Ontario Orchards in Oswego hosted their annual Fall Jamboree on Saturday, Sept. 21 and Sunday, Sept. 22.
The event had a high attendance, with families from all around Oswego county participating in the many different festivities offered at the jamboree. Admission to the event itself was free, but most of the activities in the Fall Jamboree, including games, tractor rides and apple picking, were an additional cost. Other activities included a corn maze, inflatable obstacle courses, bouncy houses, a tomato toss and “zip the kids,” which was a small zipline.
Each jamboree is planned by the family who owns and runs Ontario Orchards, the Ouellette Family. According to their website, Ontario Orchards has been around since 1965.
“There’s a lot that goes into it. They start a year in advance and gather which vendors they want, advertise for slots for new vendors on a first come first served basis,” said Oswego State student and Ontario Orchards employee Amanda Miano.
She said about a year of planning goes into each Fall Jamboree, and it is held annually in the second to last week of September. A huge aspect of the Fall Jamboree is the opportunities provided to local vendors who are able to share their products at the jamboree.
“[The point is] to introduce people to supporting local business and agriculture,” Miano said. Some of the local businesses attending the event included Mara’s Minis, a donut shop.
Many Oswego State students attended the event in groups, including sophomore geology major Liz Hadcock.
“It was [my friend’s] birthday,” Hadcock said. “It sounded like it would be fun. I don’t think I would have gone by myself.”
With her group, Hadcock shopped at local vendor stands, went apple picking, listened to the live music and of course, tasted some of the food, including cheese bacon french fries from The Spud Shack and some ice cream from the Perry’s Ice Cream stand.
“The milkshake was pretty good,” Hadcock said.
When comparing the jamboree to ones of the past, Hadcock noted this year had a significantly higher temperature. Other than that, she said the jamborees were practically the same.
“It was pretty much the same. The other year was cooler. This year, there was a lot of people, and it was hot,” she said. The temperature reached 81 F on Saturday.
Photo by Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian
