By James Hawthorne
As summertime hits the Rochester area, residents and visitors start exploring the outdoors, looking for ideas to offer excitement and entertainment. In the month of June, these people do not have to look very hard, as a week-long celebration in the second half of the month transforms the city. Rochesterfest is a citywide celebration of Rochester. Over 40 local businesses and organizations make the community event possible by sponsoring countless activities that offer entertainment and fun.
In 2008, Rochesterfest celebrated its 26th year of existence. The annual event brings with it a variety of food vendors, concerts, and family activities. Although the schedule varies somewhat each year, there are a number of favorite events that occur almost every time:
- Food Vendors: Civic Center Drive in downtown Rochester is closed for the week as food vendors from throughout the area come and set up shop. The event is both a popular lunchtime and dinner hangout during the week. Noontime and evening entertainment is provided as well.
- Annual Midwestern Lumberjack Championships: One of the most popular events of the week, contenders from around the world arrive to compete in various lumberjack events for cash prizes. 2008 marked the 13th year for the event.
- Oakwood Cemetery Walk: Although it may sound eerie, the cemetery walk involves taking a tour of the cemetery while learning about the people who are buried there. Actors stand by certain gravesites acting as the people in the graves, educating others about their lives.
- Teen Night: The youth of Rochester are not overlooked during Rochesterfest. A night of live bands, skateboarding, climbing, ultimate frisbee, and other events will provide teens with entertainment specifically aimed at them. Teenagers in Rochester notice this, and their attendance to this event shows how grateful they are.
- Theme Nights: In addition to Teen Night, other nights throughout the week are given other themes. One night is dedicated to Family Fun, offering beanbag toss, sack races, train rides, demonstrations by the Fire Department, and many other family events. Another popular event is Country Night, where people can enjoy country music and dancing throughout the evening. A night of dancing to a wider variety of music occurs another night of the week with the Street Dance.
- Home Federal Plane Pull for March of Dimes: At the Rochester International Airport, a game of tug'o'war with a 166,000 pound jet takes place. With a donation to the March of Dimes, 20 person teams compete in pulling a plane 12 feet in the fastest time.
- Country Breakfast on the Farm: 2008 marks the 21st year of the Country Breakfast on the Farm. Families head to a nearby farm bright and early to enjoy a pancake breakfast, horse drawn wagon rides, a petting zoo, and educational displays.
- Treasure Hunt: Sponsored by a local business, clues are released every day of the week leading treasure seekers to the prize. The person who successfully deciphers the clues and finds the treasure, a Rochesterfest medallion hidden somewhere in the city of Rochester on public property, will receive a cash prize. In 2008, the reward was five hundred dollars.
- Grand Parade: On Friday evening, the Grand Parade steps off with over 100 units. The event is traditionally put on by the Ambassadors from Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce.
- Mayor's Cup Hot Air Balloon Race: Pilots come to Rochester with hot air balloons in tow to compete in this annual race. New in 2008, the pilots also now perform a moonglow, which inflating the balloons and dusk, creating a giant light bulb effect.
- A number of other events also occur during the week, including a co-ed Volleyball Tournament, Frisbee Dog Championships, A Million Dollar Hole-In-One Golf Shootout, a book sale sponsored by Friends of the Library, a water ski show, and an annual sandcastle making contest.
In order to make the most out of the week, the city offers Rochesterfest Buttons. For a small fee, the Button offers many great deals and discounts throughout the week of Rochesterfest, including cheaper admission to many of the events and discounts from a number of local businesses.
Rochesterfest is truly a great week in which the residents and visitors of Rochester come together to enjoy life. The daily and nightly events capture the attention of nearly the entire city, and offer people of any age the chance to enjoy themselves with an evening of excitement and entertainment.
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