The Owego Strawberry Festival Parade!

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2011

Come hear us (or march with us!) at the Owego Strawberry Festival Parade!
Fiddles, guitars, mandolins, all welcome.

Line up for the parade is 9:10 a.m. See details below. The parade runs one hour, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am.

THE TUNES:
We'll be playing some simple tunes as we march. Click on the titles below for sheet music. All tunes must be by heart.

Berentanz

Egan's Polka

Mairi's Wedding

Old Joe Clark

Scotland the Brave in D

TIPS:

• The most important thing about marching in a parade is to keep our rhythm together. No rushing the beat! It helps to stay as closely grouped as possible, so that we can hear each other. I'm hoping to have a drum player along to keep us together.
  
• Getting a little tired ? Take a little break from playing, but keep a smile on your face as you march along. There will be enough of us playing to keep the tunes going.
  
• Remember to wear sunscreen, and you might want to have a hat!
  
• NOTE: We will be judged as we pass the gazebo on Court House Square. Let's play with lots of energy and big smiles!

LINE UP TIME AND PLACE

We have been assigned to Division 3, Unit 7.

We line up on Temple Street, East of Spencer Avenue. Please plan to arrive at the line up area by 9:10 to tune up. Allow yourself extra time for parking and to get to the line up area. We must be in line as a group by 9:30 or we'll lose our spot.

NOTE: You may want to have someone designated to hang onto your case for you during the parade, or leave it in your car if your car is close by, as there isn't anywhere to leave the cases at the parade site.

PARKING

ALLOW EXTRA TIME FOR PARKING. According to the parade instruction sheet, vehicles may be left on Franklin, Chestnut, or Temple Streets. Please note that parking is tight! You may want to park in one of the lots with a shuttle.

Here are the official notes on parking shuttles for the festival:

Parking (includes handicap shuttles) is available at Tops Parking Lot (Exit 65) and Marvin Park (Tioga County Fairgrounds, Rt. 17C West - Exit 64). Cost to ride the shuttle from the above Parks is $3/car.  First bus to pick up people is at 8:00 and last bus to leave downtown is at 6:00 p.m.  There are also parking lots downtown and any side streets available for parking.  Click here for a map of other parking areas.  The downtown area is closed to traffic from early morning through the conclusion of the festival.  This includes lower North Avenue, the adjoining portion of Main Street, Lake Street, Church Street, between Main and Front Streets, Front and Court Street.  The Court Street Bridge and Park Street (will become 2-way) will remain open.

WHAT TO WEAR:
Both the Toast n' Jammers, our kids fiddle tune group, and Fiddlin's Fun, the adult fiddle jam group, will be participating in the parade.

The Toast n' Jammers will be wearing their light blue group t-shirts. Fiddlin's Fun folks, try to wear something red if possible. (If not, don't worry, come as you are!)

WHAT ABOUT RAIN?
Unless it's pouring rain that morning, we will participate. If it's cloudy, I recommend keeping a couple of plastic trash bags in your pocket to cover your instrument incase it begins to sprinkle. We'll have kazoos available as a backup!

REHEARSAL:

Fiddlin's Fun will have a short rehearsal at the May 27th Fiddlin's Fun jam at the Unitarian Church, Riverside Drive, Binghamton. The jam runs 7:30 - 10:00 pm..

The Toast n' Jammers will have a short rehearsal during their regular jam session at Your Home Public Library, Johnson City,on June 11th. The jam runs 10:30 am - 12:30.