Inspired by a wish to live in peace within our community, country and the world, the Historic Owego Marketplace (HOM) welcomes you to the 36th Annual Owego Strawberry Festival scheduled June 17 and 18, 2016. The annual festival, which brings together the community and thousands of guests from near and far, is a signature event in the village of Owego, N.Y. A concerted effort by the HOM to showcase what the village has to offer, the Strawberry Festival is your ticket to memorable summertime fun.
The historic village of Owego, N.Y. will be transformed into a “Strawberry Peace” village, this year’s celebratory theme. So grab your tie-dye shirts and peace signs for the Friday night Festival Block Party that kicks off at 5 p.m. An event in its own right, numerous activities and entertainment will embrace the peace and love of yesteryear, along with a spectacular fireworks show to end the evening at 10 p.m.
The Strawberry Peace celebration continues on Saturday morning with the highly anticipated parade beginning at 10 a.m. From parade bands to floats to community groups to classic cars, the approximate one-hour parade is one of the largest in our region. Owego’s merchants will be open, along with an abundance of merchants and craft vendors lining the festival streets, delectable food choices at every turn, incredible entertainment and live music, and activities that will appeal to every visitor.
Photos from previous festivals.
For shoppers and foodies, well over 200 vendors will set up booths at the 2016 Strawberry Festival, according to Chairperson, Sandy Knapp-Dunbar and Vendor Coordinator, Fran Dunbar. Vendors and artisans attending will feature crafts, artwork, antiques, an assortment of every type-and-style of merchandise, and of course, plenty of strawberry treats and tempting food choices.
“Visitors will find a good mix of all categories on every street,” shared Knapp-Dunbar.
The HOM, in partnership with the Owego Apalachin Foundation for Excellence in Education, invites you to partake in a wine and beer tasting event on the Front Street Deck. Participants this year include Tioga County’s own the FarmHouse Brewery and Glen Park Vineyards, along with Pazdar Winery, Lakeland Winery and Three Brothers Wineries and Estates. A $5 admission and ID check is required at the tasting tent, which opens Friday at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m.
For runners, the annual Strawberry Shortcake one-mile run starts at 6 p.m. on Friday, followed by the Strawberry Shake 5K run at 7 p.m. A sanctioned event, runners come to Owego from every corner of the region to run the festival course.
For pageant enthusiasts, the Courthouse Gazebo will be abuzz on Friday evening at 5 p.m. for the Miss/Mister Strawberry Pageant.
For music lovers, Friday evening has plenty of toe-tapping bands to enjoy. Owego Free Academy’s own Making the Band takes the big stage at the Courthouse lawn at 5:30 p.m., followed by a regional power-twang favorite playing rock and country, the Woodshed Prophets at 8 p.m.
More for music lovers on Friday, Ahwaga Park at Front and Church Streets will feature the band, Rare Breed at 5:30 p.m. and the Spelunkers at 7:30 p.m.
Return for even more music on Saturday at Ahwaga Park with Robert Siegers and West End at 11:30 a.m., The Kiil at 1:30 p.m. and the El Caminos at 3:30 p.m.
Saturday is host to a new music location at the Strawberry Fest. Taking the sidewalk venue in front of the Early Owego Antique Center is Acoustic Brew at noon and Daphne Braden at 2 p.m.
On the big stage at the Courthouse Square Lawn on Saturday, Little Big Band takes the stage at 11 a.m., Deveroe at 1:30 p.m. and the Tim Ruffo Band at 3:30 p.m.
Be sure to read other articles in this issue for more detailed information on bands and music at the Strawberry Festival.
For other entertainment, don’t miss Nate the Great’s juggling shows from 7:30 to 9:30 on Friday evening, and on Saturday, Will Stafford, juggler extraordinaire, strolls through the festival between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. In the Courthouse Square near the Gazebo, kids of all ages will enjoy Robert Rogers Puppet Circus with shows slated to start at noon on Saturday.
For guests of all ages but of particular interest for young people, the Chris Clark Bicycle Stunt Show returns to the Strawberry Festival. Clark has appeared in Times Square and at the Olympic Games, among others, and will amaze the crowd with gravity-defying stunts. Audience participation is all part of Clark’s shows which are scheduled at the North Avenue end of the festival at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Since the debut of the Owego Strawberry Festival more than three decades ago, hundreds of thousands of visitors have been drawn to historic downtown Owego to experience the charm of this annual festival. The HOM urges everyone to come early and enjoy the excitement of two fun-filled days on June 17 and 18, 2016.
For additional information, visit owegostrawberryfestival.com.
