Thursday, April 14, 2011

Oswego NY Harborfest



It's been quite a while since I've been back to my alma mater, SUNY Oswego.  For those unfamiliar, that's the State University of NY College at Oswego.  My college roommate and best friend Tim and I took our wives to Harborfest in 2002 to help them experience the joy that is Oswego. College was Legen...wait for it...dary!  Oswego NY was known for being in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most bars per square mile, or at least that's what everybody says.  I've never actually seen that in writing, but when searching I found that some sites still do mention that, but couldn't find anything on the Guinness Record site about bars.  It will remain a mystery, but bottom line is that there certainly was a bunch o' bars and good times were had by all!

Every summer Oswego hosts their annual Harborfest, which is a weekend long party with tons of bands, lots of drinking and ummm...I think that's about it!  ;)  This year Harborfest has Barenaked Ladies as the headlining band, with Frostbit Blue for the opener!  Two of my favorite bands from when we were back in college at Oswego.

Frostbit Blue is a local Oswego band that has been rockin since the early 90s in the Western NY area.  They are really good, we had some great times watching them and they're still doing their thing, so that has to say something!  I still play their CDs all the time.  Barenaked Ladies lost their frontman Steven Page to a solo career, but they're still good and to have them on the same stage as Frostbit Blue and to have them both at Harborfest may just be too hard to pass up.

Accomodations for Harborfest are provided to Alumni in the Hart Hall dorm this year, which is the building we looked at outside our Funnelle Hall dorm room window for 4 years.  Yes, we stayed in the dorms for 4 years and loved every minute of it.  It was so convenient to be in the dorms right in the center of campus, with our dining hall and fitness center connected directly to it.  Tim and I both loved college so much we hung around for an extra degree.

We both graduated with an Accounting degree in 1994 and I really wasn't into Accounting, but really was into computers and I had worked for the computer center for 3 years and worked my way up, so I hung around for another year and a half and got a degree in Information Technology in 96 and couldn't be happier.  Tim went on to get his Masters and we both sadly departed college in 96. 

But I digress, as I seem to do often....This year Harborfest also has the Little River Band on Thursday, Kansas on Friday and then the 2 main bands take the stage Saturday night, followed by a huge fireworks display.  How can you go wrong with 'Lonesome Loser' and 'Carry on my Wayward Son'?!  There are a bunch of other bands at various stages all around town throughout the weekend and at the various bars around town.   It's always a good time.

I posted the info on my Facebook page and so far got a few comments from some fellow Oswegonians that sound interested, but many are also far away from the land of Oz like me.  I sent the feelers out to Tim via email to see if he's up for the challenge.  If so I might have to make the trip up there for the weekend in July!

Have you ever been to Harborfest?  Plan to go this year?  Looks like this might be the year to do it up....

2 comments :

Jen said...

It sounds like a really good time, I have never been able to enjoy the sites of Oswego since I was 7-13 years old at the time. I do remember your lovely (not) dorms though. Wish it was happening closer to when I was in town.

Mock family said...

yeah sounds like fun!! college is fun, let's all go back :)

 
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