Love Abounds on Yankton’s Meridian Bridge A nearly century-old tradition among European couples has slowly made its way across the Atlantic Ocean - and half way across the US to the Missouri River’s Meridian Bridge in Yankton, South Dakota. When the Meridian Bridge opened as a pedestrian bridge in 2011, padlocks known as love locks bearing the names of couples began appearing on fencing along the bridge’s decks. A love lock or love padlock is a padlock which sweethearts lock to a bridge, fence, gate, or similar public fixture to symbolize their love. Typically the sweethearts’ names or initials are inscribed on the padlock, and its key is thrown away to symbolize unbreakable love. The story of love locks dates back to the Serbian town of Vrnjacka Banja. The tale recounts a romance between a school teacher and a Serb soldier who, upon the fall of Serbia, married a local Greek woman instead. The teacher eventually died alone and heartbroken. In an effort to avoid the same fate, young girls in the town took to placing padlocks symbolic of their love on area bridges. Yankton Parks and Recreation director Todd Larson said he’d become aware of the growing trend before the bridge’s closure to motorized transportation. “We’ve had some people that traveled to Europe and come back that have told me about it even before Meridian Bridge had opened up to pedestrian traffic,” Larson said. “Once it opened up to pedestrian traffic, the word kind of spread. Basically people take a padlock, write in permanent marker names or initials of the person that they love, lock the padlock onto the bridge and toss the key into the river.” We invite you to take a walk across the Meridian Bridge to Nebraska and back! You can view the Love Locks as you stroll across the majestic Missouri River. You’re in For your Graham Country convenience you can park by the Dakota GREAT SELECTION GREAT SERVICE Territorial Museum 2704 Fox Run Pkwy (located in Riverside Park) just east of the bridge, or you can park at the Waterworks Park (located at Levee Street & Walnut Street) on the west side of the bridge. 605-665-4406 Yankton, South Dakota – 25