The 36^th Annual Greater Jamestown Labor Day Festival will be held Sunday, Sept. 6 from noon until 9:00 p.m. at Bergman Park. According to organizers the event is a community celebration designed to honor the labor force of the city and surrounding area.

There is no cost to attend the festival, unless parking in Bergman Park, which will cost $5 per vehicle. However, everyone who pays will be entered to win a prize and all money raised is used to directly fund festival activities.

The Arts & Crafts fair begins at 11 a.m. and will feature over 20 vendors from all over Western New York and some vendors from Pennsylvania. All vendors are required to sell hand-made items

Live music begins at noon and will be featured on two stages with performances by The Bogarts, Teachers, Preachers and & Trent, We Speak Canadian, Two for Flinching, Jamestown Harmony Express, Razz & the JCC Band, Davis and Eng, and No Limit.

The Food Court opens at noon with all profits from the concessions benefitting not-for-profit organizations in the Greater Jamestown Area. In addition, there will be a wine and beer dining tent sponsored by Game Time Sports Bar & Grill for attendees 21 and older.

Chautauqua Striders will also hold the annual Dan Feather Memorial 5k Run/Walk at 9:30 a.m. with registration starting at 8 a.m.

Free Pepsi Bingo games will take place in the main pavilion starting at noon. Free kids carnival games including a bounce house by Eventz by Scott will start at 2 p.m.

The day will be capped off by a fireworks display by Zambelli Fireworks Internationale. Committee organizers are recommending that participants get to the park early enough to reserve a prime location on the lawn in front of the main stage for the best view of the fireworks, which begins when the final band, Two For Flinching, finishes its performance around 8:30 p.m.

For more details on Festival events, visit the City’s website at jamestownny.net or call the Parks Department at 483-7523

Listen

The Greater Jamestown Labor Day Festival is a community celebration designed to honor the labor force of the city and surrounding area. All money raised is used to directly fund festival activities and support the host of non-profit community service agencies who participate.

Committee organizers are recommending that festival participants get to the park early enough to reserve a prime location on the lawn in front of the main stage in order to be in the middle of the fireworks extravaganza by Zambelli Fireworks Internationale, which begins when the final band, Two For Flinching, finishes its performance around 8:30 p.m.

“Get to Bergman Park early Sunday, September 6th. Pick your spot on the lawn in front of the main stage. Get some food. Visit the vendors and crafters. Take the kids to play some games. Then enjoy the biggest fireworks display the region has to offer. The only way is to be right in the middle of all the action,” said Mayor Teresi.

People parking their cars at Bergman Park will receive a ticket to enter into a drawing at the Information Booth for a chance to win a $100 Visa Gift card that is being sponsored by Ahlstrom Schaeffer Electric Corporation. Ahlstrom Schaeffer provides electrical services for industrial, commercial, institutional and construction businesses. There will also be two chances to win a season ticket for the Southern Tier Xpress Hockey League games. Parking is $5.00. The prize drawing will take place at on the Main Stage just prior to the fireworks show.

Live music begins at noon and will be featured on two stages. The lineup includes:

Main Stage

• 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. The Bogarts
• 2:30 – 4:00 p.m. Teachers, Preachers & Trent
• 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. We Speak Canadian
• 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Two For Flinching

Second Stage

• 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Jamestown Harmony Express
• 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Razz & the JCC Band, featuring Victoria McIlvain on vocals
• 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Davis & Eng
• 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. No Limit

The Food Court opens at noon with all profits from the concessions benefitting not-for-profit organizations in the Greater Jamestown Area. All organizations will be selling Pepsi products. In addition, there will be a wine and beer dining tent sponsored by Game Time Sports Bar & Grill for attendees 21 and older.

Chautauqua Striders will hold the annual Dan Feather Memorial 5k Run/Walk at 9:30 a.m. with registration starting at 8 a.m.

The Arts & Crafts fair begins at 11 a.m. and will feature over 20 vendors from all over Western New York and some vendors from Pennsylvania. All vendors are required to sell hand-made items.

Free Pepsi Bingo games will take place in the main pavilion starting at noon. Free kids carnival games including a bounce house by Eventz by Scott will start at 2 p.m.

The Jamestown Area Central Labor Council AFL-CIO will present a deserving member of the area workforce the George Ritzer Labor Award at 4 p.m. on the main stage.

Sponsors of the Labor Day Festival include the City of Jamestown, Media One Group, Ahlstrom-Schaeffer, Pepsi of Jamestown, IBEW Local 106, and Jamestown Area Central Labor Council AFL-CIO.

For more details on Festival events, visit the City’s website at jamestownny.net or call the Parks Department at 483-7523.

Image courtesy of Great Blue Heron Music Festival website, http://greatblueheron.com/wp/.

SHERMAN, NY – The Great Blue Heron Music Festival in Sherman will get underway on Friday with thousands of music fans expected to be on hand.

In recent years the Heron has featured more local acts from Chautauqua County and that continues this year.

Local performers scheduled to be on hand include Big Leg Emma, Smackdab, Sean Patrick McGraw, Bill Ward and Amanda Barton, Ken Hardley, The Bogarts, Uncle Claude’s Band, SYMBA, Qwister, the Elektra Kings and more.

Other featured acts include Donna the Buffalo, the Town Pants, Driftwood, Los Straitjackets, Jimkata, and Big Mean Sound Machine – which is making its Great Blue Heron Debut.

A complete lineup of musical acts can be found online at the Blue Heron website.

The great blue heron begins Friday and wraps up on Sunday.

Weekend passes are $80 through Thursday, and $90 at the gate. Daily tickets are available at the gate only: $40 for Friday or Saturday and $30 for Sunday.

For online tickets and more info: http://greatblueheron.com/wp/

WRFA General Manager Dennis Drew at the 2014 Great American Picnic (June 1, 2014 at Southern Tier Brewing Co. in Lakewood, NY)

JAMESTOWN _ The annual Great American Picnic fundraising event for WRFA will take place Sunday at Southern tier Brewing Company.

Featuring three hours of music with the theme of ‘Music from the Motor City” – the Great American Picnic will be hosted by Rolling Hills Radio host Ken Hardley along with WRFA General Manager Dennis Drew. It will also have performances from:

• Erickson, Peters, & Peterson
• Preach Freedom & Connect
• The Audience (Featuring Jonny J)
• The Bogarts
• Djava + 1
• The Distractions
• Dirt Track Racing

The performances will also be recorded and broadcast on WRFA during Arts on Fire (New Time – Fridays at 5 p.m. on WRFA) over the next three weeks.

There is no cost to attend the Great American Picnic. Instead, a portion of all proceeds collected by Southern Tier Brewing Co. between 1 and 4 p.m. will go directly toward WRFA.

In addition to music and beverages, the WRFA Advisory Board will be grilling and selling hot dogs, with proceeds to benefit Jamestown’s only locally owned and operated community radio station.

Donations will also be accepted. All ages are welcome. So stop by and support Community Radio in Jamestown NY – WRFA LP 107.9 FM – Low Power to the People!

The Bogarts

JAMESTOWN – The final Third Thursday concert of the season will take place Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. at Winter Garden Plaza on North Main Street.

The final installment of the free outdoor concert series will feature local bands Qwister and the Bogarts with support from the Buffalo-based band Aircraft. Third Thursday is made possible through a collaboration between the Active Artist Alliance and the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation.

Just over five years ago, the JRC oversaw the demolition of the long-vacant Winter Garden Theater and the installation of the small urban park that has become a gathering space for a variety of community events including the Great Jamestown Chalk Walk and the Great Jamestown Sauce Off.

Funding for the Third Thursday concert series is coming this year from a newly launched JRC program, the Downtown and Riverfront Event Competition. The program accepts event proposals on a rolling basis “that draw visitors and local residents to enjoy community assets, patronize local businesses, and add vitality to public spaces” according to the program’s guidelines. More information about the program and how to apply can be found here on the JRC Web site.

The festival is scheduled to run from noon until 9:00 p.m. at Bergman Park and will feature plenty of food, arts and craft vendors, events for the kids and live music throughout the day. A fireworks display is also slated to take place, beginning at 8:30 Sunday night.

Last year, the festival had to be cut short because of the poor weather conditions and the Fireworks display never took place. This year, city officials are hopeful the weather will be more cooperative, although the current forecast does say there is a likelihood of rain, at least for part of the day. Officials say they will wait until Saturday afternoon and make a decision on whether or not to hold the event, or wait until the rain date of Monday, Sept. 1.

FESTIVAL DETAILS

Admission to the festival is free, although there will be a $5 fee for parking in Bergman Park. Although anyone who pays for parking will receive a ticket to enter into a drawing at the Information Booth for a chance to win a $100 Visa Gift card that is being sponsored by Ahlstrom Schaeffer Electric Corporation. The prize drawing will take place at 8:15 p.m. on the Main Stage.

All money raised is used to directly fund festival activities and support the host of non-profit community service agencies who participate.

Live entertainment at the festival includes music from Two for Flinching, We Speak Canadian, the Bogarts, Cindy Love, the New Tenants, Razzers Jazzers, Teachers and Preachers and Jamestown Harmony Express.

The Arts & Crafts fair begins at 11 a.m. and will feature over 25 vendors from all over Western New York and some vendors from Pennsylvania. All vendors are required to sell hand-made items.

The Food Court opens at noon with all profits from the concessions benefiting not-for-profit organizations in the Greater Jamestown Area.

And, the day will once again begin with Chautauqua Striders holding the annual Dan Feature Memorial 5k Run/Walk at 9:30 a.m. with registration starting at 8 a.m.

The Jamestown Area Central Labor Council AFL-CIO will present a deserving member of the area workforce the George Ritzer Labor Award at 4 p.m. on the main stage.

For more details on Festival events, visit the City’s website at jamestownny.net or call the Parks Department at 483-7523.

The Greater Jamestown Labor Day Festival is a community celebration designed to honor the labor force of the city and surrounding area, widely recognized as the very best in the nation. All money raised is used to directly fund festival activities and support the host of non-profit community service agencies who participate.

As with past years, there will be a fireworks extravaganza by Zambelli Fireworks Internationale at the end of the festival, which begins when the final band, Two For Flinching, finishes its performance around 8:30 p.m.

The Jamestown Area Central Labor Council AFL-CIO will present a deserving member of the area workforce the George Ritzer Labor Award at 4 p.m. on the main stage.

And Chautauqua Striders will once again hold the annual Dan Feature Memorial 5k Run/Walk at 9:30 a.m. with registration starting at 8 a.m.

The Food Court opens at noon with all profits from the concessions benefitting not-for-profit organizations in the Greater Jamestown Area.

Live music will be provided throughout the day at two stages and will feature songs from various acts – including The Jamestown Harmony Express, Razzer’s Jazzers, the Bogarts, Cindy Love, We Speak Canadian, and Teachers, Preachers and Trent – along with the aforementioned Two for Flinching.

People parking their cars at Bergman Park will receive a ticket to enter into a drawing at the Information Booth for a chance to win a $100 Visa Gift card that is being sponsored by Ahlstrom Schaeffer Electric Corporation.

For more details on Festival events, visit the City’s website at jamestownny.net or call the Parks Department at 483-7523. WRFA will also talk with festival organizers during the Aug. 28 episode of Community Matters.

Third Thursday is a Free community arts event and concert series, presented by the Active Artists Alliance and Jamestown Renaissance Corp, and taking place on the Third Thursday of each month in Winter Garden Plaza, right downtown next to the Wine Cellar.