Welcome to Good News York sponsored by ads on
the go get ads on the go dot com like we're gonna
see flying solo today But I'm with a very special
guest the chair Who's sitting next to me in a
chair of the Westcott Street cultural fair going
on Sunday September 28th from noon to 630 right
here in the beautiful neighborhood of Westcott
It is Sharon Sherman. Hello. Hi. I'm so glad
to be sitting here with you. I'm enjoying my
dirty chai We're at recess coffee, by the way
This is a great place. Do you come here often?
Yes. Yeah. It's a great little spot. What are
you drinking? I'm drinking their iced coffee.
Iced coffee. Yeah. OK, I'm doing the dirty chai.
So let's talk about the the cultural fair. It's
something you're very passionate about. And I
love that. It's a it's a fair, a cultural fair
that's very successful. It kind of showcases
all the great arts and performances and just
the the community of Westcott. Talk about how
it started and what it's all about. So it started
33 years ago. I didn't live in the neighborhood
then, but people were concerned because this
neighborhood was in what we call transition.
They had just lost their grocery store. So a
group of neighbors and we said that the area's
been called from the 60s. The West Got Nation.
Oh, kind of a funky and they were a bunch of.
hippie types, university people, because we're
right near Syracuse University. And they founded
this little fair, and it has just grown and grown
and grown. And last year, we hit the number that
we hit in 2019 before COVID of over 11 ,000 people
in six and a half hours. So it's massive. 11
,000 people in six and a half hours. And we're
gonna kind of take a walk after this, but where
does it exactly take place? Okay, so it starts
with a parade, which starts at... at the Westcott
Community Center, which is at the other, is at
the corner of Euclid and Westcott. And they come
marching down the street. This year we have 35
groups signed up and we don't have any motorized
things, but the PTA, the belly dancers, every
kind of... lefty cause is marching down the street.
And it's led by this year by the mayor of the
city of Syracuse, various assembly and Senate
people. It's wild. And when it gets to Dell Street,
which is the end of the fairgrounds, it disperse.
And as soon as it's done at 1230, we open. We
have 140 booths. The majority of them are people
selling crafts like jewelry and pottery and things
of that nature. We're not a flea market. You
can only sell things that you make. And then
about 30 % of the booths are non -for -profit
organizations. After that, you have the program.
We have six stages. Wow. And we have a kids area.
One of the highlights is the kids race, where
even if you're four years old, if you run the
Syracuse Track Club gives you a medal from medals
left over from other races. It's just a lot of
stuff going on. That is fantastic. How long has
this been going on? This is the 33rd fair. And
you've been involved for how many of those? I
think I got hooked in. I know in 2003, I was
living in DeWitt and my friend was a chair. and
I decided I was working for Meals on Wheels so
I did a booth by myself. I learned a lot, you
can't do a booth by yourself because you don't
have a break and I only had pamphlets. And after
that, I started volunteering and at some point
I became treasurer and the two previous chairs
have both left Syracuse. It's me, maybe for about
12, 15 years. So in those 12 to 15 years, you
know, life has been changing rapidly in this
world. What's the biggest change that you've
seen over the years with this cultural fair?
Everything's more expensive for us. Ain't that
the truth? So but what has not changed here is
I'm a volunteer and there are so many people
who are volunteering. There's a woman who handles
the 140 booths application. Our performing arts
committee picks the acts and that includes artists
like Mark Zane and Adam Gold from Sophista Funk.
They figure out who's going to perform and it's
just wild. It's a really joyous day and the only
thing we can't control is the weather. That's
right. And we're rain or shine. I love that.
The Westcott Street Cultural Fair, Sunday, September
28th from noon to 630. You explained it kicks
off with the parade and then it opens up to all
the performances and events, but kind of the.
mission statement of this fair. Talk a little
bit about that because it seems that anybody
involved with this, especially you, are very
passionate about this neighborhood in Syracuse.
Tell us what you love about Westcott and what
the fair is all about. Well, there's a wonderful
vibe here. And it is true that we're still trying
to support the businesses. Our business district
has fabulous restaurants. Unfortunately, some
don't stay in business that long because it's
a kind of business that is not that stable. But
the only people who can sell food here are restaurants
that are on our street. So no trucks or anything
like that. And we have a library right in this
little neighborhood. And we're surrounded. We
have a lot of neighborhood organizations who
better the place. They come and they clean up
the streets and we have planters and we have
bike racks. Those were all gotten by different
neighborhood organizations. So there's a real
spirit of friendliness. It's kind of what Syracuse
has been known for. always as being a very friendly
city, and I think this kind of epitomizes that.
What's something you want people watching or
listening to know about the neighborhood of Westcott?
It's a great mix. It does have Syracuse University
students, although a greater number of them are
graduate students and people who stay on when
they graduate and are just starting out, as well
as homeowners. And a lot of renters even not
associated with the students. So everyone tries
to be involved. That makes our neighborhood strong,
having all those people. I live in Ithaca, which
is a college town. And a lot of times, these
types of festivals kind of meld the townies with
the students. And sometimes people don't. understand
that that can happen, and it's actually a really
great thing. Right. It's been great. Yeah. Let's
talk about some of the food. What do we got for
food at this great cultural fair? Well, one of
the best places for food is Mungeds, which is
around the corner here, and they bring their
food. They own Mungeds as well as Taps, the bar
that is across the parking lot. And they bring
out the usual Greek food, you know, gyros and
whatever you want. And it's outside the business
so they can have it so people can get it without
going inside. Alto Cinco across the street, very
famous. And they also have a special menu. So
it's quick, you know, grab it. But now we've
got Syracuse. over there. It's a, it's, it has
a food truck. We let them put their food truck
in front of the place. And again, more the Greek
things. We have a Chinese restaurant. It's like,
um, lots and lots of food. Oh, and one of our
big sponsors is Yeti's and that is an ice cream
yogurt place. And we do get students from Nottingham
High School to volunteer to set us up. and in
return they get a free coupon for Yeti's yogurt
cone. That's amazing. You seem to have everybody
that works at this cultural fair, it's volunteers?
Yeah, we have one little, we have one consultant
that's some of our... logistical work. Yeah.
Where can people, if they want to be a part of
this and volunteer in the future, where can they
go? Well, definitely, if this is on before the
day, we're still looking for volunteers. Perfect.
And unfortunately, we do need volunteers for
cleanup because we've got all these tents and
chairs and tables that we rent from Auburn Party
Rental all got to be loaded up again. Sure. You
know, there's other things like working in the
kids corner, but we're really looking for people.
And you just go to the website and you sign up
and you pick a shift. And, you know, that's how
we get things done. It's amazing. You seem to
have put so much care and thought into this festival,
I mean, based on how long it's been around and
all the things that you guys bring. Is this a
year round planning event like when it ends?
Are you are you already planning for the next
year? Unfortunately, and that really gets to,
you know, my responsibilities because I'm also
treasurer of our nonprofit. So it doesn't stop.
And we have a lot of support right now from grants.
We get 10 ,000 from Onondaga County. There's
a downtown. There's a festival fun that, you
know, so we're getting a lot of grants and grants.
They don't go by our schedule. the reports, the
application. In fact, we just were notified that
we're probably getting again, ten thousand dollars
from the county for twenty twenty six. Oh, OK.
And we're also getting money from that festival
fund that's run by the downtown committee. I
think it's funded by the city and we've got ten
thousand for. 26 as well. So those are our two
biggest funders. That's wonderful. Before we
give out the plugs on where to go and all that,
where do you see, do you have a vision for maybe
the next step of this festival, maybe a kind
of something you're aiming for, whether that's
something, a new event as part of the festival
or a new act that you want to go, how do you
see this growing in the next few years? We're
going to have to think about how to replace you
know, volunteers. I had to say, but I'm 75 now.
And so, you know, we're trying to, you know,
look at a more sustainable way to continue it.
Because not everybody has this much time. And
the founding chair, she was working when she
founded it, but for the next, she stopped working
and was retired for, you know, 10 years of doing
the fair. So we got to find a person. We're kind
of we did expand our streets, but I think we're
going to stick where we are now because it's
really focused on the business district and we're
on in the business district. Absolutely. And
if I'm going to the fair for the first time,
is there a certain food I have to try or an event
that I have to check out? I would say We have
on our website the stage schedule. So you pick
when you're coming by what you want to see. And
if you want to see Sophista Funk, they are 5
.30, 6 .30. They close the fair. So you're not
necessarily going to want to get here at 12 .30.
So, you know, looking at the schedule. And then,
of course, for the children, we close the kids
corner at five. and the races are three. So,
you know, people who come with kids, they got
to maybe plan that aspect. You're amazing. Sharon
Sherman, the chair of the Westcott Street Cultural
Fair Sunday, September 28th from noon to 630
right here in the beautiful neighborhood of Westcott.
Give us the plugs. Well, where can people go
for information, website, anything like that?
WestcottStreetFair .org Our Facebook page has
everything on it. So I think it's Westcott Fair,
the street fair. I'm not sure. It'll come up
in Facebook. We have Twitter. We have Instagram.
But really, the Facebook and the website. Yeah.
Are key. Well, Sharon Sherman, you've been a
delight. You're a firecracker. I love you. I
love your passion. I'm excited. From Recess Coffee
here in the neighborhood of Westcott, it is the
Westcott Street Cultural Fair. Sunday, September
28th, new to 630 will be there. You should, too.
They need volunteers. Help them out. And with
that, we will be back on Good News York, sponsored
by ads on the go. Get ads on the go .com. All
right. Is it going? All right. Welcome back to
Good News York, sponsored by ads on the go. Get
ads on the go .com. We decided sitting with Sharon
Sherman is not enough. She's going to take us
around the beautiful neighborhood of Westcott
and kind of give us a lay of the land for the
Westcott Cultural Fair. You lead the way. Let's
see if our poster's on the bulletin board, and
it is right up there. I spy one right here. See,
you know what I love about this is, you know,
I'm an artist myself, musician, comedian, so
I've... I've been performing my whole life, and
these are the kind of neighborhoods that breed
that kind of creativity. Oh, yeah. It's very
artsy, which I live in Ithaca. It's the same
kind of deal. I can see why. So up and down here,
there'd be booths set out. And as I said, it
ends at that street, Dell Street. That's the
end of it. And there's Boom Babies. That's one
of our famous businesses. Many people come here
from all over the area to get a prom dress, very.
And every year they have a sidewalk sale during
the fair. And they're a big sponsor of us. So
we put up these banners every year and all we
do is change the date. And I'm assuming, obviously,
the streets are closed off for this. Oh, my God,
yes. And we now have to have... We couldn't keep
enough volunteers to man or staff the barricades,
so this year we're going to all private security
to stay at the barricades to keep people... cars
out. So this is exactly where the InfoNation
booth is. Oh, and it's still called InfoNation
after the Westcott Nation. Love that. And this
is over there is the center stage. And that's
where our most in demand rock type bands play.
The library every year has a book sale in the
library. They make so much money that they use
that for activities that they give money to the
other city branches of the library. who would
not be able to raise money for their activities.
That's wonderful. This really is a community
here. I know part of your mission statement is
to promote the community itself and it seems
like people that are people that are that live
here are really not only passionate about it
but they care and they're very giving. And you
get to do a lawn sign because we only have 20
lawn signs. Every year speed pro imaging. gives
us, makes us 21 signs for free. And believe me,
that's a great help. It's huge. I've looked into
getting more. And so in the library is the book
sale. And then in that parking lot is the kids'
corner. And we have a stage in there where let's
say we have Bluebird music together. That's a
great a group that has kids music. My granddaughter
went to them in Liverpool and we have a magician
and storytelling and all kinds of things. And
then right here on Victoria until we get to Cambridge
is where we have these kids races. And it's so
cute. They just run up and around and down the
street and If you're in the seven to nine category,
they actually give you a free t -shirt if you
win. Our t -shirts. So, did you look in the library
where we have a memorabilia hanging up? No, I've
not been in... You can take a very quick shot.
We do that all. So, here's a poster, here's a
t -shirt. These... And, of course... There's
a t -shirt at the printer right now that matches
this year's sign. All right, Mike Brindisi in
the beautiful neighborhood of Westcott, celebrating
the Westcott Street Cultural Fair, September
28th. You don't want to miss this. Sharon Sherman
was a delight. You can see the passion. You can
hear the passion. And I mean, what's not to love
about this cultural fair? It celebrates the culture
of Syracuse and, of course, the neighborhood
of Westcott. So make sure you guys check that
out from Good News York. We'll be back tomorrow.
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