Diversified Entertainment: Dancing and Other Amusements besides Racing Provided for Patrons of Oriental Park, Daily Racing Form, 1922-12-29

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i t j , 1 r ,-i l e i 5 . 1 i t t c , . 1 t . 1 1 1 . 1 I . i , : 1 DIVERSIFIED ENTERTAINMENT Dancing1 and Other Amusements Besides Racing Provided for Patrons of Oriental Park. HAVANA, Cuba, December 28. It is not the racing alone that attracts the people of Havana to Oriental Park. Paramount to the turf contention are the social divertise-ments that go with the visitors afternoons and evenings on the racing days of the Cuba American Jockey Club. Each afternoon an excellent native orchestra plays danco music on the spacious promenade at the top of the grandstand directly in rear of the box reserved for President Zayas and the members of his family. Between races this dancing space is occupied by scores of couples who seem never to tire of the one-step and other numbers provided for them by the leader of the orchestra. Many of these young society buds, dressed in the prettiest of summer chiffons, silks, etc., view the contests between the thoroughbreds on the track below merely as an incident to their afternoons fun, for it is the dance and to converse with their male escorts that they have come to Oriental Park. Again the social features of the afternoons racing is made plainly manifest among tho throngs that are seated in the comfortable arm wicker chairs on the spacious clubhouse verandas. Possibly 50 per cent of the visitors to the clubhouse indulge in speculation in the pari-mutuels, but not more. The matrons of Cuban society, comfortably seated in plain view of the races on the track in front of them, have an eye ever ready for their young daughters, nieces or cousins, who are gazing intently into the faces of the suitors or near suitors for their hands. The lawn between the immense clubhouse and the picturesque paddock is a playground for the youngsters who accompany their parents to Oriental Park. White aproned Cuban maids are in attendance and look after the fun of the kiddies as they swing and play Indian in the multi-colored tepees set up for their enjoyment. There are plenty of white sand piles in which they may play and make mud pies. All of these things are sedulously arranged for the racegoers within the Jockey Club inclosure, which may be truly considered the center of Havanas social activitiss each afternoon.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1920s/drf1922122901/drf1922122901_12_5
Local Identifier: drf1922122901_12_5
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800