The Bear Hug

April 2024

Vision: The vision for the Friends of the Three Bears is to fully utilize the Seneca County Courthouse Complex buildings and become the heart of the community for fine arts and education, and as a hub of tourism for the Finger Lakes Region.

Mission: The mission of the Friends of the Three Bears is to preserve the buildings known as the (historic Seneca County) Courthouse Complex, implement art, music and other educational programs/events and provide historical building tours and area information to visitors. The Friends will accomplish this through fundraising and community outreach.

Dear Friends,

The Friends of the Three Bears hired a new Operations Manager in January. The new manager, Sarah Byers grew up in Breckenridge, Colorado and attended Colorado State University for Business Administration and Human Resources. Her Grandmother, Joyce Clark, grew up in Trumansburg and has had a home on Cayuga Lake for 36 years. Sarah has visited Ovid every year, and moved here in December. She looks forward to getting to know the community members of Ovid better, and is excited to be serving this community. Sarah has been working this past winter, preparing flyers and PR for upcoming Summer events. 

We are getting ready for our annual Mother’s Day Plant and Bake Sale. Everyone is invited to join us on May 11th from 9am to 2pm. Click here to see the poster for this event! We will be selling hanging baskets, herbs, fruit trees, and other plants. In addition to plants, we will have a bake sale, with baskets of baked goods available for purchase. There will also be a raffle for a one-night stay at the cottage behind the Three Bears. If you would like to purchase a raffle ticket, but are not able to attend the plant sale, scan the QR code on the flier to purchase tickets. Click Here for raffle details and ticket sale information. The sale will begin at 9am and go until 2pm. At 11:30, there will be a dedication for the bell and new elevator on the porch of Papa Bear. There will also be an exciting announcement regarding updates to the property. At 12 pm, there will be an a capella performance in the courtroom in Papa Bear. This performance, by So Noted, is open to the public with free admission. Registration is preferred, but not required. Please email threebearsovid@gmail.com to register. Click here to see the poster for the So Noted performance.

We are also seeking volunteers to help out with various tasks for the plant and bake sale. Click here to see what we need help with. If you are interested in volunteering or in donating plants, please email threebearsovid@gmail.com. We also need bakers for the bake sale. We are having a cookie contest. We are looking for 12 bakers to make 4 dozen cookies. Click here for more information. If you are not interested in the cookie contest, but still want to bake something, email threebearsovid@gmail.com. 

As we approach Summer, we have a variety of events and programs planned. Starting on June 20th, the Ovid Farmer’s Market will take place on the lawn of the Three Bears from 3-6pm every Thursday. After the Farmer’s Market, there will be concerts each week from 6:00 to 7:30pm. Click here for a list of performers for this year’s concert series. Feel free to bring a blanket or chairs, and a picnic. In the event of rain, the concerts will be held in the courtroom. 

Starting on June 29th, we will have a Saturday Speaker series, where every Saturday from 11am-12pm, different experts will present on a variety of topics, including Ovid’s connections to the Civil War, Duck Decoys, Beekeeping, Drain tiles, Willard, and more. For more information, click here. 

Art programs this summer will include monthly knitting workshops (click here), weekly quilting bees starting on May 13th (click here), a clay pinch pot workshop on July 16th & 30th (click here), a mandala rock painting class on July 23rd (click here), and a barn quilting class on August 8th (click here). We are also having a painting raffle for a watercolor painting of the Three Bears by artist Yolanda Fiorentino Schofield. Tickets are $5 or 5 for $20. Click here for  more information about the raffle. 

We are bringing back our monthly art expositions for local artists. Their artwork will be displayed around Papa Bear for a month at a time, with a reception at the beginning of the month. Email threebearsovid@gmail.com with questions about the artist receptions or if you are interested in displaying your art at the Three Bears this year. 

If you have any questions regarding upcoming events, email threebearsovid@gmail.com.