FireFest to kick off this weekend

On the Bright Side

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July 17, 2012

FireFest to kick off this weekend

By Mark Boshnack Staff Writer The Daily Star Tue Jul 17, 2012, 08:56 AM EDT

A weekend event will offer participants a chance to enjoy food, music and fireworks while helping a good cause. FireFest, at Maple Shade Farm on 2066 County Route 18 in Delhi, will be hosted by the Delhi and Bloomville fire departments.

Admission is $5 per person, with children under 5 admitted free. The funds will help the two organizations purchase needed equipment, according to a media release.

From 10 a.m. until dusk Saturday and Sunday, attractions will include a bounce house, carnival games, tractor rides and a vintage baseball game. Firematic events — consisting of competitions between participating fire departments — a variety of musical acts and a fireworks display at dusk Saturday are also on the schedule.

The idea came about when organizers learned there wasn’t going to be a Meredith Dairy Festival this year, Delhi Assistant Chief Steve Hood said. He is also county EMS coordinator. Organizers of the Dairy Festival decided to cancel this year’s event, which was a fundraiser for the Meridale Fire Department, for a variety of factors. Some of the efforts for FireFest were modeled on the Dairy Festival, such as sponsorship for the FireFest logo signs, Hood said. So far, about 80 sponsors have been secured. “We’re hoping it will be an annual event.”

With work getting under way in spring, “We got a late start, but it’s all coming together pretty fast with a lot of people putting in a lot of work,” he said.

It is a “fantastic fundraiser,” which county Emergency Services Director Rich Bell said he was hopeful the public will support. The fire departments play an “integral role in the community,” he said. This is an opportunity for people to interact with firefighters in a community-oriented event.

Former Delhi resident Todd Russell coordinated the music for the weekend.

“It’s a really great mix of entertainers,” he said. “As soon as performers learned what the cause was, they were glad to participate.”

A variety of food and drink will be available all weekend, including a barbecue chicken and pork dinner, with salt potatoes and all the fixings, sausage and peppers, burgers, hotdogs, and a beer tent sponsored by Quarter Moon Café, Delhi, and Northern Eagle Beverages, Oneonta, according to a media release.

In addition, the FireFest weekend will include after-party concerts at Delhi’s Shire Pub. On Saturday, it will start at 9:30 p.m. — after the fireworks. On Sunday, it will start at 8 p.m. There is no cover charge. Instead, patrons are asked to “stuff the boot” and make a donation to the Delhi and Bloomville fire departments.

More information on the event is available online at www.firefestny.com or on the FireFest 2012 Facebook page. More information about the Shire Pub performers is available at www.facebook.com/events/418319454873748/.