Attendance at the Brockport Summer Art Festival is a "must do" on the calendars of many people as evidenced by the crowds that make their way to this Victorian canal village annually for the two day event. Brockport's Rotary Club President Rob Blair, who is also president-elect of BISCO, said there is a lot of new, exciting "stuff" taking place during the Art Festival this year. "Saturday will be Cool Kids Day," Blair said "They'll be having their Can-imal contest and a block party." Can-imals is a fundraising event in which groups get together, collect non perishable food items and construct sculptures with the food. When the sculptures have been judged they are dismantled and the food donated to food pantries. "We're also having a play area for the children and Lift Bridge Books is sponsoring a book festival Sunday," he said. The festival, when it first started more than 100 years ago, began as a novelty attraction for visitor. Now, as it keeps growing and drawing new vendors with a vast array of unique arts and crafts, it's become the "place to be." Also, as part of the festivities, Blair said, the Merchant Street Smokehouse will be hosting musical acts on their grounds during the Art Fest. "Their participation will likely bring in even more people to the village," Blair said. Brockport Rotary, Kiwanis and Lions Clubs originally formed BISCO (Brockport Integrated Service Community Organization) to take on community service projects that no one club could handle on its own. The group has successfully raised more than $100,000 since it began its collaborative efforts. The money raised has been used to purchase playground equipment, sponsor programs for youth and for various other community-based projects. The annual Art Festival is the organization's biggest fundraiser of the year. "The Art Festival is away for people to come out and experience not only what the festival has to offer but what Brockport itself has," Blair said. "It's also a way for our downtown merchants to showcase their wares." The Brockport Summer Art Festival will run Saturday, August 13 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. One of the highlights of the two day event will be the Duck Derby that takes place at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Main Street canal bridge. Take advantage of free festival shuttle parking If you're arriving in Brockport from the east via Route 531 and 31 (or from the south by Route 19), forget trying to get into the village down Main Street. Much of Main Street is closed. Instead, continue west past Wegmans and turn onto Commencement Drive, one of two main entrances to the college campus. Commencement Drive will take you to New Campus Drive, where you'll turn right and find yourself at the Tuttle Athletic Complex. Signs will direct you to parking. From the west or north, take Redman Road, which intersects Route 31, 31A and 104 to New Campus Drive and the Tuttle parking lots. It's a short three-block walk to the art festival from the lots, but if you're saving your walking feet for the festival itself, you're in luck. A free shuttle bus, provided by the Brockport Student Government, will run between the parking lot and festival at about 10-15 minute intervals. With municipal lots downtown reserved for vendors and on-street parking limited, closer parking spots are few and far between. The college lot provides direct access to major routes when you're leaving the festival - no trying to figure out which side streets (some are one way) will lead you back out of the village again. Traffic on village streets is frustratingly heavy even when there isn't a festival going on, you don't want to end your day stuck in a traffic snarl. To avoid the time and hassle of searching for a rogue spot (and chancing a parking ticket) use the college lot - it's fast, easy and free. Tasty treats, unique crafts and musical entertainment "We've got more than 100 artisans and crafters lined up for the two day festival," Brockport Rotary President Rob Blair said. "There are also three stages of live music, close to two dozen food vendors and the unique offerings of our downtown merchants." There are new artisans lined up for the Art Festival as well as returning favorites, according to organizers. "The quality and diversity of the craftsmen continues to grow," Blair said. From wearable fiber art products to leather, lace, photography, homemade soaps, metal arts, pottery and much more, the Brockport Art Festival has an artisan or crafter to cater to every shopper's vision. Many shoppers come to the festival with the idea of purchasing holiday gifts as they can pick up one of a kind items. This year, there will also be colored pencil drawings patchwork, crochet and knitted clothing and purses, lamp work glass bead jewelry and many other styles of hand wrought jewelry. Crafters will also feature dolls and doll clothes, sculptures made from various materials, calligraphic works, greeting cards and botanical and wildflower watercolor paintings. When shoppers want to take a break from wandering the artisan booths, entertainment will be running on three separate stages throughout the downtown venue. From big band sounds, to country, pop, acoustic, symphonic sounds and the antics of jugglers and clowns, the entertainment is sure to please all tastes. Also when it comes to tastes, the two dozen food vendors offer treats that are second to none when it comes to festival fare. Red Osier sandwiches, Abbott's frozen treats, the "turkey drumstick guy" will be back as will many other favorites including exotic food treats like Thai and Caribbean inspired cuisine. Playtime for children at the festival Most of the areas for the children are free of charge, Rotary President Rob Blair said. "Cool Kids sponsors many of the festivities for the kids," he said. In addition to the toys and events that keep the children running, hopping and jumping, there will be time to sit and relax under the tent in front of Lift Bridge Books when they host their Children's Book Fair on Sunday. Local authors and illustrators will be on hand and will offer story time for the children and their parents. "We really try to have something for everyone at the Art Festival and this year's kids offering seems even better than in the past," Blair said. It's time for the Cool Kids Block Party "It's going to be three events all in one day," he said. "There's going to be the block party and the Can-imals on parade and it's happening right in the middle of the Art Fest." New this summer will be Rochester Amerks hockey fun and prizes: visits from pet therapy animals; a tube-toss from Roseland Water Park; museum madness; "sunprints" with the George Eastman House; a time for 19th Century festival games from the Genesee Country Museum; an instrument petting zoo; a creation station with stART studios; bubblemania; kids' gardening magic; street chalk graffiti; magic shows and much more. "Everything is free and family oriented," Appleton said. The Block Party will be Saturday, August 13 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Can-imals teams will begin sculpting at 10:30 a.m. Beginning at noon there will be a 45 minute birds of prey show featuring a giant horned owl, falcons, turkey vultures and more. When it comes to the Can-imals on Parade sculpting contest, Appleton said he is hoping for a total of 20,000 cans this year. "That's our goal and it's doable," he said. Prizes will be awarded to the participating teams in four categories: the most cans; coolest can-imal; peace award; and the attitude of gratitude which is given to the sculpture that has the most rarely donated, but most needed items to food shelves. "The public is also invited to help us reach our goal by bringing canned goods to the event," Appleton said. "We're offering one cool incentive to bring lots of cans because this year the cans can be traded in for raffle tickets for prizes. The more food, the more tickets, the more chances at a prize." For information on the Block Party call the Cool Hotline at 637-3984 or go to www.generationcool.biz or www.brockportny.org. Erie Canal to be taken over by 'dragons' On Saturday at 10 a.m. teams will board their Dragon Boats and race toward the finish line in a race that takes less than two minutes to complete. Rotary Chairman Rob Blair said he hopes to have 20 teams competing in the event. "Anyone who's ever participated raves about how much fun it was," he said. eam prizes are awarded to the first, second and third place winners. The ducks will float on the canal on Sunday afternoon. The legend of the dragon boat A political leader of Chu, Qu Yuan is recognized as China's first distinguished poet. He lost the king's favor and was banished from his home state of Chu because of his opposition to the prevalent policy of compromise to the powerful state of Qin. In exile, Yuan wrote the poem, "Encountering Sorrow" which depicts a great loyalty to his state and its people. In 278 BC, Qu Yuan heard that Chu had been invaded. Driven to despair, he drowned himself in the Mi Lo River. The people of Chu rushed to his rescue but were too late. In their efforts, they splashed furiously and threw zung-ze (rice dumplings wrapped in tea leaves) into the river as a sacrifice to his spirit and to keep the fish away from his body. To honor the memory of Qu Yuan, Dragon Boats have been raced annually and zung-ze have been tossed into the rivers of China. Today, Dragon Boat Festivals have become popular worldwide. The Dragon Boats will be run as part of the Brockport Summer Art Festival on Saturday. On your mark, get set, drop the ducks Thousands of plastic ducks that have been "adopted" by individuals and service groups will be set free in the canal in a battle to see which one will reach the finish line first. The Duck Derby is sponsored annually by the Brockport Integrated Service and Community Organization (BISCO) and Lakeside Foundation. Proceeds from the derby are used to benefit various community projects. Ducks are on sale in advance or may be purchased at a booth the day of the derby at a cost of $5 for one duck; $20 for a junior flock of five; $40 for a family flock of 10; $100 for the 25 that make up the corporate flock; and $500 for an executive flock of 125 ducks. The derby takes place at 4 p.m. Sunday. As in the past, crowds gather along the canal paths to catch a glimpse of their duck as it floats down the canal toward the finish line. Volunteers pick out the lucky ducks and sometimes have to be called upon to keep the flock moving forward. Winning duck numbers are announced at the end of the race and the winners need not be present to win. Prizes are awarded for the first five and the last five ducks that cross the finish line. Some of this year's prizes include: vacation packages; a table for 10 at Lakeside's Annual Gala Dinner; King and Queen for a day packages; car care packages and other items. Children's Book Tent now part of Art Festival The event, which takes place Sunday, August 14 from noon until 4 p.m., features storytelling and presentations from some of the area's best known, best loved and awarding winning children's authors and illustrators. Under the tent in front of Lift Bridge (45 Main Street), parents and their children can stop by and visit with authors and get a book signed. The authors will also take turns reading their stories. Authors involved include: Marsha Hayles, Stu Smith, Joe Sottile, Peggy Thomas, Vivian VandeVelde, Eileen Stoll Walsh and Leander Watts. Beginning at noon, visitors to Lift Bridge will see a liftbridge being built by Carol Johmann, author of "Bridges." She plans to build a scale model of Brockport's very own liftbridge. Proceeds from a book fair being held during the Art Festival will benefit Seymour Library and BISCO. Call 637-2260 for information. |
