The 37th Annual Owego Strawberry Festival
It’s a beautiful summer day in the quaint little village of Owego. The smell of grilled onions and funnel cake drifts through the air. Couples relax on picnic blankets near the Susquehanna enjoying homemade shortcake made with freshly ripened strawberries. People are chatting idly about the news of the day - the Major League Baseball Strike and Ronald Reagan’s first six months in office - but mostly, conversations drift back to the gorgeous weather and the delicious shortcake.
A lot has changed since June 16th, 1981, the day the Riverow Restoration Association held Owego’s first Strawberry Festival. For one thing, peak strawberry season falls a bit later in June these days. But that doesn’t deter over 20,000 visitors (that’s slightly higher than the population of the entire town) from making the trek every June 16th and 17th to enjoy the nostalgic charm of the Strawberry Festival. It’s what makes Memories, this year’s festival theme, seem particularly fitting.
The Strawberry Festival kicks off the way every summer celebration should: with a block party. On Friday, June 16th from 5pm to 10pm, live music can be heard at the main stage on Front Street and at a second stage on Lake Street. Friday’s lineup includes the MTB pop-rock cover band, a family-friendly favorite, and Binghamton’s legendary party rockers, Wreckless Marci. Stop by the Front Street Deck for the beer and wine tasting event featuring wineries and breweries from across the state, including Owego’s own Farmhouse Brewery. After that, grab a bite to eat from one of Strawberry Fest’s dozens of food vendors. For those looking for a way to work off all the shortcake and souvlaki, the Strawberry Shake 5k race offers a pleasant 3.1-mile tour of Owego’s bucolic side streets. Ambitious little ones can burn off their ice cream-induced sugar highs during the 1-mile fun run.
As the sun sets, the Digital Circus lights up the night with fire dancing, LED light shows, magicians, and illusionists. This Philadelphia-based troupe is a brand-new addition to the Festival this year, bringing exciting acts like fire breathing, hula hoop tricks, and extreme juggling. The Block Party wraps up at 10pm with a dazzling fireworks display at Draper Park.
The main festival begins on Saturday morning with the annual Strawberry Festival parade, with colorful marching bands, motorcycles, and antique cars aplenty. Saturday’s live music lineup is even bigger, with three separate stages and twelve different bands from across the Southern Tier - something to suit every taste. Take a stroll through Ahwaga Park to hear New Orleans-style jazz from the Basin Street Jazz Band and Alpha Brass. Lake Street is the place to hear some acoustic folk, bluegrass, and blues, from Melanie and the Boys and Dirt Farm, both from the Triple Cities area. If you’re looking to dance, holler, and hoot, Technicolor Trailer Park will have you doing all three on Owego’s Main Street. Those who desire hard rock, make your way over to the Court House Lawn for String of Pearls and Tijuana Danger Dogs. And on North Avenue, you can hear Scuttlebutt, a Stevie Ray Vaughn Tribute Band.
There are plenty of activities for kids, including a puppet show and play zone in Draper Park. Animal Adventure Park will be bringing some surprise furry, feathery, and scaly friends for the little ones to see. Don’t count on an appearance by April the Giraffe, though. Adults can enjoy a multitude of strawberry-themed drinks and treats, including the Festival’s signature strawberry daiquiri. The beer and wine tasting tent will be open from 11am to 4pm. Over 150 vendors will be selling food, crafts, and other artisan products throughout the day.
Bradley Crews, chair of the Owego Art Walk and member of the Strawberry Festival Committee, can speak to the special atmosphere of the Strawberry Festival. A Utah native, Crews moved from New York City to Upstate three years ago and found a warm and welcoming community in Owego. Now he shares fond memories of his first Strawberry Festival. “At first, I was worried that it was going to be super-crowded. 20,000 people is a lot! But I ended up having a really lovely time,” he recalls. “There’s a community spirit around Strawberry Festival that I haven’t felt anywhere else. It’s held in the heart of it all, where we live and where we work. When you come to Strawberry Festival, you really feel connected with the community. We want to share it all with you.”
This year marks Owego’s 37th Strawberry Festival since that sunny June day in 1981. It’s sure to be a memorable one.
The Strawberry Festival Block Party takes place Friday, June 16th from 5-10pm. The Main Festival takes place on Saturday, June 17th from 9am-5pm. Both events are located in Downtown Owego, rain or shine. You can visit owego.org/strawberry-festival for a full schedule of events.
