Webster’s windy Winter Wonderland in photos

Maybe — just maybe — one year soon, it will actually be snowing during the Village of Webster’s winter celebration.

Now, I’m not wishing for a blizzard, but a gentle flurry and a light dusting of snow on the sidewalks would certainly add to the festive holiday atmosphere that the Business Improvement District (BID) works so hard to present during this annual event. But no, this year we got high winds, strong enough to drive most of the planned activities indoors, and managed to cancel a few of them. (I guess we should be happy it wasn’t pouring rain.)

Still, this year the BID, partnering with the Webster Central PTSA, did their level best to create a fun and family-friendly holiday celebration, even introducing a new name — Webster’s Winter Wonderland — and ’round-the-world theme. There was great participation from village business owners, many of whom enthusiastically participated in creating front window displays or even setting up a table inside their shops to highlight different countries and their winter holidays.

I was like a kid myself, spinning a dreidel at one table, listening to a young lady play a Japanese koto and another man playing a djembe at the Kwanzaa display. I had a delicious slice of kielbasa at Brimont Bistro, and I learned some really neat stuff, like how in Japan, Santa delivers pizza. I was serenaded by the Chorus of the Genesee and Rochester Rhapsody. I also heard some beautiful live music at the Webster Museum and checked out all of the decorated mini-Christmas trees at their Festival of Trees.

I sense that a few things went wrong yesterday, mostly due to the weather, but it was a great first effort. I hope the BID keeps this theme for next year and even more businesses participate.

Maybe we’ll even get a little snow.

Click here to check out my gallery of photos from the day, including from the Parade of Lights. (Thanks to Facebook they’re not in perfect order, but enjoyable to look at anyway.)

One quick addition.

I’d like to share this email I got this morning from my friend Kathy Taddeo at the Webster Museum. It says a lot about the community here in the Village of Webster.

THE MUSEUM’S TERRIFIC NEIGHBORS

Many thanks to the Lapham residents and the Main Street retail and other business folks who generally park in the museum’s lot during the day. 

I had put out a sign asking that our lot be cleared from 1-5 on Saturday, and when I arrived shortly after 1, the lot was completely empty. Their kindness and courtesy allowed two shifts of volunteers and two groups of musicians to park in the lot.  The museum had a great turnout and that is at least partly due to the courtesy of our village neighbors.

Also, kudos to whoever decided to make this annual celebration a multicultural one, and to change the name of the event to Webster’s Winter Wonderland to reflect that change. 

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(posted 12/4/2022)