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The
Best of the Fest
Our eleven county tourism directors are put to the test each
year as we ask them to select just one festival to highlight
in their region. Though it’s a tough decision, they
always come through with outstanding choices. Here are their
festive picks for 2002. (UPDATE! Note this
article is from 2002. Please contact the number listed
with the event below to find the dates for the current year).
by Susan
Powers
 ERIE
COUNTY PA
EIGHT GREAT TUESDAYS
July 2-August 20, 2002
What could be more ERIE-sistible? Relax on the shores of magnificent
Lake Erie and watch the sunset as you listen to a free concert
at the Pepsi Amphitheater in Liberty Park at Port Erie’s
Bayfront District. Featuring local and regional bands, the
series runs from 7 ‘til 9 each Tuesday summer evening
beginning July 2. Just off I-90 on the Seaway Trail, Liberty
Park is an 8.5 acre natural setting containing an ADA accessible
playground, sand volleyball courts, a network of public walkways
and plays host to a variety of summer festivals and activities.
The District has more than 45 customized tours, the Maritime
Museum, riverboat and sail cruises, an art gallery, a variety
of restaurants and water taxi service connecting to gorgeous
Presque Isle State Park. 1-87-PORT-ERIE; www.porterie.org
CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY
SUMMER of ARTS & CRAFTS
Various Dates, 2002
Taking place on July 12-14 and August 9-11, the finest of
American Crafters will present works of leather, precious
metals, wood, glass, textiles and pottery. The Chautauqua
Craft Alliance is a juried show held at the world-renowned
Chautauqua Institution.
The worlds of nature and
art meld harmoniously at the Nature Arts Festival on July
10 and 11. In its 4th year, it’s fast becoming one of
the nation’s premier art exhibitions. The festival takes
place at four locations in Jamestown, including the Audubon
Center and the Roger Tory Peterson Institute. Free shuttle
service will escort you to view more than 80 renowned nature
artists at work in their “festival studios.”
Midway Park, on the shores
of Chautauqua Lake near Bemus Point, with its whimsical antique
carousel and shady picnic groves, highlights its free Arts
& Crafts weekend on June 8-9. Midway Park is one of the
oldest (100+ years) amusement venues in the US.
Moore Park in Westfield
hosts the annual YMCA Arts & Crafts Festival on July 26-27.
A huge array of crafts and homemade foods awaits you as the
village residents extend welcoming hands of fellowship to
the admiring thousands who return each year. 1-800-242-4569;
www.tourchautauqua.com
ERIE COUNTY
ERIE COUNTY FAIR
August 8-18, 2002
“Celebrate the Spirit of America” at
North America’s 2nd largest county fair in Hamburg,
NY. The International Agri-Center will feature Bryan Berg,
world record holder in building dazzling architectural structures
out of playing cards. Audience participation events will include
“The Ultimate Hypnotist,” Cindy Lane, frog jumping
championships, 3-D archery shoots and flyfishing contests.
Civil War encampments, horseshoe pitching, candle & broom
making will add to the old-fashioned atmosphere. The new HealthExpo
Building will feature celebrity chefs, professional athletes
and fitness experts giving visitors the opportunity to take
advantage of up to $500 of free medical screening. If you’ve
never been to a Heavy Equipment Rodeo, here’s your chance!
Plus, the midway is a mile long! 716-649-3900; www.ecfair.com
NIAGARA COUNTY
PIRATES FESTIVAL
July 12-14, 2002
You’ll treasure this exhilarating Pirates Festival
weekend as you travel the Seaway Trail on Route 18 at Krull’s
Park in Olcott. Live bands, a midway, great food, Saturday’s
parade (be sure to come in costume, kids) and Saturday night
fireworks, where boaters can watch from off-shore, all add
to the excitement. Sunday’s Classic Car Show features
over a thousand entries. Two days of exciting Water Wars over
Lake Ontario will yield booty for hitting the bulls-eye, mates!
Aye, and all of the festivities are presided over by a merry
troupe of pirate re-enactors, who’ll draw you into this
celebration of nautical history. Free. 1-800-338-7890; www.niagara-usa.com
ORLEANS COUNTY
WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL
August 10-11
Attention boaters, anglers and landlubbers alike!
The 2nd annual Orleans County Wooden Boat Festival will be
held at the Orleans County Marine Park, featuring in-water
display boats and tours, a boat parade down the Oak Orchard
River and free rides on several of these classic vessels.
A Great Lakes Tackle Flea Market will offer all manner of
lures, equipment and nautical curiosities for the deep water
and tributary angler. Local restaurants, farm markets and
organizations will serve up everything from maple syrup treats
to a Saturday BBQ and a Taste of Orleans. A craft & art
show will be ongoing throughout the event. On Saturday night
the Trinidad & Tobago Steel Band brings its exciting island
sounds to the party. 1-800-724-0314; whale@orleansny.com
MONROE COUNTY
LILAC FESTIVAL
May 10-19
 Rochester’s
largest and oldest festival is located in and around Highland
Park, 155 acres of Olmsted-designed urban parkland, in the
city’s southeast section. Started 110 years ago by horticulturist
John Dunbar with just 20 types, it has grown to a lavish display
of over 500 lilac varieties and some 1200 bushes, from pure
white to the deepest purple. Complimented by sumptuous displays
of azalea, forsythia, rhododendron, magnolia and cherry blossoms,
this spring extravaganza entices visitors from every continent.
Pansies, tulips and the lush Highland Conservatory are not
to be missed. Concerts (mostly free), international foods
and an excellent artisan’s show draw over a half-million
visitors to this world-famous celebration. Lilac devotees
should note that this year’s festival is two weeks earlier.
Free admission and shuttle bus service. www.lilacfestival.com;
585-256-4960.
WAYNE COUNTY
PULTNEYVILLE HOMECOMING &
ANTIQUE SHOW & Sale
July 20-21
As you travel the Seaway Trail this summer, you won’t
want to miss this wonderful event. Pultneyville—once
a bustling lake port in the early to mid 1800s, part of the
Underground Railroad system and a battleground during the
War of 1812—is rich in history and tradition. The local
historical society has maintained the custom by sponsoring
the Homecoming for over 40 years. Families have been returning
to Pultneyville each summer to help “Preserve the Past.”
The two-day event offers an Antique Show and Sale, continental
breakfasts at local churches, a guided walking tour of the
picturesque village, parade, concert, auction and food. A
favorite aspect of Homecoming is the presentation of a Gilbert
& Sullivan operetta, performed by the Pultneyville Civic
Light Opera Company. Take a step back in time and come “home”
to historic Pultneyville this summer. 1-800-527-6510;
www.waynecountytourism.com.
CAYUGA COUNTY
RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL
June 29-August 11
Saturdays & Sundays Only
Over 200 actors and 80 stage and street performances recreate
the charm of an Elizabethan village in a 35-acre idyllic woodland
setting in Sterling, NY. Full-armored jousts, wench auctions,
pub-singing, story telling, jesters, old-world rides and games,
puppet shows, gifted artisans demonstrating their wares, Shakespearean
comedy and the Queen’s twice daily parade all make this
an exhilarating family outing. The delicious aroma of arm-sized
roast turkey legs, steak on a stake, secret marinades, vegetables
plucked from the royal garden, mile-high cakes, hot apple
dumplings, mead, ales, birch beer and lemonade are but a sample
of culinary delights to make your day a truly Sterling experience.
1-800-879-4446
OSWEGO COUNTY
OSWEGO HARBORFEST
15th ANNIVERSARY
July 25-28
Popular rock ‘n roll artist Eddie Money will
kick off a weekend of the festivities of Harborfest, now celebrating
its 15th anniversary. More than 100 free performances on seven
stages throughout the ‘Port City’ attracts visitors
from all over the Northeast! The world-famous Grucci Family
fireworks extravaganza over Oswego Harbor this summer will
be coordinated to the sounds of the symphony.
The cultural theme of this year’s event is Celtic, with
coordinated programs in local schools. The enormous Children’s
Parade on Friday as well as the Children’s Park throughout
the weekend will be filled with the arts, crafts, music, dance
and oral traditions of Celtic culture. The celebration concludes
Sunday night with award-winning rhythm and blues singer, Wilson
Picket. 315-343-FREE; www.oswegoharborfest.com
JEFFERSON COUNTY
FRENCH FESTIVAL
July 13-14
Cape Vincent—located at the confluence of Lake
Ontario and the St. Lawrence River—hosts the 34th Annual
French Festival this summer in recognition its rich French
heritage. 300 years ago, French traders and missionaries were
the first Europeans to travel up the St. Lawrence; their influence
remains today as seen by French influenced architecture about
town. During the opening ceremonies, you’ll sing La
Marseillaise, the Star Spangled Banner and O’ Canada
as villagers and visitors from both sides of the border celebrate
their shared French roots. Look close and you’ll spot
Napoleon riding his proud white horse at the head of the impressive
parade. The event is most famous for its delicious local foods,
fresh loaves of crusty French bread, vendors of delicate pastries—and
of course, its French beret sale! Vive la bleu, blanc et rouge!
www.capevincent.org; 315-654-2481.
ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY
FESTIVAL OF NORTH
COUNTRY FOLKLIFE
August 10
The Festival of North Country Folklife, held each
year at Robert Moses State Park in Massena, NY, celebrates
how things used to be in Northern New York before many of
our modern conveniences became commonplace. Traditional folk
art has been the mainstay of this highly anticipated festival.
Almost-forgotten crafts such as rug making, knitting, storytelling,
decoy carving and blacksmithing can be rediscovered. German
and French Canadian ethnic foods, a farmer’s market
and historic artifacts have always been part of the festivities.
Old-time music enthusiasts will enjoy traditional fiddle,
gospel and bluegrass. Our world is filled with hustle and
bustle! The Festival of North Country Folklife is dedicated
to slowing down the pace and savoring where we’ve come
from, if only for a day. 315-769-3525; www.massenany.com.
For more fine events along
the Seaway Trail, see our Calendar of Events (p. 9) or contact
the tourist promotion office in the area you wish to visit.
Enjoy!
Susan Powers is a festival
enthusiast who lives in Rochester, NY. An excellent cook as
well, Susan contributed a feature story about indigenous foods
for the first issue of Journey in 1989.
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