Joanne Vero and Sylvia Henkin, courtesy Sioux Falls CVB
The city made a lasting impression on Vero and her attendees, from the sight and sound of downtown’s Falls Park to meeting locals such as community booster Sylvia Henkin, also known as Miss Sioux Falls. Living up to her informal title, Henkin even invited Vero to come visit her home and see her huge collection of handbags.
What memories did you take home?
Joanne Vero: “Our visit to Falls Park remains in my mind. I chatted with families that were enjoying the falls and was surprised to find out that they were from the area. They had a sense of pride for their park, which came through in everything they spoke about.
“Even their children, who ranged from 8-years-old to 15-years-old, explained how they loved their trips to the park. Watching the light show seemed to be their youngest child’s favorite part; as for the teenagers, they loved walking by the falls taking all of the elements of the rushing water in.
“My favorite memory was meeting Miss Sylvia at the opening-night reception at the Washington Pavilion. Her spit-fire personality was the biggest surprise of all. We chatted for a long time, she shared her life’s stories with me and allowed me to see why she is known as Miss Sioux Falls. She invited me to stay at her house – actually her words were ‘Come on over, we will have a pajama party.’”
