Write a commentThe pre-festival buzz had been on-going for almost four months when headlining acts for 2013 were announced by Harborfest and some bands themselves on social media.
The most talk seemed centered around the Friday night double header with Foghat and Blue Oyster Cult and the final act on Sunday with the Real Diamond show which was a tribute to Neil Diamond. Both of those billings lived up to the hype as the festival was great from start to finish in 2013.
The crowds at Breitbeck Park acts on the NRG Lakeview Stage for the Thursday night opening acts of Van Halen Nation and the Devonshires, were as large as they have been for any opening night at the festival.
The Friday crowd, again at Breitbeck Park, was perhaps the largest for a Friday night in festival history. The hype for the classic rock double header, sponsored by Budweiser and Constellation Energy Nuclear Group and promoted on radio by TK99, completely lived up to expectations.
Saturday saw a good turnout for the AC/DC tribute band Live Wire as the crowd filled into Breitbeck Park for the Grucci fireworks later that night.
The Sunday afternoon crowd at the NRG Lakeview Stage in Breitbeck, again, may have been one of the largest in festival history for a Sunday afternoon show.
All venues enjoyed great entertainment for the festival. The C's Beverage Center Veteran's Stage at River Walk West was the setting for many good regional bands and the incredible Typhoon Tommy Jet Ski Show on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Over on River Walk East, the Juried Arts & Crafts venue enjoyed great foot-traffic throughout the festival as crafters vied for blue ribbons in multiple categories of crafting. Just a bit further east from there, the Oswego County Federal Credit Union Jazz & Blues Park at Washington Square was filled with great smooth jazz sounds all weekend long.
The Novelis Family Park at Franklin Square was a hit in the second year back to the park where it originated two decades ago. From the Friday senior concerts sponsored by Springside at Seneca Hill to the "Oswego's Got Talent" contest on Sunday, both in the in the Palladium-Times Tent, the entire weekend featured many activities for children along with the annual Children's Musical. Many of the great activities for the children have their own stories as part of the Harborfest website.
A little bit of rain leading up to the fireworks on Saturday night and then again during the early hours on Sunday did little to dampen the crowds which were strong on Thursday, Friday and Sunday for Lakeview Stage shows and still as strong as usual for Saturday because of the Entergy fireworks display. It was a festival that lived up to the buzz that surrounded some top name entertainment which turned out to bring in the crowds.
