OSWEGO, NY – Children have a tremendous role in the 28th edition of Oswego Harborfest.
Once again there will be a wide variety of activities for youngsters attending this year’s event.
The children’s committee has spent months creating an exciting array of things to do for the youngest festival attendees.
Children’s activities kick off with the annual Children’s Gala on Tuesday from 6 – 7:30 p.m. at the Breitbeck Park Food Court. This year’s gala is presented in part by the SUNY Oswego Office of Business and Community Relations.
Children in attendance will enjoy a delicious cake and ice cream social from Port City Café and Bakery.
There will be many activities including a sponge toss, a photo booth, and arts and crafts.
This year, only children need tickets in order to participate. Tickets are on sale for $5 at the Harborfest Office located at 41 Lake St., in the McCrobie Building or at the Harborfest booth in the farmers’ market on Thursdays from 4:30 – 8 p.m.
Harborfest Children’s Parade
The 2015 Harborfest Children’s Parade, presented by Oswego Health and the Palladium-Times and Oswego County Credit Union, invites children of all ages to join in for the annual procession.
The popular parade moves to the afternoon for the first time on Friday and will step off at 1:30 p.m. in Breitbeck Park. The parade will begin at Breitbeck Park and travel along Lake Street to West Fifth Street and will conclude in the Novelis Family Park at Franklin Square.
There will be many of pre-parade activities in Breitbeck Park on Friday morning to entertain the young and old alike.
The Show of Love with Joe Trionfero
This long-running Harborfest pre-parade activity will take place at noon on Friday in Breitbeck Park.
Joe Trionfero is a motivational speaker who has presented his Show of Love at thousands of schools all over New York State during past 20 years.
The secret to his success has been a combination of high energy and audience participation.
He uses a mix of music and fun to engage people of all ages.
The enthusiasm and personality displayed are the keys to conveying the message that he so truly believes in; people understanding and respecting one another.
His goal remains a simple one, teaching the secret to the “Golden Rule.”
He is proud of the fact that he was the very first “act” at the opening ceremony of the 1988 Harborfest.
T-Shirt Workshops
Youngsters will prepare their special Oswego Harborfest T-shirts at several workshops at the following locations.
Breitbeck Park Food Court: Tuesday (6 – 7:30 p.m.)
Breitbeck Park Pavilion: Wednesday (3 – 5 p.m.) Thursday (10 – 11:30 a.m.)
Novelis Family Park: Friday (2 – 5 p.m.) Saturday (11 a.m. – 6 p.m.) Sunday (11 a.m. – 4 p.m.)
Numerous activities will also be included in the celebration and include: Pete and Chris Amusements
Pete and Chris Amusements is bringing the wonder of magic and the excitement of super heroes with their brand new and highly interactive show
The Superhero in All of Us Presto Pete, Incredulous Chris and the audience perform a number of feats similar to the fictional superheroes we all know and love, and at the same time impart important lessons on how these fictional characters can become real life inspirations.
Oswego Health Post-Parade Activity Area
After the Children’s Parade on Friday, bring the family by Oswego Health Activity Area in the Novelis Family Park.
The setting will be an old-time carnival with many games for kids to play to win prizes.
There will be an obstacle course, a football toss, a putting green and a small pond with boats to pick out which correspond with prizes.
Entergy Nuclear Activity Tent
Bring the family by the Entergy Nuclear Activity Tent in Breitbeck Park featuring free face painting, temporary tattoos, crafts and fun hands-on activities for children.
Returning again this year will be the Twin Magicians to create balloons in all shapes and sizes.
Visit with characters from your favorite stories and participate in read-alouds at the Oswego Bookmobile.
The Children’s Museum of Oswego Tent
The Children’s Museum of Oswego, in the Novelis Family Park, will be a center of activity for all ages to enjoy!
Visitors will have the unique opportunity to experience interactive, hands-on exhibits that nurture the curiosity and imagination in all of us.
Come watch colorful balls and scarves travel through an intricate maze of air tubes, play a musical tune on the pipe organ, stock the farmers’ market with produce just picked from the field, splash, dig, and blow bubbles at our activity tables and so much more.
Throughout the day on Friday and Sunday, The Children’s Museum of Oswego will also present a variety of workshops that include science experiments, make-and-take art projects, LEGO car construction, garden composting and more.
The CMOO Tent is sponsored by NBT Bank
The Children’s Musical
The Harborfest Children’s Production for the 2015 season is Wonderland.
Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen’s reign of terror.
Wonderland, the musical will be presented in the Children’s Tent located in West Park on: Friday, July 24 at 4 p.m., Saturday July 25 at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. and Sunday July 26 at 11 a.m.
The musical is under the direction of Rocky Farden and Bobbie Palange.
The Oswego City-County Youth Bureau and The Oswego Lion’s Club are the proud sponsors of this year’s musical.
Doug Rougeux
Doug Rougeux, the “Bubble Man” has been making bubbles “fresh since 1991.”
This act is sure to entertain kids (and adults) with the art of bubble making.
Harborfest is happy to announce the return of the Bubble Show.
InJest
Experience the one-of-a-kind, knock-your-socks-off comedy, juggling, and stunts of clean comedian and variety entertainer Nels Ross.
Catskill Puppet Theater
The Catskill Puppet Theater presents delightful original musical productions on a variety of themes.
Their full sets, colorful scenery and large, exquisitely crafted puppets transform even the simplest environment into a fantasy world rich with wonder and excitement.
Each play uses a delightful blend of humor, mystery, drama, and magical special effects and is illustrated with a combination of original and traditional music.
Merry-Go-Round Playhouse
Widely known as Broadway in the Finger Lakes, Merry-Go-Round Playhouse is the region’s largest professional musical theatre.
The Playhouse is produced by the Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival, an annual summer-long festival featuring professional musical productions along with new musicals, presented in their earliest stages of development.
This year’s production is “Once Upon a Wolf” by Steph DeFerie, presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.
The performance is free and open to the public on July 25 at 12:30 p.m. and again 2:30 p.m. in the Novelis Family Park.
Shineman S.T.E.A.M. Station-Robotics Tent and Tinker-LAB
Experience a VEX robotics competition at the Harborfest Childrens Park.
All youth attending Harborfest can try their hand operating a robot in a new hands-on demonstration area.
Under the robot tent, participants will be able to try manipulating robots in a game called “Round-Up!”
Several members of the reigning New York State VEX Robotics Championship team, Freezing Code, will be teaching festival attendees how to operate small robots.
Participants can then test their skills in a fast-paced game of Round-Up where two teams of two robots each, go head to head scoring points on a VEX robotics competition field.
Make sure to visit the new robot tent in the Children’s Park and see how much fun robots can be.
Freezing Code team members will also be on hand to demonstrate their award-winning robots, and answer questions about competing against teams from around the world in robotics engineering challenges.
The “Tinker-Lab” will return this year.
Children and their families are again invited to create toys made out of recycled materials.
The options this summer are: a fairy house, a robot, or a keepsake box.
Come join in on the fun and excitement.
Oswego’s Got Talent Variety Show
The third annual Oswego County’s Got Talent is a community collaboration celebrating creativity, youth artists, diversity, and creating an awareness of Oswego County’s rich cultural resources.
Oswego’s Got Talent features a visual and literary art exhibition as well as a series of youth performances on Sunday in the Novelis Family Park at 2:15 p.m. with the winners announced at 4:30 p.m.
For additional information send e-mails to [email protected]
Dan the Snakeman
Dan the Snakeman has created the ultimate educational experience through his diverse reptile shows.
Through informative displays and interactions, his presentations offer a unique opportunity to experience reptiles and gain a better awareness of an often misunderstood group of animals.
His hands-on approach not only encourages appreciation of the species but promotes the importance they play in the environment.
Feel the experience when he shares his knowledge and reptile experiences in the Novelis Family Park this year at Harborfest.
Horse Rides
Wilmer Farms Horse Rides brings its small horses to the Novelis Family Park again in 2015 so that family members of all ages can take a stroll through the park.
A fee is charged by Wilmer Farms for this attraction.
Harborfest Novelis Children’s Park will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, July 24-26, for the enjoyment of youngsters.
For further information or schedules, check out www.oswegoharborfest.com
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