Archive: Around Town

The sixth annual Lansing Harbor Festival is ready to go a week from tomorrow (Saturday, August 11th).  The free festival at Myers Park attracts about 3,000 people each year to enjoy music, vendors, food, games, presentations, and competition.  This year the fishing derby may yield a $25,000 prize for some lucky fisherman.

"I'm happy that we have a little something new," says festival chairwoman Karen Veaner.  "We have a lot of favorites back.  We have craft vendors and food vendors.  I encourage people who have ideas for things they would like to see at the festival to contact us, and the Lansing Community Council is also looking for new members."


The day starts at 7am with the check-ins for the Fun Run, the Lighthouse 5K Run, and the Light House Fishing Derby.  The Fun Run starts at 8:30, and the 5K Run at 9am.  The top three winners in each fishing derby category will get a chance in a drawing for the grand prize. 

"The biggest new thing we have this year is the opportunity to win $25,000 at our fishing derby," Veaner says.  "Scott Bennett has done a wonderful job of developing the fishing derby over the past three years.  This year John Sacco of Great Choice Lawn Care & Landscaping, LLC is sponsoring the $25,000 prize."


What would a harbor festival be without events in the harbor?  The Floating Classroom will be back this year, offering two cruises on Cayuga Lake for a five dollar donation.  And word is that there may be a dragon boat sighting this year.  While not confirmed at the time of writing, Veaner hopes for a visit from the Ithaca Dragon Boat Club.

The Kids' Pavilion has a full slate of events, starting with the popular Cornell raptor program featuring live birds of prey.  Other programs and activities will run through the day, including Play Dough, Face Painting, Book making, Craft activities, a Karate demonstration, a program on seat belt safety, science activities, the Tompkins County Dairy Princess and her court, math, music, and ballon animals.


Featured entertainment in the Band Stand starts with the popular southern rock band Iron Horse, indie pop rock band The Blindspots, and contemporary country/classic rock band Tailor Made.  All three bands are new to the Harbor Festival this year.  WHCU Morning News Watch host Lee Rayburn will be Master of Ceremonies for the day.

The Lansing-Ithaca Rotary Club will be dedicating a tree close to the Log Cabin.

Rayburn and WHCU's Geoff Dunn will be among the Baker Cup Chicken Barbecue Contest judges along with Veaner, Lansing Community Council President Ed LaVigne, Lansing Supervisor Kathy Miller, and Village of Lansing Mayor Donald Hartill.

The festival attracts about 3,000 each year.  The event is free and open to the public.  It is mainly paid for by sponsorships and donations.  Booth rentals, program advertisements, and T-shirt sales also help support the festival.

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