Returning Events
Baking Contests
Dig out your grandma's favorite blueberry pie recipe because this year, the
seventh annual Rome Rotary Canalfest is adding a blueberry pie baking
contest, and as contest coordinator Donna Schonewetter says, "All other pies
need not apply."
To eliminate issues with refrigeration, to add uniformity for judging sake
and to capitalize on something very "summery," the blueberry contest has
been substituted for previous cake and pie contests at the annual festival.
Blueberry pie entries must be received between noon and 1 p.m. Saturday Aug.
1 near the Food Tent, and following the judging pies will be sold to the
public. Again this year there will be cash prizes for first, second and
third place.
The annual cookie baking contest will be held the day before, July 1, with
two divisions -- children up to age 12 and an adult category. Any type of
cookie that does not require refrigeration is eligible. Entries must be
received from 5 to 6 p.m. that Friday near the Food Tent, and like the pie
contest, there will be small cash prizes in each division.
Baking Show
Food demonstrations offered by John and Maryann Mazzaferro.
Biathlon
Sunday afternoon the 5k run and 2k kayak race will be held with both individual and team biathlon competition. Registration begins at 4 p.m., and there is a registration fee of $20 for an individual and $25 for a team.
Bikers for Babies
Canalfest at Bellamy Harbor Park was the Utica-Rome start site for the largest motorcycle benefit ride event in central New York. The ride departes at 10:30am, registration began at 9:00am on Saturday, August 1st. The Ride concludes at Quaker Steak and Lube, Syracuse. Proceeds go to the March of Dimes.
Child Safety Event
Saturday's Child Safety Event is also seeing a face change this year. While the bike obstacle course and bike repair will no longer be featured, the Rome Hospital has added a new component. This year the hospital will not only give away 360 bike helmets for children roughly ages four to teens but it will also be giving away fifty inline skates and helmets for older children and thirty toddler helmets, ideal for younger children in bike seats. Bailey's Karate will be back to offer its bully program along with offerings from the AmCare, Rome Police and the Red Cross, to name a few. The Red Cross is again featuring a unique way to send a message to the troops. According to Edith Buffalohead, director of emergency services, a gigantic roll of paper is spread out allowing participants to draw pictures, write letters, etc. which is then mailed to troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Last summer more than 1,000 signatures were collected from the various summer venues and mailed.
Fishing Derby
The annual Family Fishing Derby is also back again with anglers gearing up Saturday morning in the park. Registration starts at 7:30 a.m., and fish must be caught between 8 and noon to be eligible for weigh-ins. Participants must have a valid fishing license and provide their own equipment. There are both adult (13 and over) and children divisions (12 and under) in both game fish and non-game fish categories. Door prizes and cash awards will be presented.
Flower Show
Whether you have a green thumb or just like flowers, the seventh annual Rome
Rotary Canalfest, July 31, Aug. 1 and 2, is again featuring a nationally
accredited flower show, entitled Festival of Flowers 2009 -- "On the
Eer~I~ee Canal."
As the show did last year, horticulture will be all home grown by
exhibitors, and most of the designs will have garden grown flowers as well.
However, purchased flowers are acceptable for designs, which this year
express the Erie Canal theme -- "Buffalo Gals," "Low Bridge, Everybody Down"
and "A Long Silver Ribbon in Moonlight."
Local clubs eligible to participate include the Fort Stanwix Garden Club of
Rome, the Hillsboro Garden Club of Camden, Adirondack Forever Wild from the
Remsen area, the McConnellsville Garden Club and Kanata from the Poland
area.
Exhibits will be accepted by the National Garden Clubs' standards, and the
show will be judged by nationally accredited judges from District 5,
Federated Garden Clubs of NYS, Inc., from both Herkimer and Oneida counties
including Stephen Brown, Claude Boyle, Rosemary Gerace, Lin-Lin Yang Lin and
Jean Stanton.
The garden show is located in the boathouse adjacent to the canal at Bellamy
Harbor Park and is open throughout the three-day festival.
See Canalfest'08 Flower Show photos.
Karaoke Contest
Another change in offerings this summer is the popular karaoke contest. This year for the first time there will be two age groups competing -- 16 and under and 17 and up. And there will be cash prizes in both divisions -- $50, $25, $25 in the younger competition and $175, $150 and $75 for the older age group. The karaoke contest runs both days with finalists announced Sunday.
Student Art Show
The student art show is also back this year with a new theme. Art students from the Rome City School District will display their environmentally themed work, "Go Green," in the boathouse throughout the three-day festival. Inspired by a similar show at the Rome Art and Community Center, the student art will focus on recycling, artwork created from reused materials. "Using creative problem solving, the students developed a work of art that utilizes and promotes the reuse of items," says Amy VanMeter, RFA art teacher and art show coordinator. "Through this project, the students developed a greater sensitivity and consciousness toward environmental issues. With increased familiarity, we hope to promote increased community action in Rome's young people."