End of an Era: Owego’s Famed Big Strawberry is Being Retired

The iconic wood-carved strawberry that has graced Front Street in the village of Owego for the past decade is being replaced.

The bright-red work of art on the north side of the Susquehanna River has started to show its age in recent years, so a new model is being crafted.

Kim Trahan owns the site where the Big Strawberry has been displayed. She said it has become a symbol of Owego, which draws thousands of people to the Strawberry Festival every June.

Trahan told WNBF News after arborist Chris Eberly carved the strawberry, she offered her riverbank property as a place where residents and tourists could appreciate it.

Trahan said "time and the elements and insects and birds have attacked it and it's badly deteriorated." She said the condition of the old strawberry was starting to pose a safety hazard.

Last fall, Trahan decided to develop a project to replace the carving. She said she's pleased with the way "the community has pulled together this spring to create a new strawberry."

Businesses and residents have pitched in to make the project possible.

An Elmira woodcarver, Roy Barber, plans to use a chainsaw to create the next-generation strawberry out of a large piece of wood during the festival on Saturday.

The new strawberry will be displayed on an elevated concrete base that should help prevent the deterioration of the wood.

Trahan said the retired carving will be used for ornaments and decorative items.

VIDEO: Kim Trahan discussed the Changing of the Strawberries on June 14, 2024.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.