CORTLAND, N.Y. – The first weekend in October marks the 20th annual Great Cortland Pumpkinfest.
To get you prepared for the action, we've compiled a schedule of events happening this weekend, courtesy of the Cortland County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Schedule of Events at Cortland Pumpkinfest 2015
Friday
4:30 - 7 pm, Pumpkinfest Pancake Supper
United Presbyterian Church, 25 Church St (next to Courthouse Park). All you can eat pumpkin or regular pancakes with sausage, homemade applesauce, oj, coffee or tea. $5 per person (Limit $20 per family)
6-9 pm, Wine Tasting for 20th Anniversary of Great Cortland Pumpkinfest
Finger Lakes Tasting Room, 31 Main St. Great wine tastings, delicious food, and a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Great Cortland Pumpkinfest! Tickets are $25 each and available both pre-sale and at the door (cash or check only, please). Your ticket gets you unlimited tastings, as well as locally-produced meat and cheese boards. To purchase tickets, please contact the Cortland County Convention & Visitors Bureau at 607-753-8463 or[email protected].
Saturday
7 - 11 am, Pumpinkfest Pancake Breakfast
Grace and Holy Spirit Church, 13 Court St. "All you can eat" Pancake Breakfast. All proceeds to benefit Cortland Loaves and Fishes. $5.00 adults, $3 kids 8 yrs and under, or $15.00 for the family. For more information visitcortlandloavesandfishes.org or visit us on Facebook.
8 am - 4 pm, Cortland Fire Department Fire Prevention Open House
Cortland Fire Department HQ, 21 Court Street. Held in conjunction with National Fire Prevention Week in October. Our firefighters provide educational opportunities, demonstrations and fun events like the Junior Firefighter Combat Challenge. Activities change each year but the Auxiliary is always there with popcorn and cider for this family-oriented event! FREE family event! For more information call (607) 756-5612, e-mail [email protected] or visitcortlandfire.org.
11 am - 12 noon, Purple Valley
The Purple Valley hails from the hills around Ithaca, NY. Featuring beautiful vocal harmonies and an exciting rhythm section, this six piece band plays dancing blues, swing, and rock and roll (with a touch of country) for listeners and dancers of every age and era.
11 am - 1 pm, Author Dan Sopp
Fountain Stage/Tent. Daniel Sopp is the creator and author of The Eon Chronicles, a super-hero adventure story full of thrills, action and revenge. Daniel is also the co-creator of the Yin Yang Gang, a crossover comic for Star Skills Comics. He is also a writer for Star Skills Comics and is currently working on a mini-series for the Rochester based company.
11 am, Pumpkin Decorating Contest
Decorate your pumpkin (real or hand-made) to resemble your favorite character from books, movies, TV or one of this year's pop music categories. Decorate your pumpkin with your class at school, with your club, with your family, with a friend or on your own.
Enter the contest as a Kindergarten-2nd grader, 3rd/4th grader, 5th/6th grader, or as a group
Win a Prize: First Place - $30, Second Place - $20, Third Place - $10
Judging at 12 noon, winners announced at 2 pm. Pick up your pumpkin and t-shirt at 5 pm on Sunday. Each entry will receive a free t-shirt with a color photo of your decorated pumpkin!
Pumpkin Decorating Registration Form
12:30 - 2 pm, Jeff Love Band
The Jeff Love Band pays homage to the classic funk, soul and jazz of yesterday while imparting its contemporary vision on each mesmerizing offering. This eclectic brand of music brings music lovers of all ages together each time the JLB takes the stage. As a result, each Jeff Love Band event is not only a musical performance, but a social movement; A celebration of rhythmic collaboration. It’s your chance to dance, so get ready for the high energy experience of a lifetime. From the first high hat to the last rim shot, the JLB is guaranteed to have you movin’ and groovin’ all night long.
2 - 3 pm, The Catskill Puppet Theatre
Their full sets, colorful scenery and large, beautiful puppets transform even the simplest environment into a fantasy world rich with wonder and excitement!
For more information visit the Catskill Puppet Theatre web site.
2 pm, DaProf N Starr
Fountain Tent
2 pm, TheatreDanz Flash Mob
3 - 4:30 pm, Molly & The Badly Bent Bluegrass Boys
Hailing from Cortland, Molly & the Badly Bent Bluegrass Boys are a high-energy, traditional bluegrass band with a modern flavor consisting of quality harmonies and solos. The band’s sound resembles its influences, including the Del McCoury Band, Hot Rize, Della Mae, and Flatt & Scruggs, with a hint of Bill Monroe. The band is currently recording their debut album and
looking forward to playing Bluegrass at many venues this summer.
Sunday
11 am - 1 pm, Author Dan Sopp
Fountain Stage/Tent. Daniel Sopp is the creator and author of The Eon Chronicles, a super-hero adventure story full of thrills, action and revenge. Daniel is also the co-creator of the Yin Yang Gang, a crossover comic for Star Skills Comics. He is also a writer for Star Skills Comics and is currently working on a mini-series for the Rochester based company.
1 - 2 pm, The Old Timers Band
The Cortland Old Timers Band is in its 47th year of concert performances in Central New York. Organized in 1967 by John Discenza and Phil Natoli, the band continues to attract both young and seasoned musicians from the Cortland area, an area that abounds with musical talent and generations of community-band heritage.
The Old Timers Band traces its heritage back over 150 years, when military and industrial bands were popular in the Cortland area, with its predecessor taking shape in 1911 as the Mascagni Italian Band, organized by Frank Crisara. Then, performing for several years at the St Anthony’s Band (1925-34) and the Cortland Civic Band (1936-54), the musicians found a special appeal in the Italian community and its La Festa celebrations.
Today, the band boasts over 60 volunteer members, ranging in age from 16 to 87, who strive to enrich the Cortland community, and future generations, with their passion for big-band performances. Their concert selections include traditional marches, overtures, patriotic songs, popular Broadway hits and folk music.
2 pm, Tom Gath and Marc Ryan
Fountain Tent.
2 pm, TheatreDanz Flash Mob
2:30 - 3:30 pm, Johnny and Lonnie
See Johnny and Lonnie onFacebook and on Reverbnation.
3:30, Tom Gath and Marc Ryan
Fountain Tent.
4 - 5 pm, Blind Spots
This all original, female-fronted, five-piece moxy rock band from Ithaca is driving hard at bigger things with its solid-as-a-rock rhythm section, eclectic library of vintage keyboard sounds, bold and inventive electric guitar stylings, and electrifying lead vocals from force of nature Maddy Walsh. Their uplifting, infectious songs leave audiences humming.
Since the release of their debut album, El Camino Dream [2010] and their followup EP, Small Stampede [2012], both tight and inspired collections that showcase the band’s energy and expansive creativity, The Blind Spots have played a handful of the northeast’s well-renowned clubs and have been invited to play at a number of summer festivals, including the Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance, Sterling Stage Folkfest, as well as at many colleges, including Cornell University, the University of Vermont, SUNY Brockport, and Elmira College. The band released its third studio album, Rhizomatic, at the beginning of 2015.
