08/17/2026
🪩 Me oh my, Cortland. 🪩
💥What. A. Day.💥
Lots of people have their own favorite part of the day — but the best one we heard was someone who noted how they loved seeing so many people, throughout the day, stop on the street and cry out, jump for joy, and hug and handshake one another with big beefy grins.
The moments of the day where old friends and family reconnect surreptitiously, zipping into one another, surrounded by music and color and friends and love and goodwill.
❤️We think it’s our favorite, too.❤️
🪩Thank you to the performers who play for the love of the game - whose goodness and joy ripples to the kids, who are watching, listening, absorbing and dreaming.
🪩Thank you to the neighbors who open their streets, lawns, hearts and homes.
🪩Thank you to the City of Cortland who say ‘yes’ to this fever dream of a day.
🪩Thank you to the Activity Booths and businesses who bring the fun and the flavor.
🪩Thank you to the incredible volunteers from Cortland High School Student Council who keep the day running smoothly and keep it neat. (You are the best!)
🪩To Shay, the fearless organizer of the Kid Parade.
🪩To Rosie, the Kid Stage Connoisseur and Coordinator.
🪩To Amanda, Gonda and Amy - the beating hearts behind the year-round organizing.
🪩To the sponsors whose donations fund the portajohns, the printing, the signs and give real juice to the fundraising drive.
🪩To Graph-Tex, Julie and Derek, who crush the merch every year and have created our culture.
🪩And thank you to YOU.
You, who show up. Who drop bills in the donation buckets. Who bring coolers to share. Who carry two chairs so your new friends have a place to sit. Who dance, who play, who laugh, who help, who energize and whoop it up and SHOW UP.
You, who knows the value of *being there.*
❤️Thank you. ❤️
🤘We love you, Cortland. 🤘
Photo cred Amanda Miller, the bomb 💣 dot com
