our board of directors, and at this time, we don’t believe we’re going to have one single sponsor for the fireworks. We would love to, but if not, we’re hopeful that we can get multiple sponsors for 2018. Exelon Generation, the new owner of FitzPatrick, plans on having a presence at the 2018 festival, but not to the level that Entergy has in the past in terms of dollar amount. But they’ve committed volunteers to help set up and take down the festival and any logistics help that we need. Q: What are some of the other major expenses associated with the festival?
A: Aside from the fireworks, the other single largest expense would be the headliners for Thursday and Friday nights. It’s a huge cost to try to bring in a national act or somebody popular enough to attract a large number of people to the festival. And then there are all the other bands, and that adds up. No bands are doing it for free and they are all paid, but it’s always free to the listener. We actually start [seeking musical talent] around the first of the year by making performer applications available. We have a committee of individuals that sits down and listens to everything that is sent in. They do a fantastic job in selecting bands. Q: Volunteers form the backbone of Harborfest year in and year out. How integral are they to operations?
A: I think last year we were in the ballpark of about 150 volunteers for the weekend, and that is in addition to what Entergy provided. A lot of people come out and work shifts on multiple days during the festival to help us handle the 100,000-plus people that we expect. It speaks volumes to get that number of people who are willing to give up that prime weekend in the summertime to come and work for us. Q: Is there a person designated to coordinate the Harborfest volunteer effort?
A: Last year, we had an AmeriCorps student who oversaw the program, and this year I plan on having another. However, I’ve actually looked at having a person on staff short term just to coordinate the whole volunteer effort. My concern with AmeriCorps students is they are here for one year, maybe two. There’s no history for them to develop. My hope is JUNE/JULY 2017
‘It’s amazing that we have a very small parttime staff that can actually put this thing together’ Peter Myles
to eventually recruit a teacher from the Oswego City School District who is going to start out part-time to begin with. He will coordinate that effort annually and help us recruit and train volunteers and do everything that is necessary. Q: What were some of the more significant lessons you’ve learned in your first year as executive director in 2016? How will you apply that knowledge in 2017?
A: I learned a lot. I never organized a festival, so this was a huge undertaking for me. We have one staff member — our business manager Barbara Manwaring — who has been with Harborfest for a number of years. She is fantastic and a wealth of knowledge, and I learned a lot from her. However, there was one thing that stuck in my mind in terms of technology. The one thing I didn’t realize — especially as we approached the festival — was that our website wasn’t accommodating to people who were unfamiliar with Oswego. I heard that comment not just once, but multiple times, and it really left a mark on me in terms of something that we really needed to work on for 2017. We have to make sure that people who come here know about all the places to stay, parking, and logistics such as maneuvering within the city. The website [www.oswegoharborfest.com] now features a Google map that features exact locations for the parks to enable people to find these sites as they come from out of town. Q: What are some of your foremost challenges in producing the festival?
A: Finding sponsorships is huge, and it becomes more difficult as a lot of people are looking to the same sponsors for money for their cause. In addition, all the companies that are sponsors are tightening their belts at the same time. Securing national acts is getting more difficult. One reason is they are becoming more expensive, which makes OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
it harder for us to find sponsors. But also, when you are talking about the Lakeview Amphitheatre or the casinos to the east and west, they are bringing in those big names and making it more difficult for us. A lot of those big-name venues have clauses in their contracts that say they can’t perform within a 100-mile radius for 90 days. They don’t want us to offer a band for free when people have to pay $75 a ticket down the road to see the same band in two weeks. However, sometimes the venue will let them out of that part of the contract. Q: How has the festival managed to sustain itself for 30 years?
A: I think there are a lot of factors. There’s the support of the community, not just in terms of volunteers, but also financial support from the city and county. Also, credit the board of directors that volunteers its time to try to help us organize the festival. We can’t do without our sponsors, large and small, many of which return every year. Businesses also play a crucial role in supporting the festival. It’s amazing that we have a very small part-time staff that can actually put this thing together. One thing I never realized until I got here is that it does take a year to put this together and make sure all the pieces are fitting together, whether you are talking about scheduling bands and attractions or securing food vendors. All those types of things take a lot of time. Q: What are your main sources of gratification as executive director of Harborfest?
A: “I can’t believe we did it!” and “I can’t believe we pulled this off!” was how I felt at the end of last year, and it was such a success. It went so well in terms of bands and attractions performing on time and everybody showing up and all the food vendors having success. The only issue was the police department handing out parking tickets to people parking inappropriately, but if that’s as bad as it gets, I’m good with it. Q: What qualities do you have which make you a good fit leading Harborfest?
A: It’s about being positive, calm and organized. I said to my business manager the other day, “I really don’t get rattled.” I just deal with situations as they come. You have frustrations, but you work your way through them. You don’t let them stop you. 35