City Releases Schedule For Sunday’s Labor Day Festival

The Greater Jamestown Labor Day Festival is a community celebration designed to honor the labor force of the city and surrounding area, widely recognized as the very best in the nation. All money raised is used to directly pay for festival activities and support the host of nonprofit community service agencies who participate.

Committee organizers are recommending that festival participants get to the park early enough to reserve a prime location on the lawn in front of the main stage in order to be in the middle of the fireworks show by Zambelli Fireworks Internationale, which begins when the final band, Two For Flinching, finishes its performance around 8:30 p.m.

“Get to Bergman Park early Sunday, Sept. 4. Pick your spot on the lawn in front of the main stage. Get some food. Visit the vendors and crafters. Take the kids to play some games. Then enjoy the biggest fireworks display the region has to offer. The only way is to be right in the middle of all the action,” said Mayor Sam Teresi.

People parking their cars at Bergman Park will receive a ticket to enter into a drawing at the information booth for a chance to win a $100 Visa Gift card that is being sponsored by Ahlstrom Schaeffer Electric Corporation. Ahlstrom Schaeffer provides electrical services for industrial, commercial, institutional and construction businesses. There will also be two chances to win a season ticket for the Jamestown Jammers. Parking is $5. The prize drawing will take place at on the main stage just prior to the fireworks show.

Live music begins at noon and will be featured on two stages. The lineup includes:

MAIN STAGE

12:30-2 p.m. – The Bogarts;

2:30-4 p.m. – TPT;

5-6:30 p.m. – We Speak Canadian; and

7-8:30 p.m. – Two For Flinching.

SECOND STAGE

Noon-1 p.m. – Jamestown Harmony Express;

1:30-2:30 p.m. – Razz & the JCC Jazz Band, featuring vocalist Victoria McIlvain;

3-4 p.m. – Davis & Eng; and

5-6 p.m. – No Limit.

The food court opens at noon with all profits from the concessions benefiting nonprofit organizations in the Greater Jamestown Area.

The Bush School PTA will have a booth selling curly fries, philly cheese steak and fresh-squeezed lemonade; the Greater Jamestown Labor Day Fest booth, staffed by the Game Time Sports Bar, will have pulled pork and beer and wine; the Jamestown Babe Ruth World Series Committee booth will have Italian sausage, fried dough and pizza; the Jamestown Harmony Express booth will have ice cream; the Jamestown Community College men’s baseball team will sell hamburgers and cheeseburgers; the JCC men’s basketball team will sell hot dogs; the Jamestown High School marching band will sell pies and coffee; Little Angels of Honduras will sell kettle corn; Mt. Moriah Lodge 145 will sell sno-cones, popcorn, and nachos; the Sertoma Club of Jamestown will sell cotton candy, candy apples, slushies, hot pretzels, taffy, chicken fingers and onion rings; the Sons of Amvets Post 726 will have a chicken barbecue and the IBEW will sell water to benefit the United Way of Southern Chautauqua County.

All organizations will be selling Pepsi products. In addition, there will be a wine and beer dining tent sponsored by Game Time Sports Bar & Grill for attendees 21 and older.

New this year will be the “Bergman Brawl” wrestling event presented by Southern Tier Wrestling from 1-3 p.m. on the Babe Ruth Baseball Field. This will be a free event.

There will also be a cheerleading demonstration by XPlosion All-Stars at 3:30 p.m. on the Danielson Softball Field.

Chautauqua Striders will hold the annual Dan Feather Memorial 5k Run/Walk at 9:30 a.m. with registration starting at 8 a.m.

The Arts and Crafts fair begins at 11 a.m. and will feature more than 20 vendors from all over Western New York and some vendors from Pennsylvania. All vendors are required to sell hand-made items.

Free Pepsi Bingo games will take place in the main pavilion starting at noon. Free children’s carnival games including a bounce house by Eventz by Scott will start at 2 p.m.

The Jamestown Area Central Labor Council AFL-CIO will present a deserving member of the area workforce the George Ritzer Labor Award at 4 p.m. on the main stage. David B. Arthur Chapter 865-Vietnam Veterans will be doing the opening ceremony for the award.

The Greater Jamestown Labor Day Festival, as it takes place on city property, is a tobacco-free event by law. All tobacco products including chewing tobacco and e-cigarettes, are prohibited. The use of private fireworks and sparklers are prohibited in the city of Jamestown and, thus, the Labor Day Festival. Pet owners are advised to leave their pets at home for both their safety and the safety of others.

Sponsors of the Labor Day Festival include the city of Jamestown, Media One Group, Ahlstrom-Schaeffer, Pepsi of Jamestown, IBEW Local 106 and Jamestown Area Central Labor Council AFL-CIO.

For more details on Festival events, visit the city’s website at jamestownny.net or call the Parks Department at 483-7523.

Original article by The Post-Journal.