Blimp Rises Over Dryden Lake; Festival a Huge Success

July, 28, 2012.  It’s 5:30 am.  I roll into the parking lot at the north end of Dryden Lake Park as it starts to reveal itself in the increasing light of a day that is forecast to have thunderstorms of high intensity and rain.

The truck is loaded with registration supplies, tents and I’m hauling six canoes on a trailer.  I get out and stretch my legs and I will observe several other athletes do the same in short order.

As I pull out one of the pop-up tents my number three son and daughter-in-law pull in.  They will begin their day directing the sign in and late registration  for the Triathlon I have planned.  But they will also participate in the 5K that they have trained for a year.  By the time we have unloaded the truck and brought tables and chairs the parking lot is filling up with vehicles with arrays of bikes, Kayaks and canoes strapped to the tops of their cars.

Immediately the stretching begins; the most common performance at this stage is the grabbing of their feet behind their backs and pulling in an upward motion, with a couple of head tilts, a quick bend at the waist and a couple of leg pumps they are ready to unload their equipment.   The warm up’s are cursory as there is still four hours before the start of the kayak and canoe leg of the tri.

I hear someone yell that food and coffee have arrived and a small contingency of coffee addicts, myself included, line up to see that we have brought Starbuck’s and bagels from the Ithaca Bakery and Dunkin’ Donuts.  A complete table under one of the pop-ups is covered with fresh fruit and vegetables from Tops and Wegman’s; fresh cut and displayed in high stacks.  By this morning’s event end a few pieces of melon are all that remained.

The lines are getting longer and athletes are pouring in from all over; Winston-Salem North Carolina has brought a three- man team with kayak and returning for a third year are some of the Cutter Klan from Delaware.  Philadelphia is represented as well as Igor, who decided just the day before to drive up from New Jersey and camp out in the park.

The stretches of New York are represented from Buffalo, Rochester and many communities in the Syracuse and Binghamton area.    Locally Ithaca, Trumansburg, Lansing, Groton, Cortland, Freeville and Dryden have several each.  I also notice that there is a large contingency from the Cornell community as evidenced by the “@cornell.edu” extension on their email addresses.  All tolled 120 stalwart individuals and teams show up even though there are thunder storm warnings that are about to arrive as someone with an I-phone yells out, “The storm will arrive in three minutes.” My number four son confirms this as he shows a live radar that has Dryden Lake clearly about to receive red bands of rain and as we look the thunder starts to roll.

It poured and most of the 120 and staff fit under the four pop ups as I yell down to the other end, tongue-in-cheek:  “Could someone pass me a coffee with cream and sugar.”

The rain is steady and in a mini confab, as race time approaches, we discuss cancelling the canoe/kayak portion and only running the bike and run, “if” the thundering and lightning  stops for at least 20 minutes. I make the announcement that we may make that decision.

My son tells me that the rain will stop soon, according to the radar we are on the southern edge.  20 minutes later at just the time I scheduled the race instructions to begin the rain stops and a cheer goes up from the crowd.

I hear a rumble; no it’s just people shuffling kayaks on the gravel.

I announce staging of the first wave of 35 kayaks and begin the race instructions with microphone in hand I describe the lake course and then the PA system loses its charge. You can buy audio technica headphones here and rely on them during any emergencies.

After finishing descriptions of the 14 mile bike course and the cautions with steel deck bridges, hills and curves I continue to loudly describe the 5 k course.  A few questions answered about exchanging timing chips and the use of the timing mats and we are about to get into the water.

35 kayakers were all the outlet channel would fit. Jockeying aside they organized into a fair skirmish line.  The horn sounded long and loud.  It was a very good start with water flying at every paddle stroke for everyone involved.  No one was un scathed with the flume of water that was generated.

I wasn’t sure how much air I had used so I warned the next group of about 38 boats including some older canoes and a two-seater wooden kayak and true to form for that morning a little burp was expelled and I yelled: “Go!”, through my own and probably 50 on lookers laughs behind me.

But the skies were clearing and remained so through most of the day.  Isolated clouds in the afternoon brought little showers and the crowd was steady and upbeat.

The music of the day including Pete Panek, the Blind Spots and Steve Southworth each brought a number of the crowd faithful.  Vicki Wilkins and volunteers from Cortland State were kept busy with kids’ games and activities.  The bounce house and creative playground were very near and kept kids of varying ages quite busy, throughout the afternoon.  A myriad of animals were on hand in the menagerie with displays of natural fauna as well.  The eagle that has habituated through the Spring had been seen early in the morning during the staging of the triathlon, resting on one of the dead trees that persist along the lake’s edge.  But a closer sighting by several of the kayak safety team had an exhilarating effect when the bird swooped down and scooped up a sizable fish right in their midst.

There was at least one less fish that could be claimed by the several fishers that participated in the fishing contest.

Cruizers came in on schedule to show off the vintage cars that become the pride and joy of several local enthusiasts.  The numbers of participants were held down due to the threat of rain and possible thunderstorms.  But for those that showed up they provided much conversation and ogling of cars and drivers alike and on schedule as precise as the pin striping on their cars they filed out of the park to be replaced by onlookers for the Firemen’s hose demonstration.

Now you can call it what you want but it looked like an oversized squirt gun fight.  There was this ball suspended from a  100 foot wire over the opposing firemen team’s heads and the object was to push the ball with a stream of water past the opponents end mark.

I’m not going to say who won or lost but everyone got soaked including most of the spectators.  Several fire companies were involved  and it looks like this is one demo that will be expanded and on next year’s menu.

Speaking of which, the food…  it was great and very diversified. Crepes to die for, Salmon, chicken and beef Lo Mein, cheese steak sandwiches, hot dogs of course, Smokin’ BBQ, and many of the carnival foods that one would expect from the Dryden Lake Festival.

This year’s displays included several speakers on the Civil War era including period clothing and armaments.  There were some different animal activities including agility courses and obedience.  The water dogs were wonderful … in the water.

Which brings us to the Great Goose Drop. I digress.

When you first came into the Park there were among the fire trucks, ambulance and Sherriff’s cars, the Tents with displays, political party activities, and lecture tents there was a huge blimp.  The Blimp was the acknowledgment that you had arrived at the Dryden Lake Festival as attested by the signs on either side of the airship.  It waivered in the air so gently about 75 feet over the welcome tent at the entrance to the park.  The plan was to garner donations by choosing a baby goose ( a plastic duck painted to look like a goose and pretty cute to boot)  The goose had a number on the base and it, along with all the others, would be placed in a bag that would be hoisted to the blimp. A rip cord would be pulled and the “geese, gooses, w.e.,” would be dropped to the front lawn and a waiting retriever dog would do just that; retrieve a goose and the contributor would garner a prize.  The Goose Drop was to occur at 7 pm as a warm up to the fireworks.

Threatening rain clouds were moving in around 6 pm. A little catch of breeze the blimp danced around with more vigor.  Balloons were being filled with helium and it seemed that every third balloon was getting away and floating away across the tree tops at the front of the park. And yes the rope that held the blimp moved to and fro across the rough edge of the cinder block tethering it to the earth. And yes the blimp gained its freedom.

The difference between small 10 inch balloons and a blimp some 10 to 12 feet long is that little balloons float back and forth lazily rising and blimps go straight up very fast and as I first realized what was happening the blimp began to get smaller until it look the same size as the balloons it was passing and then it got foggier to see as it entered a low flying rain cloud until it disappeared.

We figure that because it had Dryden Lake Festival printed on both sides and that it was guaranteed to float for 5 days that it may fall somewhere between North Carolina and Georgia if it floats in the general course it started.  So maybe by Friday if all goes well and someone finds it and they look up Dryden lake Festival and find our website at www.drydenlakefestival.com and send us an email, we might get it back one day.

What do you think?

Now that’s only the first part of the Goose drop.  We place all of the geese in a tarp and toss them up in the air and our water dog is waiting, healed at his master’s side who has a whistle poised to give to the command to “fetch.”

The dog starts off right for the geese with his noose to the ground and runs right past them.  A whistle brings him back and he starts over again.  Eventually but not the second or third time the dog brings back the winning goose and the winner and everyone else had a fun filled Goose Drop.  Except one person who shall remain anonymous unless you see a man hunched over; that occasionally glances skyward with a forlorn look.

It’s at this time that attendance at the park and activity on Lake Road increases to a feverish pitch as Festival goers pack the park and surrounding hillsides around the Lake to observe the second largest fireworks in Tompkins County.

We want to thank all of the businesses and individuals who contributed in time and money to the festival. Some 3,500- 4,000 visitors enjoyed all or part of this event and by comments had a great time.

We encourage everyone to email us with your suggestions and comments on how we can make the festival better and how you might participate in its development.

Also if you have any pictures that you would like to have possibly included on our website email them to drydenlakefestival@gmail.com

A perspective of Dan Schmohe, Triathlon Director; not to be construed as the collective opinion of the corporation.

Dryden Lake Festival, Inc. is a not for profit corporation that is solely responsible for its operations.  Its permanent members include Dr. Bob Jacobson, Randy Sterling, Elsie Gutchess, Vicki Wilkins, Monika Knight, Ralph Shortell, Don Scutt & Dan Schmohe.