Introducing… Cortland’s 2008 Chill-A-Bration
Cortland’s Downtown Partnership Says “Let it Snow!”

Leadership Cortland, Cortland’s non-profit Downtown Partnership, the Cortland Regional Sports Council and the Cortland County Chamber of Commerce are joining forces to produce Cortland’s first-ever celebration of snow, cold, and our very own Upstate winter.  “Chill-A-Bration” is a March
1st event for Central New York.

Chill-A-Bration Includes:

• A ski and snowboard terrain park in Court House Park courtesy of Greek Peak.
• A chili cook-off courtesy of the Cortland County Chamber of Commerce.
• Family snow games courtesy of the Cortland Regional Sports Council.
• A snow sculpting competition open to local businesses, organizations and groups courtesy of the Cultural Council of Cortland County.
• Winter sports products testing on trails courtesy of Lime Hollow Nature Center

Food, entertainment and fun snow activities from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday, March 1st make Downtown Cortland’s Court House Park the coolest place to be.

“Chill-A-Bration is a county-wide event in historic downtown Cortland that has something for everyone,” said Lloyd Purdy, Director of the Cortland Downtown Partnership.  “It’s been a long time since we’ve celebrated winter with an event in downtown Cortland.  Chill-A-Bration is just one more reason downtown Cortland is the heart of our community.”

The name Chill-A-Bration came from a brainstorm session with a Leadership Cortland team that has been helping Purdy plan the March 1st event.  The idea behind the event is to capitalize on one of Cortland’s under appreciated assets – winter weather.

“This event is about being outside, in the cold, and celebrating the end of winter,” said Kathleen Fairchild from Leadership Cortland.  “Winter, cold, snow and winter recreation are important features of Central New York and this event embraces those unique assets.” 

A coalition of organizations and businesses from across Cortland County are supporting the March 1st event in historic downtown Cortland.  Cortland’s non Profit Downtown Partnership, Greek Peak, the Cortland Regional Sports Council, Sheridan’s Jewelers, The Chamber of Commerce, Nordic Sports, the Cultural Council of Cortland County, Action Sports, Leadership Cortland, Hopko Designs, and Lime Hollow Nature Center have all contributed to the planning and production of Chill-A-Bration.

Ice as Art at Chill-A-Bration
SUNY Cortland Artists Add Creative Energy to March 1st Event.

Through the support of SUNY Cortland’s Art and Art History Department the March 1st Cortland Chill-A-Bration celebration of winter in Upstate New York has a creative element.

On February 28th SUNY Cortland Professor Vaughn Randall and his students will begin creating snow sculptures at historic downtown Cortland’s Court House Park.  Based on the winter theme of Chill-A-Bration three snow sculptures will introduce SUNY Cortland sculpture students to large scale out-door work.

“This is an exciting addition to the March 1st Chill-A-Bration celebration for Cortland,” said Lloyd Purdy, Director of the Cortland Downtown Partnership.  “Support from SUNY Cortland and SUNY Cortland students really help make downtown events better.”

The biggest snow sculpture is planned to be 8 feet tall, 8 feet long and 2 feet wide in the shape of a snowflake.  “A three-dimensional snowflake fits Chill-A-Bration’s theme and much as all snowflakes are unique, so is this event,” said SUNY Cortland Professor Vaughn Randall.

Professor Randall is modeling these works of art after a snow-sculpting event in Breckenridge Colorado.  The Chill-A-Bration snow sculptures will include 50 junior and senior students from the SUNY Cortland Sculpture I and Sculpture II class with the 10 best students acting as a carving team.

The student sculptures will be cube four feet on each side.  Students will work through a “reductive process” that takes packed snow away from the block – much like a stone sculptor.  They will use tools created especially for the Chill-A-Bration snow sculpture project including loops of steel, an ice auger and snow trowels.

“This project gives students an opportunity to work on large scale out door art while teaching them the value of community involvement which is a core value of SUNY Cortland,” said Professor Vaughn Randall.

In preparation for Chill-A-Bration on March1st in historic downtown Cortland’s Court House Park Professor Randall and 10 students will travel to SUNY Cortland’s Racquet Lake facility to practice and refine the process of packing snow into a form, called a ”flask”, and shaping the form into an image.

“I’m from Atlanta, most of my career has been spent working with 2700 degree Fahrenheit molten iron,” said Professor Vaughn Randall.  “This is an exciting change.”

The finished product of this project will be on display at Court House Park during Chill-A-Bration on March 1st.   Local business and organizations are also welcome to compete in an amateur snow sculpting competition at Court House Park on March 1st.  Applications may be picked up at the office of Cortland’s Downtown Partnership at 9 Main Street in historic downtown Cortland.

 

Cortland Beer Company Introduces
Product at Chill-A-Bration on March 1st

Cortland’s first-ever celebration of all things winter – the Saturday, March 1st Chill-A-Bration in Court House Park – will unveil another first for Cortland New York.  Saturday, March 1st during Chill-A-Bration the public will be invited to sample, for the first time, the first beer from Cortland Beer Company.

Cortland Beer Company is the creation of local residents Terry Vestal and Dan Cleary.  Cortland Beer Company was created in October of 2007.  The first beer from Cortland Beer Company “Crown City Kolsch” is expected to be in local bars and restaurants this spring.

“Cortland is a great community, with a proud history,” said Dan Cleary.  “Crown City Kolsch is a local beer that celebrates this history.”  Cortland Beer Company will expand its product line throughout the year.

During Chill-A-Bration the public will be invited to sample and share their opinion on the Crown City Kolsch brewed for Cortland Beer Company. Owners Dan and Terry as well as Brewer Chuck Williamson will be on hand to gather feedback from local residents.

“We want this beer to be about Cortland,” said Terry Vestal, “The flavor, the look, the beer is all about Cortland.”

Other cities in the region have their own local beer company.  Dan and Terry felt it was time Cortland had its own  -- Cortland Beer Company.  The business is dedicated to making a product Cortland can be proud of. 

Terry and Dan’s original idea was to put a full brewery or brewpub downtown.  With a late 2007 hops shortage they would not have been able to secure this essential ingredient without contracts already in place.

As a solution this year, they are contract brewing with ButterNuts Beer and Ale.  As the company and product line grow they plan on introducing a brewery in Cortland. Cortland Beer Company has a website at www.cortlandbeer.com that outlines their process, vision and will announce when and where local Cortland Beer Company products are available.