Entertainment at Pumpkinfest 2009
A full weekend of entertainment will be scheduled at Pumpkinfest 2009. Thank you to Tompkins Trust for sponsoring our 2009 entertainment.
Saturday, October 3
11 am - 12 noon, Mohawk Valley Frasers Pipe Band
The Mohawk Valley Frasers march all over New York State, for festivals, graduations, Highland games, parades and other events. For more information visit the Mohawk Valley Frasers web site.
12:30 - 2 pm, Ithaca Dixieland Band
The Ithaca New Orleans Dixieland Band plays a variety of Dixieland music including music made famous by Louis Armstrong, Pete Fountain, King Oliver and more. The band has a combined musical history of hundreds of years of individual playing experience in a wide variety of musical styles and these seasoned players have come together as the Ithaca New Orleans Dixieland Band to offer Dixieland music, some of the Happiest Music on the planet. For more information visit Ithaca Dixieland web site.
2 - 3 pm, The Catskill Puppet Theatre
Presenting "The Lions Whiskers." Their full sets, colorful scenery and large, beautiful puppets transform even the simplest environment into a fantasy world rich with wonder and excitement! For more information visit the Catskill Puppet Theatre web site.
3 - 4:30 pm, Ageless Jazz Band
The Ageless Jazz Band is a popular dance band featuring music ranging from classic swing to Latin jazz with a sophisticated, lively style. The band includes a full compliment of saxophones, trumpets, and trombones, a swinging rhythm section and sizzling vocals. Performing the legendary tunes of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Glenn Miller and other giants of Big Band Jazz, their music is timeless and loved by dancers and music lovers of all ages.
For the last ten years, the Ageless Jazz Band has been entertaining jazz fans from all over the world on the Caribbean island of Aruba. They've been featured on radio shows, in newspaper and magazine articles, and on the CBS This Morning program! For more information visit the Ageless Jazz Band web site.
Sunday, October 4
1 - 2:30 pm, The Stoutmen
The Stoutmen are an Irish folk quartet in the Binghamton area of upstate NY. Their strong, straightforward singing of traditional songs in the style of the Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem, Dubliners, and Wolfe Tones is a great fit for the festival. With a great mix of powerful rebel songs, jovial drinking songs, toe-tapping reels and beautiful Irish ballads, The Stoutmen portray Ireland’s past and present in vocal harmony and colorful arrangements. For more information visit the Stoutmen web site.
3 - 4:30 pm, The Old Timers Band
The Cortland Old Timers Band, under the direction of Donna Yacavone, is in its 42nd year of concert performances in Central New York. Organized in 1967 by John Discenza and Phil Natoli, the band continues to attract both young and seasoned musicians from the Cortland area, an area that abounds with musical talent and generations of community-band heritage.
The Old Timers Band traces its heritage back over 150 years, when military and industrial bands were popular in the Cortland area, with its predecessor taking shape in 1911 as the Mascagni Italian Band, organized by Frank Crisara. Then, performing for several years at the St Anthony’s Band (1925-34) and the Cortland Civic Band (1936-54), the musicians found a special appeal in the Italian community and its La Festa celebrations.
Today, the band boasts over 60 volunteer members, ranging in age from 16 to 87, who strive to enrich the Cortland community, and future generations, with their passion for big-band performances. Their concert selections include traditional marches, overtures, patriotic songs, popular Broadway hits and folk music.
