Staff Picks
Our best bets for local fall activities

Larissa Ryan
Office Manager
Draping the Pews Quilt Show

Sometimes, I just want to slow down and focus on the little things. For me that means knitting or reading or playing computer games.

A craft I’ve been considering adding to the list is quilting. It is a beautiful pastime with a huge amount of applications, including the classic blanket, purses, wallets, window coverings and so much more.

This past weekend I stopped by the “Draping the Pews” quilt show by the Fly Creek Quilters at the Fly Creek Methodist Church to see what they’d been working on this past year and found myself in a church awash with color.

Quilts hung on every pew and on the walls. My favorite was the one made from scraps of cloth masks the group made last year for the hospital. It was colorful and had words of wisdom printed on plain cloth in the gaps.

There were sayings like “Be the reason someone smiles today, or the reason they drink. Whatever works,” and “You’re only young once, but you can be immature forever.”

My second favorite was embroidered like the song, “over the river and through the woods.”

The show also included quilted items for sale, including microwave bowl holders, table runners, pot holders, Christmas ornaments and more. I bought a bag for microwaving baked potatoes.

The Fly Creek Quilters meet at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays at the Fly Creek Methodist Church. You can buy
materials at Heartwork Quilts and Fabrics, a locally owned business!

Kevin Limiti
Reporter
Open Mic Night at the Black Oak Tavern

Since moving from Brooklyn to Oneonta, the one event I missed more than anything else is open mic nights. But the Black Oak Tavern, which has become my favorite bar here, has started open mic nights on Mondays now that the college kids are back in town.

It was totally worth it. The open mic was much more personable and supportive than the other ones I’ve been to over the years. People actually do give you somewhat of an audience. Previous open mics were often packed to the brim with musicians who signed up, performed, then left in a hurry.

Luckily, this open mic wasn’t like that. All the artists, with a few exceptions, stayed for the rest of the show, which is something I very much appreciated.

I played guitar for the audience. There weren’t that many musicians signed up, so I got to play quite a few songs. Afterwards, the bartender gave me a beer on the house, which is a true measure of success.

My favorite act at the show was named Blister Boo, a rapper who wears a green ski mask and raps over some really noisy, hardcore beats. He was definitely the most original act I saw that night, but there were also a fair share of country artists and indie rockers.

Open mic sign up is at 6:30 p.m., Mondays with the actual peformances starting at 7 p.m.

Come out to support local music. Who knows maybe you’ll even see your favorite reporter there one of these days.

Rock on!