Event features over 100 vendors of New York Products, five bands; proceeds to benefit Watertown Urban Mission’s Meals on Wheels, delivering meals to your neighbors in need
The sixth annual “Made in New York Festival” will be held July 2 at Madison Barracks in Sackets Harbor. The festival organizers announce the presenting sponsor for this year’s festival event is Lake Ontario Realty. In addition, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets will once again partner with this year’s festival event through its Taste New York initiative. This year’s one-day festival event will also showcase six bands from across the state, as well as a national recording artist, and a new and expanded children’s playground.
“We couldn’t be more pleased to have so much support from the many sponsors, the community and everyone who volunteer their time to make this event such a success,” said Donna White, program director for Meals on Wheels at the Watertown Urban Mission. “We have all worked hard building this festival event from scratch and it just keeps getting bigger and better every year. This festival has done so much for Meals on Wheels and we are so grateful to see the community come together to not only support this much needed Watertown Urban Mission program, but also to celebrate New York State businesses.”
The Made in New York festival event will showcase over one hundred top-notch New York State agricultural, farm and home-based businesses. Vendors will drive from as far away as Forestville, south of Buffalo, Poughkeepsie, Albany, and Saratoga. Music has always played a large role in this festival and this year is no different. The event on Saturday, July 2 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the historic Lake Front Grounds of Madison Barracks will feature four bands from across the state and the national touring artist Tyler Bryant and the Shakedown.
“This is our sixth annual event and is going to be a great fun filled day to come out and enjoy some local New York products and great entertainment,” said Mike Campbell, event organizer. “We hope you will come bring your family and join the thousands of people who come every year to support New York’s homegrown businesses, and give back to a much-needed program of the Watertown Urban Mission that delivers food to people in need.”
The children’s playground will be significantly larger this year, with inflatable slides, bounce houses, a 26-foot climbing wall and the Euro-bungee ride. The number of food concessions has expanded as well, providing a variety of different menus. Other customer services that will be available are free shuttle service to and from Watertown, package check, parking lot shuttle carts, first aid center and professional event staff.
The free shuttle is compliments of Clarence Henry Coach and will run every hour starting at 10:30 a.m. from the Ramada Inn, Fairfield Inn & Suites and Holiday Inn Express in Watertown to the Madison Barracks, Sackets Harbor festival grounds and then from the festival back to the hotels! This free and safe service is a great way to get to and from the festival.
Advance tickets will be available at area wide Kinney Drug stores. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the gate. Active duty military, retired military and veterans will have the discounted ticket price of $10 at the gate. Children and young adults under the age of 16 are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Tickets can also be purchased online from the festival website, www.madeinnny.com.
The Meals on Wheels program delivers quality, nutritionally balanced meals to people who are largely shut in their homes and at risk of hunger. By providing a warm meal for lunch, a bagged meal for dinner, and a daily visit, the program, and its volunteer drivers make a direct impact on the lives of your neighbors in need. The local program depends on community donations and volunteer support to ensure low-cost preparation and delivery of more than 3,000 nutritious and delicious meals each month. It is one of seven programs at the Watertown Urban Mission, which collectively help individuals and families in need with food, drink, clothing, household goods, housing, prescription costs, medical transportation costs, overcoming addiction and more. In 2015, the Mission helped neighbors in need from throughout Jefferson County more than 35,000 times.
For more information on the festival and a complete list of vendors, bands and the full list of sponsors, visit www.madeinny.com.