Tickets are now available for two very popular Village of Webster events, the Beer Walk and the Bourbon Bash.
The annual Beer Walk returns to the streets of Webster this weekend, Saturday Oct. 15, from 4 to 7 p.m. Participants will wander through the vlllage and pop into more than a dozen local businesses, which will be providing snacks and samples of craft beers, poured in your own personal mini pint glass.
Some of the participating merchants include
BC’s Chicken Coop
Bernardi & Co. CPAs
Woodland Silkscreen/Ohhh Lordy
Crafty Christy’s Boutique
Modified Collective
Beyond Cuts Salon
Brimont Bistro
Lattimore Physical Therapy
The Coach Sports Bar
JoJo Bistro and Wine Bar
Barry’s Old School Irish
Ploty’s Bar and Grill
Cobblestone on Main restaurant
Mayer’s Cider, Wine, and Brewery
Finns Automotive
Glass pickup this time around will be at BC’s Chicken Coop, 159 West Main Street. The Village Oktoberfest is also happening this Saturday evening from 6 to 9 p.m. (more info on that soon), so Beer Walkers can enjoy those festivities as well.
Tickets for the Beer Walk are $20 and can be purchased online here.
This year’s Bourbon Bash returns Saturday Nov. 5 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Harmony House, 58 E. Main St.
Sample bourbons and whiskey from local and national distilleries, complemented by food samples from local restaurants.
This very popular event is brought to you by the Webster Business Improvement District and Webster Wine and Spirits. Tickets are $25 and will be limited (this event always sells out, so get your tickets doon). They can be purchased online here or at websterbid.com. Cash sale tickets are also available at Hegedorns.
If you’ve lived in Webster for any length of time, chances are you’ve heard about, or perhaps even hiked, our town’s beautiful trails. The system’s almost two dozen trails already stretch from the farthest corner of northwest Webster, south to 104 and east to Phillips Rd., and more are being created every year.
We have the Friends of Webster Trails to thank for this outstanding trail system. These hard-working volunteers put in thousands of hours every summer and fall planning, creating and maintaining the trails, clearing brush and invasive plants, laying gravel, building bridges and boardwalks, and more.
A good example of the Friends’ dedication to preserving our beautiful natural lands is their current ReTree Webster initiative.
ReTree Webster is a program which recognizes that Webster’s forests are under attack from insects and disease. As thousands of ash, hemlock, oak and beech die, they’re replaced by invasive and, usually, non-native trees.
The Friends of Webster Trails developed the ReTree program to fight back. They first completed tree surveys along many of the trails. Then, after removing some of the invasive species, new trees were purchased or grown from seedlings to replace them.
The Friends have already started planting many of those seedlings along a high traffic area of Whiting Road Nature Preserve (WRNP). Those new plants will be joined by larger saplings and other native trees next weekend, when volunteers will plant 20 saplings, some up to six feet tall, along the new Michael Johnson Trail at WRNP.
The planting event will take place on Saturday morning Oct. 15 at 9 a.m. at WRNP. Volunteers of all skill levels are needed to transport, plant, position and protect the trees. If you’re interested in helping out, just show up at the Whiting Rd. Nature Preserve parking lot that morning. You can help make a big difference in protecting Webster’s open spaces.
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If you haven’t explored any of Webster’s trails yet, this time of year is the perfect time to do so. Our area’s natural beauty is especially spectacular in the fall. Three events in the next few weeks offer some opportunities to do so.
On Saturday Oct. 29 at 12:30 p.m., the Friends will lead a guided hike through Four Mile Creek Preserve and tell the history behind six abandoned cars you pass along the trails there. There should be some interesting stories.
The following weekend, the Friends will host their annual Hot Cocoa Hike on Saturday Nov. 5. This is a fun self-guided hike along a trail marked with lights. At the end, hikers are rewarded with hot chocolate. The hike will begin at 7 p.m., at a location yet to be determined. (Details to come at webstertrails.org.)
Earlier that day, kids of all ages are invited to enjoy a Family Scavenger Hunt at Kent Park on Schlegel Rd. Three skill levels for ages 2 through 12 will be available. The event begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday Nov. 5 and costs $5 per child. For more information and to register, visit the Webster Parks and Recreation website.
Click here to find out more about the Friends of Webster Trails.
Halloween-time is my favorite time of year for a lot of reasons, but one of them is seeing all the Halloween decorations that pop up at the houses around town.
Last year I walked around a bit in the village on Halloween night while my husband manned the trick-or-treat table, and photographed some of the lights and scary decorations. I posted them here in this blog, if you’re interested. I’d like to do the same again this year, but I don’t want to wait until Halloween, and I don’t want to limit my photos to the village.
So, if you see any especially nice decorations going up on houses in your neighborhood (or you’re especially proud of your own spooky display), I hope you’ll me know about them. And I’m not just talking about tombstones, coffins and skeletons. I love taking photos of holiday light displays. I’ll take all your suggestions and drive around a few weeks from now to snap some photos.
You can comment on this blog, message me on Facebook or send me an email. Thanks for your help!
Leading today’s mailbag is the Webster Public Library Book Sale, happening Friday and Saturday at the library, 980 Ridge Rd., at the back of Webster Plaza.
Hardcover books are just $1 each, and paperbacks only 50 cents. Today and Saturday are also BYOB Bag Sale days. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to noon tomorrow, bring your own bag and fill it for just $5. Credit cards are accepted, and all proceeds benefit the library.
Also happening at the library this month:
The What, Why and How of Paranormal Investigating, Tuesday Oct. 11, 7 to 8 p.m. — Monroe County Paranormal Investigators discuss the process they go through to investigate, as well as share evidence from local haunts. There is no cost, but registration is required. Click here to register.
Invasive Species Talk: Spotted Lanternfly, Thursday Oct. 13, 6:30 to 8 p.m. — Learn about one of the biggest invasive species threats seen in decades, the spotted lanternfly, and how you can help stop this destructive bug. There’s no cost, but registration is required. Click here to register.
Spooky Storytime, Tuesday Oct. 25, 10 to 10:30 a.m. — Some skele-fun with spooky stories and a creepy craft! Feel free to wear your Halloween costume. All ages are welcome, and no registration is required.
Library Trick or Treat, Friday Oct. 28, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. — Bring the whole family trick-or-treating at the library. Follow the trick-or-treat trail through the entire library with a spooky maze at the end. No registration is required.
Halloween Crafts, Saturday Oct. 29, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Drop in anytime. All ages are welcome and no registration is required.
For the teens and tweens, there’s a Stranger Things craft night on Wednesday Oct. 12 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. with crafts and activities. Grades 4 to 12 are welcome, and registration is required. And on Friday Oct. 21 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. there’s a special Halloween Night with games, activities, crafts, treats and more. Registration is required.
St. Martin Lutheran Church is offering up some great food again.
Their next Pulled Pork Drive Thru BBQ will happen on Saturday Oct. 15 from 4:30 until gone at the church on 813 Bay Road, Webster. Pull into the parking lot, place your order using exact payment, and the dinner will be delivered to you as you drive up in your car.
The take-out dinner includes pulled pork, roll, salt potatoes, cole slaw and cookie for $12.00. Proceeds support the church’s eleventh annual Christmas Stocking Project reaching over 500 children and teens in Monroe and Wayne counties.
These next few events are repeats from my last mailbag, in case you might have missed them the first time.
The West Webster Fire Department will hold their open house on Sunday Oct. 16 from 1 to 4 p.m., and the Webster Volunteer Fire Department will hold their open house on Saturday Oct. 29 (during Halloween in the Village). These events offer much more than fire trucks, too. There are demonstrations, giveaways, a chance to check out all sorts of emergency equipment and talk to real first responders. But of course, there’s definitely plenty of opportunities to take a picture of your young firefighter sitting in a real fire truck.
The West Webster Fire Department is at 1051 Gravel Rd., and the Webster Volunteer Fire Department is on South Ave. in the Village of Webster. These events are both free and open to everyone.
Gleason Orthodontics, on South Ave. in the village, will be hosting a winter-wear donation drive from Oct. 1 through Nov. 20.
You can drop off adult and youth-sized coats, hats and gloves at the office, 246 South Ave., during regular business hours.
The Webster Recreation Center, Webster Central PTSA and Webster Teachers Association are also hosting a Concert Apparel and Coat Drive. They’re looking for any size (toddler through adult) of the following items in good condition:
Winter coats, jackets, pants, boots and accessories
Concert apparel: white and black tops, shoes, bottoms and accessories
Collection boxes are loated at each Webster Central School building through Oct. 27.
On Saturday Oct. 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr., anyone who needs winter or concert gear can come “shop” for gently-used items for free.
And don’t forget about the Webster Community Blood Drive, which returns next Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 12 and 13 from noon to 7 p.m. at the Firemen’s Exempt Building, 172 Sanford St.
Regular blood donors will know this drive as one where everyone gets a coupon for a free ice cream cone from Bruster’s. Plus, the Red Cross will be giving all donors a $5 e-gift card, good for use at a merchant of their choice.
Walk-ins will be accommodated, but it’s always best to make an appointment. Click here and choose the time that best fits into your schedule. Or call 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767). And make sure to fill out your RapidPass on the day of your donation to save at least 15 minutes.
Our very own State Champion Webster Marching Band will host their 36th annual Autumn Fanfare field show and competition this Saturday October 8 at Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Rd.
Ten different field bands will compete this year, representing schools from Buffalo to Victor. Each school has about 10 minutes to present their program for the judges before clearing the field for the next band. The programs they present reflect months worth of planning and rehearsing to be ready for almost weekly competitions in September and October, culminating in the state championships on Oct. 30.
Autumn Fanfare is always a spectacular evening of storytelling through music, marching, and even a little bit of acting. There are always huge set pieces involved to move the music-story forward, and this year is especially impressive, ’cause there’s a light show involved.
Their 2022 field show is called “Only Light Can Do That,” and according to the release the band sent, it revolves around “being the light in a dark world…. It reminds people that fighting hate with hate only creates more hate, and that fighting darkness with darkness only creates darkness. Illustrating that change can begin with one person at a time, and that light and positivity can be infectious.”
The release further descibed the show:
Their performance starts with a flute soloist who plays a melody that repeats throughout the show. This represents the light. In Movement One (“Darkness”), the rest of the ensemble represents the darkness that overtakes the single light. However, in Movements Two (“Shining Through”) and Three (“Light”), you hear and see a shift of positivity when the full ensemble plays the “light” melody which represents light overtaking all of the darkness. Musical selections include original music by Webster Marching Band Director Jerbrel Bowens.
See? It’s kind of like a theatrical performance, driven by music. You really got to see it to believe it.
Autumn Fanfare begins promptly at 6 p.m. with a performance by Marcus Whitman. The rest of the schedule looks like this:
6:13 p.m.: Le Roy
6:26 p.m.: Hilton
6:39 p.m.: Greece
7:12 p.m.: Webster
7:25 p.m.: West Seneca
7:38 p.m.: Medina
7:51 p.m.: East Irondequoit
8:04 p.m.: Lancaster
8:17 p.m.: Victor
Gates will open at 5 p.m. Tickets are $7 in advance from Hegedorn’s, $9 at the gate. The show will be held rain or shine.
I want to send out a quick public thank you to everyone who has reached out with offers to provide new toys or winter wear to held Florence Kinney, a.k.a. “Mrs. Claus,” reach her unbelievable goal of 100,000 gifts given to children.
If you missed that blog, here’s the story in a nutshell. For the last 32 years, Florence has been purchasing (almost exclusively with her own money) gifts for children who might not otherwise get anything for Christmas. By the end of last year she had donated more than 97,500 gifts, and this year hopes to top the 100,000 mark. Click here to read that blog.
If anyone is still interested in helping out, some of the items she’d especially appreciate include winter wear for children ages infant to 18 (like hats, gloves, scarves, lots and lots of socks); toy trucks, Little Peeples, Barnies, baby dolls or any toys without small parts; and storybooks. Bottom line, though, if you’d like to donate any kind of new toy or winter wear, she’ll find a child who will greatly appreciate it.
Drop me an email anytime at missyblog@gmail.com if you’d like more information or would like to arrange to have me pick up your items.
Late last night, my husband and I returned from a week-long holiday in Copenhagen. It wasn’t a country we’d every thought would be on our traveling bucket list. But when he saw an conference scheduled for at Roskilde University that dovetailed with his research agenda, he jumped at the excuse to spend some time in Denmark.
And of course I joined him.
Through the wonders of the internet, before I even left town I was able to schedule a half dozen blogs to post throughout the week ahead, so you probably didn’t even notice any glitches. Of course, if you were up in the wee hours of the morning and saw one of my blogs post at 1 a.m., you might have wondered.
We were hoping that the typical cool, rainy weather that Denmark’s known for in October would also take a holiday, but that wasn’t to be the case. Still, umbrellas in hand, we explored about as much of Copenhagen that could be explored, and one day even took a train north to small-town Elsinore to check out that charming old seaside community. And of course, since we were literally so close to Sweden that we could see it across the Øresund strait, we had to spend some time there.
I took a ton of photos, of course, and those are great, but I’ve decided I’m going to chronicle my adventures with a fridge magnet purchased from each of the countries I visit in our travels. So this morning I added two new magnets to my fridge, one from Copenhagen — specifically, the beautiful Nyhavn neighborhood — and one from Sweden. They joined the one I got from Barcelona on a cruise we took over the summer.
We’re not planning any more world traveling for a while, but I’m hoping next spring I’ll be adding a few more magnets from Ireland, England, and maybe even Wales. In the meantime, it’s good to be home and get my blogging feet back under me again.
I think my husband is glad I’ve decided to collect magnets from every country we visit, instead of my original plan: hoodies. I understand where he’s coming from; hoodies are harder to hang on the fridge.
The bi-annual Webster Community Blood Drive returns on Wednesday and Thursday October 12 and 13, and it’s coming at a critical time.
The American Red Cross is facing a national blood crisis, its worst blood shortage in more than a decade. As a result, doctors have been forced to make difficult decisions about who receives blood transfusions and who will need to wait until more products become available. Blood and platelet donations are critically needed to help prevent further delays in vital medical treatments.
So Webster, that means we really need to step up to the plate.
The two-day drive will be held Wednesday Oct. 12 and Thursday Oct. 13, from noon to 7 p.m., both days at the Firemen’s Exempt Building, 172 Sanford St.
Regular Community Blood Drive donors will be pleased to know that Bruster’s will once again be offering a coupon to every presenting donor, good for a free small cone or dish of ice cream. The Red Cross will also be giving all donors a $5 e-gift card, good for use at a merchant of their choice. (Make sure your donor account is up to date so you can get the email.)
Walk-ins will be accommodated, but it’s always best to make an appointment. Click here and choose the time that best fits into your schedule. Or call 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767). And make sure to fill out your RapidPass on the day of your donation to save at least 15 minutes.
This is always one of the best-attended drives of the entire year, and the Red Cross really has come to count on our community in times like these. Let’s not let them down.
I feature the people and places and events that make Webster the wonderful community it is — and throw in some totally-not-Webster-related personal ramblings every once in a while as well.
I love it when readers send me news about the great things happening in their schools or the community, so please email me anytime at missyblog@gmail.com
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