Covered Bridge fest coming to Newfield

The Covered Bridge Fall Festival will return after last year’s inaugural event was well received.

Rob Jordan, owner of the Covered Bridge Market & Pizzeria, and town resident Cassaundra Quinn are the festival’s organizers.

“It was an enjoyable experience last year,” Quinn said. “It was a good time for everyone who attended.”

The festival was put together after Jordan witnessed a dance show within the covered bridge off Main Street.

“Rob really enjoyed bringing the community together for that [previous event], so he wanted to do something more,” Quinn said in the past.

The second annual Covered Bridge Fall Festival is Oct. 11 from 11 a.m to 5 p.m., in the same location as last year.

Aside from town residents, Quinn is hoping the festival will attract out-of-towners to give “a community sense of involvement.”

“It’s just a positive fall event to get the kids out and the family out and get the town to mingle,” Quinn said. “Our mission is to try and give the community another positive event [for]some positive interaction and some neighborly bonding.”

This year’s festival will include up to 25 vendors, including direct sales people, a lemonade stand, booths with baked goods and more. Covered Bridge Market & Pizzeria and Newfield Lions Club will also be making food.

Last year’s festival had a pumpkin-carving contest. This year, Quinn said, it will be a costume contest.

“We’re encouraging everyone to wear their [Halloween] costume to the event, just so we can make it kind of fun,” Quinn added, noting that various categories will include best dressed and best theme.

Local bands 90 Proof and Sleeping Dogs will play music throughout the duration of the festival. The music this year will be on the bridge.

“Have everyone come out, dressed in costume or not, and have a good time,” Quinn said. “We’re looking forward to feedback this year, so we can continue to build from there to make it a great annual event.”

Quinn said that no cars will go through the festival, as organizers will provide a safe environment for the community to enjoy.

“We’ve obtained authorization to shut the bridge down and the road for the portion of time that we will be utilizing the space,” she said. “It will be like a block party.”

Vendors can sign up for the festival at newfieldpubliclibrary.org.

In brief:

Presentation on forests, farms and floods is Sept. 18

Newfield Public Library will welcome Harry Greene of Propagate for a presentation and discussion about forests, farms and floods on Sept. 18 at 6 p.m.

The library provided some background on Greene’s presentation: “How can we grow good food while reducing flood risk? Yards, farms, pastures, and roads all affect the creeks and lakes downstream. Every few years, Tompkins County experiences extreme rain and flash flooding, and almost every year we’re faced with challenging water quality in Cayuga Lake. Can the landscapes that grow our food also catch runoff and slow stormwater? Agroforestry is the intentional integration of trees and farming. It scales up to production agriculture, and it scales down to our backyards. Trees hold onto soil and absorb intense rains, but are they profitable for farms and society?”

For more information, go to newfieldpubliclibrary.org.

Beef roast scheduled for Sept. 20

The Newfield Rod & Gun Club will host a beef roast on Sept. 20 from 1 to 5 p.m. at 156 Stark Rd.

The meal includes all the fixings, and beverages will be for sale. The trap field will be open at a cost.

The cost is $25 per ticket. Tickets can be purchased at the club or by calling 607-220-9702.

Clay, straw and stone presentation slated for Sept. 24

Matteo Lundgren, founder of Cob Therapy in Ithaca, will give a talk on local and natural building materials on Sept. 24 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Newfield Public Library.

Lundgren will discuss materials — clay, sand, straw and stone — for “building healthy and beautiful structures,” according to a description.

For more information, go to newfieldpubliclibrary.org or cobtherapy.com. 

Upcoming Newfield BOE meetings

The Newfield Board of Education is scheduled to meet on Sept. 18 and Oct. 9 and 23, each time at 6:30 p.m. at the Weaver Conference Room on the second floor of the elementary school at 247 Main St. in Newfield. 

The public is invited to attend. For more information, contact district clerk Lori Owens at lowens@newfieldschools.org. Meeting agendas are available at newfieldschools.org.

Read to dogs at the library

Newfield Public Library has scheduled events where patrons can read to dogs.

Events will be held on the first Wednesday of each month. The dates include Oct. 1 and Nov. 5. Each event begins at 3:30 p.m.

The event is an opportunity for children to read to volunteer therapy dogs. The library invites the public to read with dogs from Cornell Canine Companions, an all-volunteer organization sponsored by the Cornell University Veterinary College.

For more information, go to newfieldpubliclibrary.org.