festival marks 25 years Spencerport Canal Days volunteers preview 2006 event From paintings and doll clothes, to jewelry and furniture, to specialty mustard and kettle corn, festival-goers will have plenty to peruse during the annual Spencerport Canal Days. This special community celebration will take place July 28-30 in the Village of Spencerport. Canal Days Committee Chairperson Ginny Swarthout describes this event as having "new food and old favorites." This year is a celebratory year for the event; 25 years have passed since the first Canal Days event took place. The Canal Days Committee is working in conjunction with Jim and Sue LeBeau of Beau Productions to put on this special community event. Swarthout applauds the hard working Canal Days Committee: "Without these committed volunteers, the event would not be the showcase that it continues to be. These people are what makes Spencerport 'Someplace Special'," she said. Swarthout also praises the LeBeaus. "Their expertise and connections have helped the event become better each year," she said. New to Canal Days this year will be a Country/Western style street dance planned for Friday, July 28 in the evening. Tentative plans are for Union Street from West Avenue to Amity Street to be blocked off from 6-9 p.m. for music listening and dancing into a mid-summer night's twilight. Featured artists are Julie Dunlap and High Maintenance and special guest Kate Lee. A chicken barbecue, children's activities and family events are also being planned. The Canal Days festivities will also include a Car Show on Saturday, July 29 and the Canoe Event on Sunday, July 30. According to Swarthout, "The Canoe Event has changed a bit from how it ran in years past. This year, the judges will concentrate on the most creative canoe." The race begins at 1 p.m. near the Union Street liftbridge in the village. Awards will be given for the team which best incorporates the Canal Days 25th Anniversary theme into their canoe decorating; is most patriotic; is the fans' favorite; and wins the fastest heat. Registration is $25 and the deadline for entries is July 28. Eric Bacon, Canoe Event Chairperson and Director of Parks and Recreation for the Town of Ogden, is hoping for a banner year for this event. "Our goal is to have 25 entries for this special anniversary year for Canals Days," Bacon said. The Car Show will be held at Pineway Ponds Park located on Union Street in Spencerport. The entry fee is $10 per car before July 17, and $15 per car after the July 17 deadline. Registration will be 9 to 11:30 a.m. The show offers 24 different car classes, both original and modified classifications. Entry forms for both the Car Show and Canoe Event may be found on the Canal Days website at spencerportcanaldays.com. Canal Days visitors can expect a wide array of food, drink, arts and crafts and entertainment. Over 100 vendors are expected to show off their goods. "We look forward to more vendors than in the past," Swarthout said. Entertainment will take place at the Firemen's Field and in the Union Street tent. The Canal Days festivities will continue on Saturday evening with a concert and fireworks display. This evening celebration will take place at Spencerport Central Schools Soccer Stadium located off Ranger Road beginning at 7:30 p.m. The fireworks display will take place after the concert. Plenty of parking is available at Cosgrove, Bernabi and Canal View schools. Look for more information in the Westside News Inc. Canal Days Special Section to be delivered the week of July 23. Volunteers are always welcome to lend a hand at Canal Days; staffing the information booth, and/or selling raffle tickets are some of the ways anyone can help for a few hours. The Committee is also in need of a chairperson to coordinate the Children's Area activities. As of late June, no activities are planned for this area, and organizers encourage anyone interested in offering help in this important aspect of the festival to step forward. Contact Swarthout at The Unique Shop at 352-1350 or email at ginnysuniqueshop@aol.com. July 2, 2006 |
