Weather Consolidates Renewed Festival at Vosburg Neck

Families mingle on the grounds of the Vosburg Neck Festival and Pow Wow (top) on Saturday afternoon where, even when it was raining, there was something to do. (Above, from left) Jason and Haiden Helvig of Lawton and Claire Custred and Lisa Bangs of Freeland make fiber wall hangings from lost and found materials under the direction of Endless Mountains Nature Center volunteer Sarah White (not pictured).

Photos and Story by Rick Hiduk

Intermittent showers did not keep hundreds of people from enjoying the Vosburg Neck Festival and Pow Wow this past weekend. Each time the sun returned, families got back out of their vehicles and from under temporary shelters and resumed their activities.

May 6 and 7 marked the return of the festival after a 10 year hiatus. In the meantime, the event had been replaced by the Bluebells Festival, as the blossoming of tens of thousands of the native flower generally coincides with the first weekend of May.

Luckily, there was so much to do and take in at Camp Lackawanna this weekend that few people noticed that the bluebells had come and gone during a recent stretch of warm weather. It was enough to wear some kids out, as well as the adults trying to keep up with them.

On Saturday and Sunday, parents took in some shopping of primarily nature-based products and other services, while children ran through a bounce castle obstacle course, made friends with some rescued animals, and danced with Native American instructors as part of the Pow Wow. There was also plenty to eat.

The people who attended the festival and all the volunteers enjoyed themselves, despite the rain,” said Rebecca Lesko of the Endless Mountains Nature Center. She and EMNC volunteers moved their activities from what was to be the “lower village” to the field behind Camp Lackawanna’s Merrill Lodge due to wetness of the grounds below.

The Kitson Arts Alliance partnered with EMNC this year to help expand the two-day event, and the Friends of the Howland Preserve kept the action going on Saturday evening with the Breaking Ground Poets Season Finale Slam slam and live music in the draft horse barn at the Howland Preserve.

It was a packed house, and the poetry was very moving,” entertainment coordinator Ali Wilson said of the poetry slam.

Spoken word was just one of many art forms and traditional crafts exhibited during the event.

Many folks enjoyed Cheryl Korbs folk art painting,” Patrick Robinson of the Kitson Arts Alliance related. “We had many sales of her work.”

While the inclement weather may have impacted the turnout, workers and heartier souls prevailed to ensure that those who participated had a great time. Organizers took note of what elements of the Festival worked best and are already planning for next year.

We received very positive comments from both the vendors and the attendees,” noted Dan Tompkins of the the Kitson Arts Alliance. “The stage has been set for the Vosburg Neck Festival to now continue as a popular annual community event for our area.”

The Howland Preserve is open year-round, while the Endless Mountains Nature Center at Camp Lackawanna conducts scheduled classes and hosts events throughout the year. Interested readers may keep tabs on their schedule on Facebook or at www.endlessnature.org.

Additional photos:

Jessica Exley of Endless Dreams Animals garnered lots of attention with her friend, Cocoa, a Moluccan cockatoo.

Endless Dreams Animals also brought rescued animals to the Festival that sisters Lila (left) and Ava Newman of Falls enjoyed petting and feeding.

Children rally for the Candy Dance, one of many segments of the Native American Pow-Wow geared toward family members.

A boy pops out of the exit of an obstacle course set up by Bounce House Rentals.

Submitted Photo

Poetry Slam winner Mason Crawford presenting director Katie Wisnosky with flowers at the end of the competition on Saturday evening.

 

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