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. Gary Zimmer, president of BISCO, said there are a lot of new vendors, attractions and many returning favorites at the Art Festival this year. "Saturday, in addition to the opening of the vendor booths, will be Cool Kids Day," he said. "They'll be having their Can-imals contest and a block party." Can-imals is a fundraising event in which community groups get together, collect non-perishable food items and construct sculptures with the food. Once the sculptures have been judged, they are dismantled and the food donated to food pantries. The festival, when it first started more than 11 years ago, began as a novelty attraction for visitors. 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." "The village certainly welcomes the Art Festival -- with its vast array of magnificent food selections, great local craft vendors and a fun, family-friendly atmosphere - with open arms," Village Manager Ian Coyle said. "Any time we can put Brockport on display for tens of thousands of people, it's a win-win for BISCO and for the entire Brockport community." Brockport Rotary, Kiwanis and Lions Clubs originally formed BISCO 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 various other community-based projects. The annual Art Festival is the organization's biggest fundraiser of the year. "The Art Festival is a way for people to come out and experience not only what the festival has to offer but what Brockport itself has," Zimmer 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 canal bridge. "The festival will be bigger and better than ever this year," Zimmer said. "We invite everyone to come down, see what the village has to offer and help raise funds for the community service organizations." Cool Kids Block Party offers a hopping, magical good time The Cool Kids Block Party takes center stage during the Brockport Summer Art Festival and brings with it the Can-imals on Parade, and stages of fun, interactive events for children (and adults) of all ages. The events take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, August 12 on Main Street. Cool Kids Coordinator Steve Appleton, in his ever-enthusiastic way declares: "Everything is fun and family friendly." The Can-imals sculpting contest has been going strong for many years and is a "great way for groups to promote their organizations, draw awareness to a need in the community and combat hunger," Appleton said. In 2005, nine teams from three counties collectively raised more than 12,000 items for more than 20 food shelves. "The goal this year is to raise 20,000 cans of food and non-perishable items." Those who bring canned goods are eligible to win prizes. "The more canned goods you bring the better your chances of winning," Appleton said. While the building is going on, the two stages will have all day acts ranging from wildlife encounters, magicians, wacky carton fun shops, grab bag game shows, Bart & Kevin, Wild Wings, raffles, contest give-aways and a Rochester Rhinos inflatable. There will be pet therapy animals from Lollypop Farm, "sunprints" with the George Eastman House, drumming lessons, bubble mania, street chalk graffiti and much more, Appleton said. For information call the Cool Kids hotline at 637-3984 or www.generationcool.biz
to take to the water The Erie Canal is not typically where you would expect to see a bathtub rubber duck but because the canal is so large you will get to see thousands of brightly colored rubber ducks during the Duck Derby at the Brockport Art Festival. Thousands of plastic ducks, "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 ducks take to the water Sunday at 4 p.m. on the canal bridge at Main Street. The Duck Derby is an annual event sponsored by the Brockport Integrated Service and Community Organization (BISCO) and Lakeside Foundation. Proceeds from the derby funds are used to benefit various community projects. Lakeside has been partnering with BISCO since 2002. In that time $102,000 has been raised which is split evenly between both organizations, Krystyna Staub, executive director of the Foundation said. What is important about this event is that monies raised are invested back into the community with the purchase of health and safety equipment. Funds from past events have purchased equipment for the Brockport Fire Department, a defibrillator and stretchers for the Emergency Department at Lakeside Memorial Hospital, support of the capital renovation project at Lakeside and met other similar needs. Local businesses support this event with their donation of prizes including a $1,000 shopping spree at Brockport Wegmans, travel certificates, a pool package, family fun and his and hers packages and more. Tickets are: One Lonely Ducky, $5; Junior Flock (5), $20; Family Flock (15), $40; Corporate Flock (25), $100; Executive Flock (125), $500. Tickets are available through any service club member or at Lakeside Foundation office.
The historic waterway of the Erie Canal will be invaded by ducks and dragons during the Brockport Art Festival. On Saturday at 10 a.m., teams will board their Dragon Boats, beat the drums and race toward the finish line. In an event that takes less than two minutes, the teams pull together for the chance to win prizes. There is always a lot of excitement around the dragon boat races, the canal banks are lined with spectators, Gary Zimmer, BISCO president said. Traditionally held on the fifth day of the fifth moon on the lunar calendar, the Dragon Boat festival commemorates the life and death of Qu Yuan (340-278 BC) 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, Qu Yuan wrote the poem "Encountering Sorrow," which shows a great loyalty to his state and its people. In 278 BC, Qu Yuan heard that Chu had been invaded. Driven by despair, he drowned himself in the Mi Lo River. The people of Chu rushed to the river to rescue him. Too late to save Qu Yuan, 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 thrown into the rivers of China. Today, Dragon Boat Festivals have become popular worldwide. Boston has held an annual race since 1979. In some places more than 125,000 people gather to watch the races. No parking worries with festival shuttle parking Veteran Brockport Art Festival visitors have learned the same lesson SUNY Brockport commuters have learned over the years - forget trying to squeeze into a parking spot on the village streets - especially during the festival. Much of Main Street is closed and many side streets are blocked. Visitors to the festival are invited to park where there is plenty of room, no traffic hassles and free shuttle service - at the college's athletic complex. For festival-goers arriving in Brockport from the east via Route 531 (or the south by Route 19), continue west past Wegmans Plaza and turn onto Commencement Drive, one of two main entrances to the campus. Commencement Drive will take you to New Campus Drive, where you will turn right and find yourself in the Tuttle Athletic Complex. Signs will direct you to the parking areas. 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 is a short three-block walk to the festival from the lots but if you are saving your walking feet for the festival itself and if you plan to come back with armsful of purchases, you're in luck. A free shuttle bus, provided by the Brockport Student Government, will run between the parking lot and the festival every 10 to 15 minutes. The college lot provides direct access to major routes when you're leaving the festival - no trying to determine which street may be open and passable to get you out of the village. Unique artisan crafts, musical entertainment, An estimated 50,000 people will converge on the streets of Brockport for the two days of the Art Festival and organizers feel certain they have something for everyone. "We offer what we hope are unique items and the atmosphere of the village is such that visitors feel welcome," BISCO president Gary Zimmer said. There are more than 100 artisans and crafters lined up for the two-day festival in addition to three stages for live music, close to two dozen food vendors and the unique offerings of the downtown merchants. Returning favorites and new vendors will ply their wares to visitors at the festival. The quality and diversity of the vendors and their crafts grows every year, Zimmer said. From leather to lace and wearable fiber art products to homemade soaps, herbal goods, metal arts, pottery and more, the Brockport Art Festival has an artisan or crafter that is certain to cater to every shopper's vision of the perfect items. Shoppers will also find drawings, patchwork, crocheted and knitted clothing, glass bead jewelry and other styles of hand-wrought jewelry. Dolls, water and oil paintings, greeting cards, and other photographic items will be on display. Visitors to the festival might want to browse the food vendors from one end to the other before deciding which treat to partake. "We are second to none when it comes to festival fare," Zimmer said. From Red Osier sandwiches, turkey drumsticks, exotic foods like Thai and Caribbean-inspired treats as well as favorites such as hot dogs and sausages smothered with peppers and onions will be on the menu. For a full schedule and for booth locations of vendors, look for the map inside this special section.
Most people have no idea of how much labor, expertise and volunteer hours it takes to create and maintain a yearly event such as the Arts Festival and its related Duck Derby (permits to use the canal, service club food concessions, Cool Kids program, signage, shuttle service (supported by SUNY Brockport), duck derby tickets, duck preparation, on and on it goes. The festival prep list easily includes hundreds of items/details, which are completed by persons donating many hundreds of hours for the event, according to Rotary member Pat Baker. The Brockport Integrated Service and Community Organization (BISCO) is a unique organization which was created and continues to be supported by service clubs (Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary, Elks Lodge and the Brockport Fire Department). Now its reach is much wider as it includes representation from the hospital, scouts, college, as well as individuals who simply care about the community. The duck derby partnership first with Lifetime Assistance and most recently with Lakeside Foundation has been a great fundraiser from which the people benefit totally as all the money goes for charity. Shown here is one aspect of the festival few have thought of - the duck derby "duck' preparation – floating, sorting, counting. Every duck's number has to match a corresponding ticket, be able to float and be sorted into manageable piles (bags) so that several thousand can be dumped off the Canal Bridge. This year the duck derby is Sunday, August 13 at 4 p.m. The community at large profits from BISCO's festival Corbett Playground $36,463; done in three phases - 1996 to 1998 •Lyman and Barry Street Playground, $21,861 in two phases - 1998-1999 •Utica Street Playground, $3,000 - 2000 •Boy Scouts $1,000 •Brockport Symphony $5,750, given over five years •Sweden Skate Park, $40,000, in two phases •Village of Brockport, $325, flag •Toy Shelf $500 (program now adopted by BISCO with many more thousands contributed) •Lakeside Hospital, $8,200 •Max Parade, $1,500 over three years •Brockport Merchants, $1,800 for various programs, Halloween parties etc. •Brockport Fire Department, $9,700 Jaws of Life and training equipment in two donations •Many smaller ones including supported Cool Kids program before adopting it several years ago. Information provided by Pat Baker August 6, 2006 |
