It’s a Memorial Day weekend delight: music, food, arts and crafts vendors, fireworks. Some of the best glassblowers on the planet are on the outdoor stages, using open flame to create dazzling shapes. Little kids marvel at the street entertainers. All along Corning’s historic five-block Market Street, wine lovers sip Finger Lakes offerings at street-side tables, shoppers explore charming boutiques, and hungry folks find a variety of sustenance. GlassFest is a unique celebration of glass and the fire arts, a one-of-a-kind shopping mecca, and one of the best hometown fairs in the entire country.

Yes, it’s magical, but it was created through determination and sheer hard work. Think of the logistics required: parking, traffic protocols, restrooms, lining up vendors, booking entertainment, obtaining legal clearances, and then managing the eventual cleanup. It’s not quite Eisenhower on D-Day, to be sure, but it’s a lot of responsibility and an awful lot of stress. And what about that great variable, the weather?

“Although I haven’t figured out how to manage Mother Nature, we always focus on the safety of our guests and work around weather conditions accordingly,” says Coleen Fabrizi, outgoing Gaffer District executive director. The weather has generally been excellent—knock on wood (or maybe glass)—but GlassFest has specifically been designed to be a joyful experience, rain or shine.

Now in its sixteenth year, GlassFest wishes to pay a fond farewell to Coleen and to Christine Sharkey, two women who largely helped envision and build this friendly family carnival. Coleen, a former president of the Corning Area Chamber of Commerce, has led the Gaffer District since 2008; she will retire in June. Chris, formerly a Gaffer District board chair and then president of Corning Enterprises, retired in 2024 after forty-three years of working in and for the Crystal City. Together and with their capable team, they’ve spent thousands of hours to make GlassFest the event it has become. Their reward is not monetary.

“I love watching the experience unfold on people’s faces,” says Coleen. “There’s something magical about watching a child's eyes as they see the hot glass show on Centerway Square stage, and then explore the many kids’ activities sprinkled throughout the weekend.”

Exit ArtFest and LPGA

GlassFest had its roots in an older street festival, called ArtFest, held in mid-July from 1993 through 2007. It was a fun festival, but, over the years, turnout sagged, and by 2007 there was no longer much enthusiasm from either vendors or organizers for another go-round. Coleen had assumed leadership of the Gaffer District in January 2008, and she saw the writing on the wall.

“Attendance had been waning for years and…(ArtFest) just wasn’t working,” Coleen told the Ithaca Times. Perhaps it was too similar to other street fairs in the region, such as the Park Avenue Festival in Rochester and other events in Penn Yan, Orchard Park, Canandaigua, and Binghamton, many of which shared the same circuit of vendors.

And there was another disappointing situation at hand: in 2009, the Corning Classic portion of the Ladies’ Professional Golf Association Tour had also quietly come to an end. Held in late May since 1979, the Classic had showcased some of the finest golfers in the world at the lovely Corning Country Club. It brought booming trade and friendly consumers to local businesses, and also raised huge amounts for charity, but had reached a point of diminishing returns that was strained even further by the economic crisis of 2008. Its longtime sponsor, Corning Incorporated, struggled with LPGA management over issues including prize money and revenue, and made the difficult and reluctant decision to cancel the event. For a small town that depends hugely upon tourism, Corning was suddenly bereft of an important holiday weekend event, and local merchants, hotels, and restaurants were deeply and negatively affected. Something needed to be done; the cavalry needed to be called in.

Enter Coleen and Chris, and enter GlassFest.

History Takes Center Stage

The first task in creating an appealing street festival was to make it special, to separate it from the pack. That was the easy part.

“We are the city of glass,” says Coleen. “Not just in innovation and science, but also in art.” A street fair to specifically honor Corning’s heritage? Perfect. The aptly labeled Crystal City was built on glass manufacturing; to this very day, an old steam whistle that once summoned artisans to work remains a part of the fabric of the town’s daily life: it blows at 8 a.m., at lunchtime, and at 5 p.m., and there are retired glass workers who still pace their daily routines to it. And then, Coleen explains, a mighty partner stepped up.

“(GlassFest) was actually a joint venture between Corning’s Gaffer District and the Corning Museum of Glass,” she says. “The museum came to us and said, ‘We know glass, you know event planning’—and the rest is history.” Save for a much smaller glass fair on the West Coast, there’s nothing like it in the country, and over Memorial Day weekend some of the most noteworthy glass artists and aficionados on the planet will flock to Corning.

The more difficult part—as always—was to find financial backing. Someone, namely Coleen and Chris, had to shake that tin cup and politely ask local businesses for sponsorship. It was a difficult time for “the ask,” as the country was still emerging from recession in 2010, but Coleen found some willing attitudes among those they spoke with.

“Fortunately, when I met with our prospective sponsors, there was no hesitation. Corning Inc., Chemung Canal Trust Company, CMoG, and Simmons-Rockwell have been spectacular supporters from day one, and I could not be more grateful.”

Getting to Know Corning, Glass, and Gaffers

Coleen, a Finger Lakes native, is one of six children, and credits that in part for her work ethic and organizational skills. As the daughter of home-based small business owners, she helped answer the home/work phone by the time she was in elementary school and, like her siblings, pitched in with house and farm chores throughout childhood.

“Growing up on a farm was a wonderful place to develop a reality-based work ethic that included equal parts determination and innovative problem solving,” she recalls. She wasn’t very familiar with Corning when she first visited with a friend in 2002. Upon seeing Market Street’s beautiful architecture and shopping options, she had a “Mary Tyler Moore” moment, referring to the iconic TV show’s opening credits where a bright young ingenue falls in love with a new city and its possibilities.

“I stood in Centerway Square and did a little twirl, like Mary did, though I didn’t literally throw my hat in the air, and I thought, ‘I could move my career here.’”

And Coleen did just that. She served as president of the Corning Area Chamber of Commerce, then, in 2008, assumed leadership of the Gaffer District, a special long-term project of Corning Enterprises.

“The first thing that crossed my mind (on joining the Gaffer District) was, ‘How fortunate we are to have Enterprises behind us!’” recalls Coleen.

So…what is Corning Enterprises? Think of it as a benevolent hand, behind the scenes, that boosts the local economy, schools, and quality of life for all who live, work, and enjoy the region. It was organized and funded in 1983 as the economic development subsidiary of Corning Glass Works (renamed Corning Incorporated in 1989). Put another way, a major company like Corning Inc. must compete with other corporate giants to recruit and then keep the best talent in the industry. While Steuben County can’t offer all the amenities that a big city can, it does offer some things that are pretty priceless: a genuine hometown, a great place to raise kids, no gridlock, no smog, no sprawling subdivisions. Two world-class art museums and an art-friendly ethos. Due largely to Corning Enterprises, Corning has an authentic downtown. It’s healthy and vibrant, with about 200 small businesses—almost all owned and operated by local people.

“Each one started as someone’s entrepreneurial dream,” says Coleen. With tactful understatement, she adds, “You can’t deny the difference between Corning and other small towns without that helping hand.”

And…what’s a “gaffer,” anyway? It’s a centuries-old term for the head glassblower in a hot glass shop, possibly derived from “grandfather” in the sense of an experienced, steady hand in charge of a close-working unit, and often making crucial decisions on the fly. (That’s Coleen and Chris!) The Gaffer District organization became official in 2004, and represented the historic downtown business community with restaurants, retail, services, salons, and more along both Market Street and Bridge Street. Events under the Gaffer District umbrella include Crystal City Christmas, farmer’s markets, Summer in Downtown, Harvest, Sparkle, Music in the Parks, and Cruisin’ on the Bridge. Corning has been named “Most Fun Small Town in America” by Rand McNally and one of the American Planning Association’s “Great Places in America.” GlassFest itself has been named by the American Bus Association as one of the Top 100 Events in North America.

But just like in any good story arc, when things are running swimmingly with no hint of trouble, along came the waking nightmare known as covid-19, which collapsed economies all over the world in towns large and small. Once again, the Fabrizi-Sharkey team rose to the challenge by creating an innovative “buy now, shop later” plan, which offered a dollar-for-dollar match that ultimately distributed about $500,000 in cash to nearly ninety struggling local businesses—and not a single one closed. Tarrah Seaver, owner of Laurabelle’s A Scratch Bakery, had opened just two months before the pandemic, and credits this program with helping save her business (which thrives to this day). “A lot of folks are coming out to support us and it’s been amazing,” Tarrah told WENY in 2020. “It’s definitely brought the community together, and it’s helping Market Street stay alive.” GlassFest went virtual in 2020, and, still plagued with restrictions and uncertainly, bravely returned in a smaller, hybrid version as GlassFest Fusion in 2021. Its full-scale comeback in 2022 was a joyous occasion, “a welcome return to normalcy after a long two years,” recalls Chris. “GlassFest 2022 wasn’t just putting the toe in the water to test the temperature,” she says. “It was a much needed dive into the deep end to embrace the start of a more normal summer.”

Chris had first visited the Crystal City after joining Corning Incorporated in 1980. She has family roots in New England—her dad even had a lobster boat at one time—but moved all over the Northeast as her father was transferred from job to job. Her experiences as “new kid” in diverse locations helped her become adaptable, resilient, and open-minded. Leaving eighth grade in Massachusetts for high school in Owensboro, Kentucky, was a bit of a culture shock, but she remains fond of both places. She graduated from Kenyon College in Ohio, a small, prestigious liberal arts school described as a “Little Ivy,” where she rode for the equestrian team. Her first impression of Corning was that “it was very much a factory town.”

“But I could tell there was a wonderful preservation movement afoot and gaining momentum.”

Of her tenure with Corning Inc., Chris says it was “really sort of two different careers.”

“I was in finance for the first half of my career, working for a number of different businesses. Then I moved over to Corning Enterprises in 2001.” She was instrumental in the consolidation and rebranding of Corning’s downtown—Corning’s Gaffer District—in 2004.

“Market Street’s rebuild after the flood [in 1972] was the country’s first Main Street revitalization. Launching the Gaffer District was the next logical step,” Chris recalls. In her time since, she is proudest of the work she has done in the fields of education and childcare. The Corning STEM Academy, largely her creation (2017), has helped to advance college and career readiness for thousands of young people across the region; notably, 60 percent of its graduates are female. She organized covid-19 response efforts in regional school districts, garnering $180,000 in grants to support connectivity solutions, including resources for students in virtual learning environments. She was the catalyst that brought together relief agencies in response to an August 2021 flood that battered many small communities in the region. And she was even the driving force behind the Wineglass Marathon, a 26.2-mile race held every October at the height of fall foliage; it has been named one of the top ten destination races in the world by RaceRaves.

Chris and her husband, John, now split their year between winters in Florida and summers on a gorgeous farm in Troupsburg, a rural community a half hour west of Corning. She continues to chair the Wineglass board, assists the Fund for Women (an organization she helped found in 2009), and has been an integral part of the United Way’s response to the 2024 flooding from Hurricane Debby.

At the start of 2024, the Corning Enterprises moniker was retired, but its work continues under a more efficient new umbrella organization called Community Impact & Investment—yet Chris knows Corning Inc.’s commitment to the community will continue.

“It’s just going to take a different shape going forward,” says Chris. “I think the company remains committed to the community it’s called home for more than 160 years.”

Team Effort

Both Coleen and Chris are adamant that the real heroes of GlassFest are “the very small but mighty staff of the Gaffer District and all of the volunteers that make it all possible,” as Coleen puts it, adding “GlassFest would not exist without the generous support of committed sponsors.”

“I was so lucky to have the opportunity to do this work, particularly in a community that has been my home for over forty years,” says Chris. “It wasn’t just being able to assist with the resources we had to work with, but it was the deep relationships with so many community partners that had the biggest impact on me.”

Over the years, a steady rotation of performers and vendors has enabled the festival to stay fresh and intriguing, including dancers, puppeteers, magicians, jugglers, sketch artists, and even a kid-size train ride.

“You never want an event like this to get old,” says Coleen. “We have entertainment and performances on every block, and glassblowing and other fire arts demonstrations throughout Market Street. It doesn’t matter if you’re there for one day or all days, you’re going to have a fabulous, fun time. All the activities are free, including the concerts and the fireworks. And I can’t thank our sponsors enough for helping us make that happen.” Free parking, so scarce at some other festivals, is also available within close walking distance.

The excitement begins at noon on Friday, May 23, in Centerway Square with the traditional Glass Ribbon Cutting ceremony. Gaffers draw a strand of glass across the stage and a representative of the presenting sponsor, Chemung Canal Trust Company, cuts the ribbon with a pair of shears (it feels like cutting a piece of taffy). Then, as Coleen says, “the crowd goes wild,” and the festivities begin.

Friday night, the legendary ’90s alternative rock band Vertical Horizon headlines the Rock the Park concert series in Riverfront Centennial Park. All weekend, for a fee, visitors can tour the Rockwell Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate, and the world-renowned Corning Museum of Glass (where those seventeen and under are always free). The Wineglass 8K is Saturday morning.

“They put on a fantastic race, and every single person gets a beautiful custom glass medal,” Coleen says.

This year, country star Tony Jackson performs in the park on Saturday night, with fireworks over the Chemung River at 9:45 p.m. The celebration ends, appropriately, with a Memorial Day tribute at Riverfront Park at noon on Sunday, with the arts fair on the street wrapping up at 4 p.m.

Current Gaffer District Vice President Courtney Woods says, “We wish Coleen and Chris nothing but the best in this next chapter of their lives. May it be filled with joy, well-deserved adventures…and sleeping in!”

For the most up-to-date information on GlassFest, visit gafferdistrict.com or call (607) 937-6292.