Kelly will perform at 3:30 p.m., Saturday, July 29 in the East Park. Kelly was twice named “Best Female Jazz Vocalist” in the Downbeat Reader’s Poll, and she has recorded six critically acclaimed CDs, according to her website. She has appeared at many regional jazz festivals over her career and has been a featured performer many times at the Fulton Jazz Festival.

“Nancy Kelly is hailed as one of the premier jazz vocalists of our time, and we are delighted that the Port of Oswego is sponsoring her at this year’s Harborfest,” said Francis Enwright, POA board chair.

The Port—as they have for many years—also supports Harborfest by providing mooring for the fireworks barge for the event, supplying them with equipment, labor for loading and unloading, and posting 24-hr. security for the barge, said William Scriber, POA executive director.

“In addition to Harborfest, many people don't realize the extent to which The Port of Oswego supports our local community,” said Connie Cosemento, POA board vice-chair. “ We’re a key supporter of the H. Lee White Museum, where we helped sponsor a visit to Oswego by a tall ship last August. We’ve donated safety equipment to the Oswego Fire Department, sponsored the Lysander Youth Hockey Association, and are currently engaged in assisting the DEC in re-stocking salmon in Lake Ontario.”

Each year, the port stores the salmon fingerling pens that are used for restocking, Scriber said. “The port forgoes any income from the slips the pens occupy in our marina once they are set up to be filled with fingerlings.” According to the DEC, more than 80,000 fish will be loaded into the Oswego pens for stocking in April, where lake trout stocking occurs two out of every three years.

The Port of Oswego, now a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ), set a record year in 2022, with shipping alone up over 300% compared to 2021, Scriber said. It’s strategic location at the crossroads of the Northeastern North American shipping market, puts them less than 350 miles from 60 million people.