STREET FAIR Event will fund charity work

Miss Cortland will be crowned after a pageant Thursday night of the fair.
CORTLAND -- Traffic will be stopped through downtown Cortland June 24-26 for the annual Lions Club street fair, which will feature music, rides and a parade.
Main Street will be closed for the duration of the fair between the railroad tracks and North Park Avenue. Erie and North Bank streets will also be closed, said street fair committee secretary Betty Robbins.
"Probably the strongest point of the street fair is that it is a chance for people to come together who don't often see each other otherwise," said Councilman Michael Hillman. "It's one of the nice things about living in a small town."
Money raised at the fair supports Lions Club charitable activities, including providing eyeglasses for the needy, she said. Entrance is free, but tickets will be sold for midway rides.
Highlights will include a beauty pageant Thursday evening, followed by music provided by a disc jockey, and live bands on Friday and Saturday nights.
Other details
Fair hours are from 6 p.m. to midnight Thursday and Friday, and 1 p.m. to midnight Saturday. On Saturday, children can purchase $7 wristbands for unlimited carnival rides from 1 to 5 p.m., Robbins said.
The coronation of Miss Cortland will take place around 10 p.m. Thursday, after a 21/2-hour pageant open to high school juniors and seniors.
The girls will arrive in their street clothes, briefly talk about themselves, then return in evening gowns to answer two randomly selected questions. Winners receive U.S. Savings Bonds, Robbins said.
Disc jockey Chuck Abbot will spin CDs Friday evening. The bands Jamaican Bacon and Family Pride will perform Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Also on Saturday is the street fair parade, led by the Lakeview High School band, starting at 6 p.m.