The symbol is strikingly massive, the music is excitingly familiar, and the name is playfully clever.
"Purple Lane," honoring Prince, is one of the features at Glow Holiday Festival, the new drive-through holiday lights display at the Minnesota State Fair, which opened Thursday.
Midway through the 35-minute drive (I experienced a preview on Wednesday), vehicles stop in front the Fine Arts Building on what is "Purple Lane," through Jan. 3.
Then comes a three-minute medley of nine or 10 Prince hits edited together by the Purple One's own bestie Kirk Johnson.
Blasted on a stellar sound system, the music opens with the beginning of "When Doves Cry," "Dig if you will the picture of you and I engaged in a..." and then it segues into "Kiss."
"Darling Nikki," "Baby I'm a Star," "Diamonds and Pearls" and, of course, "Purple Rain" are also in the mix, among others.
You can't go wrong with Prince music, especially in Minnesota, especially at the State Fair. His symbol changes colors more quickly than the songs change but, frankly, the Purple Lane light show pales compared to the rest of Glow.
Dig if you will the icicles, the moose, the snowflakes, the spin-a-paint, Minnesota's largest boar, the polar bears, the gingerbread house, the candy-cane water tower, the giant gifts with ribbons and bows.
