Margaretville Field Days kick off July 4th events

Jun. 27—Margaretville Fire Department's annual Fourth of July Field Days kick off a busy week of carnivals, parades and fireworks leading up to and beyond the July 4th holiday Tuesday.

Margaretville's field days begin Thursday, June 29, and run until Tuesday, July 4. There will be fireworks Saturday and Tuesday nights.

According to the schedule, carnival rides open at 6 p.m. June 29, and 30, and July 3, and at 1 p.m. July 1, 2, and 4.

The annual car show will start at 6 p.m. Friday and there will also be a live performance by Randy Hulse Sr. from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday.

Saturday's schedule is: from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. WRIP Radio broadcast from the fairgrounds; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. the fire department's chicken barbecue; from 1 to 6 p.m. pay-one-price rides, $25; from 6 to 10 p.m. local cidery and beer tent with Awestruck Ciders and Catskill Brewery; from 6-10:30 p.m. DJ Greg will spin tunes and 9:30 p.m. fireworks.

This year, the chicken barbecues were named the Bill Bliss Memorial Barbecue in memory of Bliss, who created the sauce for the chicken, Margaretville Fire Department President Don Bramley said.

In addition to rides offered Sunday, July 2, Country Express will perform from 4 to 8 p.m.

Fireworks will cap off a full day of activities on July 4. The department will hold another chicken barbecue at noon. Rides will open at 1 p.m. with pay-one-price rides until 6 p.m. The cider and beer tent from 6 to 10 p.m. will feature Rockland Cider Works and Woodstock Brewery. Roundhouse Rockers are scheduled to perform from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. and the winner of the George Hendricks Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund raffle drawing will be announced following the fireworks display.

Admission to the fairgrounds, in the Margaretville Village Park behind Freshtown supermarket, is free, but there will be a free will donation box on fireworks nights to help cover the cost.

Other festivals, special events and fireworks will be held throughout the region in honor of Independence Day.

June 30 and July 1

East Branch Firemen's Field Days held at Humble Park along O & W Road in East Branch. The East Branch Fire Department will celebrate its 100th anniversary Friday and Saturday. Hours for the festival are 5 to 11 p.m. June 30, and from noon to 11 p.m., July 1. There will be fireworks both nights, softball tournament, live bands, all kinds of food for sale, bounce houses, games, face painting a parade at 6 p.m. Saturday and vendors.

July 1

Fireworks will be launched at dusk from Fairy Spring Park, and may best be watched from Lake Front Park or the Otesaga Hotel in Cooperstown. There will also be a performance by the Cooperstown Community Band at Lakefront Park in Cooperstown.

July 3

The Canadarago Lake Recreation Committee will have a fireworks display over the lake at dark.

The Davenport, East Meredith and Pindars Corners fire departments will have fireworks at dusk at Gersters Trucking along state Route 23 in Davenport. New this year the Delsego 4-H Club will be selling ice cream and ice pops as a fund raiser for their group.

July 4

Gilbertsville American Legion Post 1339 will host the annual July 4 parade in Gilbertsville at 9 a.m. Line up will be at the Old School and march up the Commercial Street business block and around the block back to the school. Come line the streets of Gilbertsville to support marchers, fire trucks, organizations and see antique cars etc. The Gilbertsville Baptist Church will have its annual bake sale on the front lawn of the church at 9 a.m.

The Farmers' Museum at 5775 State Route 80, just outside Cooperstown, will host an Independence Day Celebration. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., attendees may see how July 4th was celebrated in the 1840s, including a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence at noon followed by 13 celebratory toasts using lemonade made from an 1840s recipe.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame at 25 Main St. in Cooperstown will celebrate Independence Day and Hall of Fame member Lou Gehrig, who gave his farewell speech on July 4, 1939. The day will include a plaque gallery tour at 10:30 a.m., artifact spotlight at 11:30 a.m., a guided tour about Gehrig at 1:30 p.m., an artifact spotlight of Larry Doby and Don Sutton at 2:30 p.m. and a trivia challenge at 3:30 p.m.

Springfield's July 4th parade will begin at 11 a.m. Monday. The theme of this year's parade is "Salute to Lady Liberty." Fred Culbert is this year's grand marshal. Following the parade, there will be a celebration will be held at the Springfield Community Center with music by the Camden Continentals Fife and Drum Corp and the Cooperstown Community Band, food and drink, the Historical Society open house, a Revolutionary War Era exhibit by the Fort Plain Museum, farm animals, and charity raffles.

Hometown Fourth of July parade at 1 p.m. down Main Street, Oneonta. Followed by activities at Neahwa Park and fireworks at dusk. Rain date, July 5.

The Oneonta-based Catskill Conservatory will host its 26th Quiet Concert for the Fourth and potluck supper at 4 p.m. at Windfall Dutch Barn in Salt Springville. Performing will be Johana Arnold, Kim Paterson, Carleton Clay, Sam Aldridge, Rich Mollin, Steve Gorn and Arianne Ajakh. For more information, call 607-263-5230. The GPS location is 2009 Clinton Road in Fort Plain.

Fireworks over the Fairgrounds featuring New York Hot Farm Pulling Series will begin at 4 p.m. at the Chenango County Fairgrounds at East Main Street in Norwich. Tickets are $15 and include the tractor pull, live music by Jason Wicks and Sundown and fireworks at dusk. Food will also be available.

On the evening of the 4th, a free concert by Council Rock Band will take place at Glimmerglass State Park starting at 7:30 p.m., and will be followed by a display of fireworks at dusk.

Fourth of July Parade and Fireworks in Cobleskill. Parade will start at 6 p.m. at Campus Drive and march to the fairgrounds. No activities at the fairgrounds. Fireworks will start around 9:30 p.m. from the hill behind Price Chopper. For more information email cobleskill4ofjulyparade@gmail.com.

Delhi will have fireworks Friday night at dusk as part of its Fair on the Square celebration.

Vicky Klukkert, staff writer, can be reached at vklukkert@thedailystar.com or 607-441-7221.