The eighth year of the Newfield Music Series at Mill Park kicked off with a postponement of its June 26 show with The Yardvarks.
Then, the July 10 show that featured the Cast Iron Cowboys was postponed. The Yardvarks, who were moved to a July 17 show, were officially canceled and removed from the series due to scheduling conflicts.
“We hope to get [the Yardvarks] next year,” said J.T. Tompkins, one of the organizers of the Newfield Music Series.
To make matters worse, the series’ shows last month were completely washed out when the July 24 show, headlined by Tim Ball and Mark Bickford, was canned by the weather.
The shows in June and July were wiped away by the area’s abnormal weather, which included tornado warnings, severe thunderstorms and torrential downpours.
“It was a little disheartening,” Tompkins said. “It was one of those things where if you didn’t laugh, you’d cry. It got to be almost comical when we went zero for four.”
But, there was hope on the horizon. Tompkins was able to reschedule Tim Ball and Mark Bickford to Aug. 7, which went off without a hitch, and the Cast Iron Cowboys for an Aug. 21 show. Square dancing with caller Marc Ferris (Wednesday, Aug. 14) and Rev Ezra (Aug. 28) have stayed on their original dates.
The theme for this year’s series implements a “little bit of country music,” Tompkins said, noting the current trend with that genre.
“There was no chance of a show [in June or July]. We just decided we’d regroup for August,” Tompkins said.
Tompkins was scrambling to rebook the postponed shows, but the process was smoother than he imagined.
“The bands have been great with all of it. I’m glad to have passed the whole ‘one after another’ period,” Tompkins said. “[The rebooking] was difficult in that these were great bands and they’re busy, but they’re so easy to work with. Everyone was great and wanted to help us out.”
The constant postponements were dubbed “Wet Wednesdays” by Tompkins, in reference to the shows typically scheduled for a Wednesday. Tompkins added that every Wednesday in August will have a show.
Tompkins mentioned that this is the first year that the series has seen a handful of postponements.
“We had a show [postponed] here and there, but we’ve never been like this,” Tompkins said. “It’s always been a tornado warning or something crazy, so we’ve been able to call it early.”
Days other than Wednesday were considered for the rescheduled shows, Tompkins said, noting that shows were almost scheduled into September.
The Newfield Music Series, which has become a staple for Wednesdays during the summer, didn’t feel right on other days, which are usually occupied by other music series across Tompkins County, Tompkins said.
“What we found was when school is back in session, it’s harder for people to get out [for a show],” Tompkins said. “There are no real crowd numbers, and it gets dark quicker in September.”
Last Wednesday’s show with Tim Ball and Mark Bickford didn’t have the best weather, but Tompkins was excited that it turned out to be a great performance.
Tompkins runs around during shows. But last Wednesday, he was relaxed.
“People were happy to just have one. It wasn’t perfect, but it didn’t rain. People started to trickle in,” Tompkins said.
The day before, or even the day of, the show had no concern about potential weather-related issues.
“It’s funny because Wednesday [Aug. 7] was the only day of the week when it wasn’t going to rain,” Tompkins said.
Despite setbacks, the series has been able to keep the vendors that provide food available for purchase. The Covered Bridge Market & Pizzeria in Newfield provides food. Stop, Pop and Roll Boba — a pop-up vendor in the Finger Lakes area — handles the drinks. Newfield Travel Club, through a connection with the Cornell Dairy Bar, serves ice cream.
“They’ve been awesome to work with. Boba was great and Covered Bridge’s food was awesome,” Tompkins said.
Tompkins noted that Grayson Wells — the owner of Stop, Pop and Roll Boba — will be honored with the Binghamton Youth Entrepreneur of the Year award at the Aug. 14 show.
Aside from the presentation, Tompkins is excited for an “awesome” show with caller Marc Ferris and the square dance routine.
“We encourage everyone to come out and square dance, whether you have or not,” Tompkins said. “I think that show will be a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to it.”
Newfield Notes appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com.
In brief:
Yoga for beginners held every Saturday
A yoga for beginners class will be held every Saturday at Newfield Public Library from 10 to 11 a.m.
Phyllis KuanYin Chi, a yoga teacher certified through Yoga Farm in Lansing, will lead the class. The instructor also has additional training in trauma-informed yoga.
The class is on the second floor of the library. It is suitable for people new to yoga or those with mobility issues. There is also an opportunity to deepen poses for those with more experience.
The class is for ages 18 and older. Participants must have their own yoga mat or blanket. The class is free, but there is a suggested donation of $10.
