CUBA — With the cessation of coronavirus restrictions, the Cuba Chamber of Commerce is bringing back its annual Dairy Days celebration, set for Friday and Saturday.
Still a bit cutdown from previous years, the celebration will include music, a street dance, parade, athletic tournaments, a variety of food vendors and yard sales.
Cuba has a long history with the dairy industry — in the early 1900s it was considered the “cheese center of the world”. The price for cheddar cheese was established at a meeting in Cuba each week at the Hotel Kinney, a prominent hostelry in its day, and was accepted as “The Price” nationwide.
Numerous small cheese factories were scattered across the countryside at various crossroads in the late 1800s and the first cheese company was formed in Cuba in 1871. The company purchased and cured local cheddar cheese and, in 1888, the company bought the building where the Cuba Cheese Shoppe is presently located.
Live music will start off Dairy Days at 4 p.m. Friday at the 150-foot-tall Liberty flagpole on Main Street with Brian Ash performing. A street dance will commence with Off the Wagon from 6 to 9 p.m. followed by ZOAR from 9 p.m. to midnight.
There will be a wine and beer tent and food vendors. There will also be a dunk tank.
Earlier in the day on Friday, village-wide yard sales will start around 8 a.m. and run throughout the day, ending at the pleasure of the property owner. The yard sales will continue on Saturday. Maps for the yard sales will be available at the Main Street office starting Thursday and also on the weekend.
A three-on-three basketball tournament will get started on East Main Street at 8 a.m. Saturday. Registrations start at 7:30 a.m. The cost is $15 per player and some walk-ons will be accepted. Call Aaron White at (585) 307-2447 for more information or to register.
The tournament will benefit the Cuba girls varsity softball and soccer teams.
A car show will start at 9 a.m. Saturday on West Main Street. Preregistration is $10 at (585) 968 5654 or $15 the day of the event. Organizers are urging the entrants to stick around and take part in the parade scheduled to take place at 3:30 p.m.
The craft show and vendor sales will take place from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on East Main. There will also be games. A chicken barbecue is scheduled at the Alco building starting at 10:30 a.m.
There will also be a special demonstration featuring Eric Jones and his sand sculptures. Eric Jones Caricatures and Carvings, in association with Empire City Farms, White Imprints and the Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring Sculpting Through the Seasons, a continuation of the popular “snow carvings” at the Block Barn.
Giant sand sculptures will be created regularly throughout the spring and summer.
Music on Saturday will start with the Cuba-Rushford School Pop Group and Jazz Band at 10 a.m. at the flagpole.
Best Gold Smith bagpiper will play at the Alco building at 10:45 a.m.
Generations will play at the flagpole at 11:30 a.m. followed by the Buckwheats at 1 p.m. at the Alco building and the Chillbilly’s at 1:45 p.m. at the flagpole.
The parade is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Main Street.
