SKANEATELES - The annual Skaneateles Volunteer Fireman's Field Days are a long tradition, stretching back as far as anyone can remember.
“I've been here for 40 years,” Jim Buff, chairman of the Labor Day Weekend celebration, said. “And these were going on long before I was here. It has been a tradition for a long time.”
A big part of that tradition has been the games; Sink the Boat and pushball, which pit members of various Onondaga County fire departments against each other in some friendly competition.
After teams from Marcellus and Elbridge competed in Sink the Boat at Clift Park early Sunday afternoon, they made their way to the grounds of Austin Park for an afternoon of pushball.
The idea is much like a variation on tug of war, where two teams each with a fire hose battle to use the stream of water to push a basketball that has been suspended overhead to the opposing team's end of the line.
Brian Duckett, Skaneateles' sports team captain said that Skaneateles doesn't field a team at its own games in the interest of avoiding any chance of a bias, but that the department is more than happy to still play host.
“It is just good time for everybody to get together,” Duckett said. “Teams come out to compete is some old time fireman's games and we all get together and can have a good time together in an off duty environment.”
This year Elbridge One and Two were joined by Marcellus in a battle for the title in the one and a half inch nozzle competition, which saw Elbridge Two taking the title.
The team comprised of Bill Vivenzio on nozzle, Ryan Franz as caller, Brian Richardson as second and Gordy Franz as caller has been competing in the field days off and on for 30 years.
“It is really good competition,” Vivenzio said. “We have some really good teams in Onondaga County. I usually don't do this well. It is all about practice and having a good team and a good caller and working together, that is really important.”
The games drew a crowd of spectators that were just as excited as the teams competing.
“This is a tradition,” said Tammi Evans, a Skaneateles native. “I've been coming here as long as I can remember. My father was in the department, my uncles and now my cousin is, so we've always come here. I grew up with it. It is a lot of fun to watch and you hope to catch a little bit of the spray on a warm day like this.”
Representatives from all the teams will march Monday in the Labor Day Parade, which concludes at Austin Park, where the one-and-a-half inch nozzle awards will be presented and the two-and-a-half inch nozzle games will take place.
But the field days are about more than the games.
Austin Park was inundated with rides, games and food that drew adults and children alike.
“The rides and the food are great,” Tim Murphy, 13, of Skaneateles, said. “I've been coming to this since I was a little kid, it is a good time to hang out with your friends and go on the rides and play the games. We always come out to see the parade too.”
The field days are one of the department's most important fundraisers of the year as well as an opportunity to show gratitude toward a supportive community.
“What we raise goes toward equipment,” Buff said. “All the equipment we have for department use is from fundraisers, no tax dollars are used to purchase our equipment and it is through these kinds of fundraising efforts that we are able to do that.”
Entertainment carried on through the afternoon with a tractor pull and a performance by Chris Taylor and the Custom Taylor Band.
Festivities will continue today with the Labor Day Parade starting at 1 p.m., on State Street before winding to Austin Park where there will be rides, games, food, a performance by local musician Dusty Pascal and a fireworks display to conclude the day at 9 p.m.
“The fireworks are a big draw,” Buff said. “This is the last weekend of summer and we are the last fire department in the county to hold our field days so we try to make this a big celebration for everyone.”
A big part of that tradition has been the games; Sink the Boat and pushball, which pit members of various Onondaga County fire departments against each other in some friendly competition.
After teams from Marcellus and Elbridge competed in Sink the Boat at Clift Park early Sunday afternoon, they made their way to the grounds of Austin Park for an afternoon of pushball.
The idea is much like a variation on tug of war, where two teams each with a fire hose battle to use the stream of water to push a basketball that has been suspended overhead to the opposing team's end of the line.
Brian Duckett, Skaneateles' sports team captain said that Skaneateles doesn't field a team at its own games in the interest of avoiding any chance of a bias, but that the department is more than happy to still play host.
“It is just good time for everybody to get together,” Duckett said. “Teams come out to compete is some old time fireman's games and we all get together and can have a good time together in an off duty environment.”
This year Elbridge One and Two were joined by Marcellus in a battle for the title in the one and a half inch nozzle competition, which saw Elbridge Two taking the title.
The team comprised of Bill Vivenzio on nozzle, Ryan Franz as caller, Brian Richardson as second and Gordy Franz as caller has been competing in the field days off and on for 30 years.
“It is really good competition,” Vivenzio said. “We have some really good teams in Onondaga County. I usually don't do this well. It is all about practice and having a good team and a good caller and working together, that is really important.”
The games drew a crowd of spectators that were just as excited as the teams competing.
“This is a tradition,” said Tammi Evans, a Skaneateles native. “I've been coming here as long as I can remember. My father was in the department, my uncles and now my cousin is, so we've always come here. I grew up with it. It is a lot of fun to watch and you hope to catch a little bit of the spray on a warm day like this.”
Representatives from all the teams will march Monday in the Labor Day Parade, which concludes at Austin Park, where the one-and-a-half inch nozzle awards will be presented and the two-and-a-half inch nozzle games will take place.
But the field days are about more than the games.
Austin Park was inundated with rides, games and food that drew adults and children alike.
“The rides and the food are great,” Tim Murphy, 13, of Skaneateles, said. “I've been coming to this since I was a little kid, it is a good time to hang out with your friends and go on the rides and play the games. We always come out to see the parade too.”
The field days are one of the department's most important fundraisers of the year as well as an opportunity to show gratitude toward a supportive community.
“What we raise goes toward equipment,” Buff said. “All the equipment we have for department use is from fundraisers, no tax dollars are used to purchase our equipment and it is through these kinds of fundraising efforts that we are able to do that.”
Entertainment carried on through the afternoon with a tractor pull and a performance by Chris Taylor and the Custom Taylor Band.
Festivities will continue today with the Labor Day Parade starting at 1 p.m., on State Street before winding to Austin Park where there will be rides, games, food, a performance by local musician Dusty Pascal and a fireworks display to conclude the day at 9 p.m.
“The fireworks are a big draw,” Buff said. “This is the last weekend of summer and we are the last fire department in the county to hold our field days so we try to make this a big celebration for everyone.”
