will henceforth not only be known as the grasslands birds capital of Manitoba, "it is also a town with a-peel," the Melita and area tourism website states.
The root of the banana idea goes back to 2007, when the tourism committee began brainstorming new ideas to bring people to the area, 33 kilometres north of the United States border and 37 kilometres east of the Saskatchewan border.
Calgary-based custom manufacturing company Heavy Industries was contracted for the job, which entailed a foam-and-steel construction.
The whole thing was then coated with a weatherproof exterior.
The big banana is being loaded onto a flatbed truck Tuesday and will be installed at its permanent site in Melita later this week.
The unveiling, coinciding with Melita's annual Banana Days festival, will happen at noon Saturday at the grassy corner of Front Street and Highway 83.
Free banana splits will be given out to all those attending."
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We head north of the border this week with another exclusive Highway Highlights update. The tiny town of Melita, Manitoba, just northwest of Lake Metigoshe, is home to one of the all-time roadside attraction classics: Sunny the Banana and Breezy the Blue Jay.
Melita is on the plains just past the Turtle Mountains and has a population of about 1,000. It is known as a good birdwatching area, particularly blue jays. So that clears up why this oversized smiling piece of fruit has a blue jay for a sidekick. But as for the main attraction – Sunny the Banana. What is the meaning of this bizarre, yet awesome attraction? Well, Melita on average is a couple degrees warmer than the surrounding areas, so local media started referring to it as the “Banana Belt” of Manitoba. Obviously no bananas grow in this area, but they took the idea and ran with it. The statue was put up on August 10, 2010 just in time for the first inaugural Banana Days. I was able to attend a year later (see below).
The above picture shows the grassy area in front of the statue where townsfolk and visitors are setting up for Banana Days, where live music plays, food vendors and merchandisers sell their wares, and- you guessed it- bananas are given out! The town festival also features a slow-pitch softball tournament and there was even a group there with probably the world’s largest collection of banana memorabilia on display there. Real good time. Or as the town of Melita puts it, “The town with A-Peel!”……. *crickets*
….Anyways, stop by if you’re ever in the area. That big goofy banana man will surely put a smile on your face. You’ll go bananas for Melita! ……. *more crickets*"