St. Louis commemorated its 250th birthday on Valentine’s Day 2014, but the area is celebrating all year. The group spearheading the celebration awarded 250 Cakeway to the West cakes to area sites of historic or cultural significance, including two in Collinsville.
Cakeway to the West at the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle / Photo by Roger Starkey
Cakeway to the West at the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle / Photo by Roger Starkey
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site and the World’s Largest Catsup bottle now have 4-foot tall, fiberglass cakes, professionally installed and individually decorated by a St. Louis based artist. The cakes were awarded to St. Louis area sites considered landmarks, commemorative of the area’s heritage and culture, a local favorite, exemplifying St. Louis’ spirit of innovation or part of the great outdoors.
President and CEO of the non-profit World’s Largest Catsup Bottle Inc., Mike Gassmann, said it was an honor for the site to be chosen.
“We heard that it was happening and thought it was great,” Gassman said, “but we didn’t lobby for it. They awarded it to us without us even knowing.”
Artist Julie Krovicka chose a Route 66 commercial archeology theme, Gassmann said. Some of the images on the cake are historic signs from Route 66. Krovicka, a Cuba High School graduate, has also painted murals in Cuba, along Route 66.
Mark Swain’s Cahokia Mounds cake has a Native American motif and is located outside the entrance to the Interpretive Center. The Catsup Bottle cake is sheltered at the base of the 170-foot tall structure.
The cakes will be in place throughout 2014. A list of all 250 cake locations is available here.
