Over twenty-five years ago, a group of community members came together with a mission. Their goal was to raise funds to build community playgrounds but they needed an event to make the fundraiser a success. And so, the Brockport Arts Festival came to be along with the organization called BISCO.
BISCO stands for Brockport Integrated Service Clubs Organization. Representatives from the Brockport Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary, Fire Department and Elks Clubs formed this group. Today, these clubs still support BISCO, but membership has been extended to include community members as well.
Brockport resident Pat Baker is one of the original members of the founding group. She noted how BISCO was established.
“One group was not big enough nor did it have the resources to support a large fundraiser, so a new organization was formed and called BISCO. We formed bylaws and also established the group as a 501(c)(3) organization,” Baker explained.
The main purpose of BISCO is to support and fund projects that benefit children from the western area of Monroe County. BISCO’s only fundraiser is the Brockport Arts Festival.
The first project that the festival funded was playground equipment at Corbett Park, located in the Village of Brockport. Subsequent years funded the Skate Park at Sweden Town Park, support of Brockport’s Walk!Bike!Brockport! organization and its projects, renovation of two pediatrics rooms at Oak Orchard Community Health Center, and the list goes on and on.
The festival has seen many changes in its 25 years. Construction on Main Street required the festival to move off-site for two years, to the College at Brockport and then to the Sweden Community Center.
“Despite the construction, the festival was successful, but this event was always intended to be on Main Street. The Brockport Arts Festival is not just a fundraiser, it’s an event that draws people to our community, and to our businesses,” Baker noted. “The Brockport Arts Festival is very important to our village and town and I’m so happy to see it continue.”
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Brockport Arts Festival (BAF), an event that features arts, crafts, music and entertainment. Each year, the BAF Committee works to bring unique artisans and popular entertainment to the festival. Plans for this year’s festival include street performers such as clowns, magicians, and jugglers. The ever-popular children’s entertainer Farmer Tom will make repeat performances at this year’s festival.
“Farmer Tom was a big hit last year, so we’ve invited him back,” said Art Appleby, Chairperson of the BAF.
Other plans for the festival are in the making and include a unique, state-of-the-art traveling library called a digital bookmobile, which will be on site throughout the festival weekend.
“This is an electronic library on wheels and truly is 21st century use of the library,” said Kathy Kristansen, BAF Committee organizer.
This year’s Brockport Arts Festival will be held on August 10 and 11, each day from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. For more information about the Brockport Arts Festival, visit brockportartsfestival.com. Follow the festival on Facebook at Brockport Arts Festival and Instagram at brockportartsfestival.
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Clarification
In regards to the article “The Brockport Arts Festival celebrates 25 years” that ran in the Suburban News and Hamlin-Clarkson Herald on June 30, we would like to offer the following clarification: Although Dr. Pat Baker was instrumental in helping to create the official/formal BISCO organization, specifically its bylaws and 501(c)(3) status in 1997, she wishes to make clear she had no part in the original founding of the organization. That honor belongs solely to the three Brockport service clubs (Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary) and the Brockport Fire Department. Those efforts began some time prior to the first Arts Festival in 1995 (which also included financial assistance from the local Elks Lodge). Baker joined BISCO following that event. We apologize for any confusion.
