It’s a Strawberry Jubilee; Festival’s Founder to serve as Parade Grand Marshal

Coming off the heels of a two-year hiatus, the 40th Anniversary celebration for Owego’s Strawberry Festival, planned for June 17 and 18 is almost here. The Historic Owego Marketplace has raised the bar for this year’s “Strawberry Jubilee” and will be bringing things back in grand fashion for this FREE festival.

What makes this year special is that the festival’s founder, Pat Hansen, will be serving as the Parade’s Grand Marshal on Saturday, June 18 at 10 a.m., riding through the crowd and thanking the thousands of attendees that have arrived at one of New York’s iconic festivals for a collective 40 years.

Hansen retired from her store that she ran for 45 years in Owego, The Hand of Man and its River Rose Café. While there, Pat started a community yard sale that grew over the years to what it is today – an event that attracts thousands.

Hansen continues to serve, alongside this writer, as the chair of this annual event, and will be sporting her crown during the annual parade, planned for 10 a.m. on Saturday.

Because of its 40-year culmination, this year’s festival put a focus on local, highlighting the talent within the community. With over 20 live band performances and vendors that have been perfecting their craft during the two year pandemic-break, this year’s event is sure to be a culmination of all good things to come – a jubilee!

Featured again will be Dinosaur Adventures! This year, however, they will be bringing their baby along. The parents, who will be in attendance, are excited to introduce their brood at this year’s jubilee!

And don’t forget the fireworks, sponsored this year by Cops 4 A Cause, the vendors, the jugglers, face painting, super heroes, and so much more. Most importantly, don’t forget the strawberries, which will be plentiful.

For a full schedule of events, visit www.owego.org. The event is still accepting vendors, so be sure to check out the sponsoring organization’s website at www.owego.org.