Clarkson Good Neighbor Days offers fun, free, family events

Clarkson Good Neighbor Days
offers fun, free, family events

On your mark! Get set! Hop! It's BYOF (bring your own frog) to the popular frog jumping contest at the Clarkson Good Neighbor Days. "This has become a popular event," Town Supervisor Paul Kimball said. "You would not believe the number of kids we get - we had close to 30 last year."

The only rule is you have to bring your own. "There are a lot of frogs hopping around the ponds and ditches in the area," Kimball said. "This competition drew a lot of spectators last year. It's a great time for everyone."

The frogs line up for the jump-off at 11 a.m.

The events kick off Friday, August 25 at 6 p.m. and the evening is capped off at 9:30 p.m. by the fireworks display.

Because last year's Kid's Monster Trucks and Equipment display was so successful, Kimball said it has been moved to Friday night and will be followed by the fireworks display. "The monster trucks were just hugely popular," he said. "The children can sit in a dump truck, backhoe and other pieces of heavy equipment."

The Brockport Fire Department will host a jaws of life demonstration at 7 p.m. and Blue Sky will perform a concert from 6 to 9 p.m. In the midst of all of that activity, Mr. Beau the Clown will take to the stage at 7:30 p.m.

"We have really tried to make this a family-focused event with all kinds of free entertainment and free parking so families can come out and enjoy a day at the minimal expense," Kimball said.

There is a nominal charge for some of the children's activities.

Saturday events get underway with a pancake breakfast hosted by the Brockport Firemen Exempts from 8 to 10 a.m. The Clarkson Horsemen's Association will be back for a second year with their horse show which begins at 8 a.m. "The addition of the horse show really has added another dimension to what we have to offer at Good Neighbor Days," he said.

The Classic Car Cruise-in begins at noon and is sponsored by the Western NY V-8 Club. "Every participant at the car show will receive tickets for two hot dogs and two free sodas," Kimball said. "The first 100 car entrants will also receive a dash plaque."

Saturday's main event is the lumberjack and jill contest. The first event begins at 10 a.m.

"We have 35 participants registered for the lumberjack and jill contest so far," he said. "This competition is exciting and unique to the area and people come from across the United States to compete and to be spectators."

Concurrent with that are the children's activities. The Bart & Kevin show begins at 10 a.m. followed by the frog jumping contest at 11 a.m. The petting zoo runs from noon until 6 p.m. For those with a healthy appetite, the pie eating contest gets underway at 2 p.m. There will also be a fishing derby from 2 to 4 p.m. for children ages four to 15-years-old.

A silent auction, with donations from various businesses, will run from noon until 5 p.m.

There will be a wild west show at 3 p.m. The day wraps up at 7 p.m.

"We've increased the number of food vendors and will have several local business and retail vendors," Kimball said. "This is our 15th year and we are still going strong."

Lumberjacks and Jills ply their skills
at the Good Neighbor Days

"The lumberjack contest is unique to the area and it is an exciting competition to watch," Clarkson Town Supervisor Paul Kimball said. "Clarkson is the host of the only regional competition and people come to compete from across the United States and Canada."

For the public, the opportunity to see lumberjacks and lumberjills take up the unique tools of their trade and compete is not an everyday occurrence, but it will be one that can be witnessed, for free beginning at 10 a.m. on August 26 in Clarkson.

Events on tap in the lumber sports competition include: ax throwing, hot saw (modified chain saws), log rolling, two person cross cut, underhand chop, single buck and bow saw. The hot saw competition involves contestants taking an off-the-shelf chainsaw and modifying it to turn it into a "raging beast" for the competition. Competitors can also take something that was never meant to be a chain saw - such as a snowmobile engine - install a bar and chain and call it a chainsaw.

The spring board event is one of the hardest parts of the competition, participants say. Competitors begin at the bottom of a nine foot tall pole, chop a pocket into it, stick in a board, stand on the board, and chop another pocket and continue until they reach the top. The competition doesn't end there. Once at the top, they have to chop a board that is waiting for them.

Men and women, Kimball said, show up for the competition in almost equal numbers.

Pre-registration is required. "We have about 35 competitors so far this year," he said.

Classic cars roll into Clarkson

Car enthusiasts and on-lookers alike are invited to view the vintage cars as they roll into the Clarkson Good Neighbor Days event on Saturday at noon.

Invitations were mailed to car buffs inviting them to come and show off their vehicle.

The cruise-in isn't a competitive event, it is simply a way for classic car owners to display the vehicles in which they invested much time and energy.

"We are offering two tickets for free hot dogs and sodas for the car show participants and we have dash plaques for the first 100 cars," Supervisor Paul Kimball said.

The cruise-in is sponsored by the Western NY V-8 Club.

Horses are back for second appearance
at Good Neighbor Days

The Clarkson Horsemen's Association and its members will be at the Good Neighbor Days again with a horse show that begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday.

The show will feature English show classes followed by show classes and the Western pleasure classes. Games featuring barrel racing, pole bending and more will greet both visitors and participants alike.

The horse show had been absent from the Good Neighbor Days events for the first couple of years because people were afraid the chainsaw noise and commotion would spook the horses but it hasn't had that much of an effect, organizers say. The horse show draws about 150 riders and is one of the association's biggest events of the year.

Silent auction offers local items

One of the mainstays of the Clarkson Good Neighbor Days is its silent auction.

Town Supervisor Paul Kimball said this year's auction will feature donations from area businesses and will run from noon until 5 p.m.

Also on Saturday, August 26, in addition to the excitement of the lumberjack competition, will be many activities for the children including the ever-popular frog jumping contest, a show by Bart & Kevin, the opening of the petting zoo from noon until 6 p.m. For those with an appetite there will be a place set at the pie eating competition at 2 p.m.

Have the children grab the fishing poles and sign up for the fishing derby for children that runs from 2 to 4 p.m. for four to 15-year-olds.

The horse show, sponsored by the Clarkson Horsemen's Association will be back for its second year and events will begin at 8 a.m.

"We try to make the two days of the Good Neighbor Days wholsesome fun, at a low cost," he said. "It's a great way to build a community atmosphere."