First Camp Hollis ‘Family Fun Night’ Reaches Capacity For August 5

OSWEGO – Camp Hollis will host its first “Family Fun Camp” night Thursday, August 5, offering a myriad of camp staples like a campfire and games. The event was made available in part because of COVID-19, as the camp was forced to turn into a day camp for the summer.

“COVID restrictions have provided opportunities to have more time available at Camp Hollis,” the executive director of the Oswego County Youth Bureau, Brian Chetney said. “We wanted to take advantage of that because traditionally these nights would not be open because overnight camp would be consuming our schedule.”

While this is the first event during the camp season, Chetney added that Camp Hollis has hosted other family-oriented activities throughout the quieter months. Thursday’s activities provide a unique experience for the camp to introduce community members to all that Camp Hollis has to offer, something the camp’s director, Zach Grulich, is happy to do in order to continue to promote the camp.

“It’s good for exposure,” Grulich said. “We opened the event to everybody. There is no age restriction to it, where our camp program is 6-14, so it’s good to get parents to see our facilities …  Any opportunity in the world to provide for families [and give them something to do] is beneficial.”

Tiffany Halstead, the bureau’s youth services specialist, planned the event with the help of Grulich. While these two organized it, the Camp Hollis staff of counselors and other faculty will run the activities and provide a complimentary cookout dinner. To some extent, these counselors and staff will have their hands full, as the event, which required guests to preregister, was fully booked in just days.

Chetney, Grulich and Halstead were not sure how much traction it would gain since Camp Hollis has never really hosted a night like this. Despite that, the Oswego County Youth Bureau expects a full crowd of 70-80 people. Chetney added that they would “loved to expand” to more guests but due to restrictions and the sheer size of Camp Hollis, they could not fit more guests in a safe and fun manner.

Part of the fun will come from a variety of camp games that will be set up across the campsite. These activities will include arts and crafts, some sports, a guided nature hike and swimming at the pool, all of which are things that all of the Camp Hollis campers may partake in throughout the summer. Organizers have also rented a “bounce house slip n’ slide,” as Grulich described it. Rather than scheduling these events or creating a rotation, guests will be allowed to wander at their own pace and decide which ones to enjoy.

While the night is completely booked, the bureau plans to hold more events at Camp Hollis in the future, including camp “fun days” as Grulich called them. These are small tastes of Camp Hollis that host 20 children or so the days between the end of camp and the start of school. Halstead also mentioned several “Traveling Arts in the Parks” shows where the bureau partners with another local municipality or agency. Among the events are two shows from Jeff the Magic Man who will be at the Granby Town Hall on August 4 at 1:30 p.m. and at the Oswego CYO onn August 10 at 2 p.m.

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