Get ready for the Groton Cabin Fever Festival

Among the well-established traditions in Groton is its annual Cabin Fever Festival, sponsored by the Groton Recreation Department (Groton Rec), which will be held this year on Saturday, March 2 from noon to 4 p.m.

Activities will take place in the Groton Jr./Sr. High School (GHS) gym, 400 Peru Rd., where there will be offerings for everyone of almost every age group. The event is free, as are all activities, but there will be vendors and organizations on site doing fundraisers. It’s a great way to gather with friends and family!

The festival was originally known as Winterfest, but the name was changed to Cabin Fever Festival in 2015, primarily because the winters around here just were no longer producing the weather needed for activities such as the dog sledding, snowman building, sleigh rides, sledding and other traditions Winterfest had offered. Judging by the winter we have had so far this year, we can all be grateful for that transition!

Following another tradition, Groton Rec will also be offering Rock-N-Skate roller skating in the gym from 6 to 8 p.m. that evening for $5 per person, which includes skate rental. 

“This year’s Cabin Fever features more community organizations such as Groton Youth Soccer, Groton Project and the Groton Public Library,” said Groton Rec’s director, Becky Koenig. “We are excited to have more hands-on activities for the kids this year from organizations such as the Johnson Museum, the Finger Lakes Toy Library and 4-H clubs.”

The Sweets and Treats 4-H Club will decorate sweet treats, and attendees may buy some to take home if they wish. The Botany Besties 4-H club will also be on site, as will the Little Bunny Foo Foo 4-H club with rabbit hopping demonstrations.

The 4-H clubs and the Finger Lakes Toy Library are new additions to the festival this year, as well as the Johnson Museum, which will offer art-making activities, and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which will have a bird exploration station.

“We will have everything from art projects to electric board building to rabbit hopping demonstrations,” Koenig said, “and we are bringing back laser tag [a new addition in 2023], as well as other favorites such as the bounce house, photo booth, face painting [by the Groton High School Art Club] and henna tattoos.”   

Other returning favorites will be DJ Kelly Davis, Cayuga Nature Center with educational displays, as well as a plethora of animals for all to see, touch and learn about during the day. The Sciencenter will have a spot set up with hands-on science activities. 

      

Many returning vendors will have tables on site, as well as some new ones. Tompkins Community Action will have a booth, along with Groton community organizations such as the GHS Parent-Teacher Organization, Groton Youth Soccer, Groton After-Prom Party Committee, Groton Public Library, Groton Project Running Club, Groton American Legion Carrington-Fuller Post 800, Groton Youth Services, Groton Scouts and Groton Girl Scouts.

In addition to all of those fabulous opportunities, Koenig said they have added more entertaining performances throughout the day.

Sir James the Balloon Artist will be ready to chase away the winter blues and make his amazing balloon creations for everyone — and maybe even perform a bit of magic — from noon to 3 p.m. The Kings Studio of Dance will be performing at 12:30 p.m., and at 1:30 p.m., some of the cast from this year’s Groton High School Drama Club’s musical, “Hello, Dolly!”, will give a sneak-peek snippet performance of what theatergoers can expect when this show hits the GCS stage March 14, 15 and 16 at 7 p.m. nightly.

“Our main performance will be the Lilypad Puppet Theater at 2 p.m.,” Koenig said, “and after the show, kids will be able to work with the performers and build their own puppets!”

All in all, Cabin Fever Festival just keeps getting bigger and better every year, offering a wonderful opportunity for just about anyone and everyone to have a great day and/or a fun and active evening of roller skating.

Koenig also highlighted some of Groton Rec’s other ongoing and upcoming events, such as adult pick-up volleyball, which is open to all abilities and takes place on Monday nights from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Groton High School gym.

Youth volleyball begins in March, and Groton Rec plans to run a youth volleyball clinic for fifth- through eighth-grade students, which will begin March 11. More details will be coming soon, and the best way to learn more is to keep an eye on facebook.com/GrotonRecreation.

And it’s never too soon to start thinking about summer. Groton Rec, in partnership with the 21st Century Grant, will offer a free lifeguard course at Dryden High School for Groton residents Friday, April 5 from 5 to 7 p.m. and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, March 6 and 7. Participants must be 15 years of age at the time of the course. Those who complete the certification are eligible to work at the Groton Memorial Park Pool this summer.

“We will be posting lifeguard positions soon,” Koenig said. “I would also like the community to know there is a new website: grotonnyrecreation.com. We are moving to new registration software. Please take a moment to visit our site and set up an account. If you have any questions, please email recreation@grotonny.org. Summer is coming. If you have an idea for a summer camp, please reach out. We are always open to new programs.”    

Groton on the Inside appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Submit story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com or text or call Linda at 607-227-4922. 

In brief:

CTE students flourish at SkillsUSA

The Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES Career and Technical Education Center (CTE) proudly sent 42 students, representing 11 CTE programs and all of its component school districts, to the SkillsUSA competition at SUNY Morrisville — 15 of whom earned trophies. Groton Jr./Sr. High School students represented well, with five of the 15 trophy winners.

Emily Cargian, Culinary Arts, took first place in Baking & Pastry Arts; Nicholas Hall, Welding, was awarded first place in Employment Application Process Basic; Cayden Dryja, Heavy Equipment, won first place in Small Engine Repair Basic; and Chris Welch, Auto Technology, placed third in Auto Service Technology Basic.

Kairi Adsitt, Public Safety, was part of a team with Emily McNeil of Lansing Central School that garnered second place in Crime Scene Investigation. It is notable that this contest is typically a team of three students, yet these two girls still won!

The other students from TST who took home trophies are Keara Armstrong, Auto Body, second place in Collision Repair Technology; Teija Kimball, Nurse Assisting and Health Occupations, third place in Medical Math; Gray Larson, Digital Media, third place in Pin Design. All of these students are from Lansing High School.

Geoff Helms, Construction Trades (Ithaca High School), third place in Carpentry; Drew Truesdail, Heavy Equipment (Newfield High School), third place in Heavy Equipment Operation; Anthony DeMarco, Public Safety (South Seneca High School), third place in Criminal Justice; Alex Quagliata, Auto Body (South Seneca High School), first place in Collision Repair Technology.  

Taking first place in Television (Video) Production (team of 2) were August Doria (LACS) and Erin Burton (Trumansburg High School), both Digital Media students.

Groton Community Cupboard afghan raffle

To benefit the Groton Community Cupboard (GCC), one of its volunteers, Mary, made a beautiful afghan to be raffled off for one lucky winner. Tickets may be purchased any time the pantry is open for $1 each or six for $5. The drawing will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 29. Hours for the GCC, 122 Spring St., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays, 1 to 3:30 p.m. Mondays and 5 to 6 p.m. Thursdays.

Need a place to deposit those empty holiday cans and bottles? Just a reminder that the GCC collects bottles and cans for recycling and supporting the pantry. Drop them off any time. The enclosed cage for the bottles and cans is right outside the building.

Tri Game-A-Thon at the Legion

Groton American Legion Post 800 will host a Tri Game-A-Thon with darts, cornhole and bowling at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24. Mixed doubles only at $25 per team. Sign-up is available at the Legion. For questions, contact Bill Austen at 607-280-5488 or Sue Austen at 607-765-8263.