Greene’s Ale House Hosts Special Night to Support Parade
Downtown Oswego pub to host ‘Guest Bartender Night’
By Jacob Pucci
Socialize with friends or meet new ones, all while supporting the local Independence Day parade in Oswego from 6-8 p.m. today at Greene’s Ale House, 104 W. Bridge St.
On many Tuesdays throughout the year, the popular pub holds Guest Bartender Night, calling upon different charities and organizations to man the bar for the night, with all tips going toward the cause.
This week, the Independence Parade Committee is in charge and all tips earned will go toward the annual parade, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary on July 7.
The effort, headed by the Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce, is stepping up fund raising initiatives this year in order to hold a special, much larger festival to celebrate its 50th year.
“We’re looking at ways to expand the parade and make it a lot bigger and better than what we’ve seen it in the last few years,” chamber executive director Beth Hilton.
Rather than the marching bands that typically make up the festivities, Hilton said the committee is working toward bringing in a Mummers group—a troupe of costumed entertainers—as well as a carnival.
“We’re trying to make bigger, back to the way things were 30 and 40 years ago,” Hilton said.
Along with bartending tonight, the chamber has held and is planning even more fundraisers.
An event was held at Canale’s Restaurant recently where customers with special coupons had 20 percent of their purchase donated to the parade fund.
During the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, Hilton said the chamber is planning “Pork in the Parking Lot,” a pulled pork barbecue fund raiser that will be held at Lighthouse Lanes in Oswego, as well as a chicken barbecue that will be held at the Oswego Elks Lodge.
Tonight, Hilton said, she wants community members to turn out. Hilton; chamber events planner Lisa Gray; Deana Michaels, branch manager of Pathfinder Bank in Fulton and chamber board member; and an Aflac representative will be in charge of the bar.
“It’s a good opportunity to go out and meet people in the community,” Hilton said. “It helps them realize that this is their parade and when they contribute a few dollars, it goes toward making this a good event.”
