The Village of Webster’s annual holiday fun festival, Winter Wonderland, returns to Main Street, Gazebo Park and Village Hall next weekend, on Saturday Dec. 7.
All of your family favorites will be back for the afternoon and evening, including carriage rides, crafts for the kids, cookie decorating, live music, story time, and a visit with Santa, culminating with the always spectacular Parade of Lights down Main Street.
Everything starts at 3 p.m., when Santa will welcome children in the warm Village Hall Community Meeting Room until 5:00 p.m., when he has to leave and get ready to ride in the parade.
Here’s a quick look at everything else going on that afternoon evening:
3:30 – 5:30 PM – Horse drawn carriage rides; departing from Veterans Park
3 – 5:30 PM – Scavenger hunt, cookie decorating, crafts, music performances from Rochester Rhapsody chorus and Jerry Christopher, hot cocoa and popcorn and more along Main Street
4:30 PM – Storytime with Jason from the Webster Public Library (location TBD)
2 – 8 PM – Holiday Craft Show; Harmony House 58 East Main Street. Free admission, more than 30 vendors, live music, and cash bar with holiday cocktails
And while you’re in town for the festivities, make sure to walk up the short block to the Webster Museum (18 Lapham Park) where there’ll be live music from 2 to 6 p.m., and your chance to place your vote in the museum’s Festival of Trees. The very popular Museum raffle will also be back this year, so bring a little cash, put a chance in for some great prizes and support the museum!
A few event locations are still being finalized, and when they do, the Webster BID will be posting the final details and a map online at websterbid.com, so stay tuned for that.
Everything wraps up with the spectacular Parade of Lights which will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Kircher Park and travel west down Main Street to Fireman’s Field. It’s always amazing to see all of the fire trucks, bands, community group floats — everyone and everything — parade by, covered in twinkling Christmas lights.
I’ll be walking around with my camera, so if you see me, smile nice!
Here’s a link to my gallery from last year’s Winter Wonderland and Parade of Lights.
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After 98 years of service to our community, Underberg & Kessler LLP is well known in a variety of circles – business, municipalities and community. With 58 staff members across Rochester, Buffalo, Canandaigua and Geneseo, their legal service offerings are comprehensive and visible.
Underberg & Kessler also gives back to the community. Their U&K Cares Program has supported more than 30 charities since its inception in 2019, and staff members also participate with the Chamber’s team at Heritage Christian Stables on the United Way Day of Caring.
The Webster Chamber of Commerce Events and Honors Committee presents a Business of the Month award to one of their member businesses at each of their monthly breakfast meetings. It’s one way the Chamber helps keep their member businesses and organizations visible throughout the Webster community. Length of service and commitment to our community are success factors the Webster Chamber of Commerce enjoys recognizing and celebrating.
Pictured above: team members from Underberg & Kessler accept the Business of the Month award. (L-R) Attorney Kyle C. Pittman, Attorney Patrick L. Cusato, Past Webster Chamber Chair Carolyn Montanaro, and Attorney Andrew M. Washburn.
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On the occasion of this Thanksgiving holiday, I’d like to highlight two organizations who are helping make the holidays — and every day — a little bit happier.
Last weekend, the Blue Star Mothers ROC NY8 packaged and shipped 236 care packages for our local soldiers serving overseas. As you can see from the photos, the packages included so many items which will be greatly appreciated by our troops, including snacks, socks, powdered hot chocolate, beef jerky, instant oatmeal, and lots more. The packages will be sent all over the world.
This particular packing and shipping event was called their “Holiday Care Package Drive.” The Blue Star Mothers also send out a shipment every June. The packages not only bring a bit of joy to our soldiers serving far from home, but also bring comfort to the families left behind, who can see how much their loved ones are appreciated.
Coming up for the Blue Star Mothers:
The annual Army/Navy Game Fundraiser will be December 14 at the Spencerport American Legion, 691 Trimmer Rd. There’ll be food, basket raffles, 50/50 raffle, and of course FOOTBALL!
The power of collaboration shone on Monday, November 18 as a dozen Webster Community Chest and Webster HOPE volunteers gathered to distribute Thanksgiving dinner supplies to more than 200 pre-registered Webster families. The distribution followed months of food and monetary collection from donors and shoppers, weeks of logistical planning and days of more volunteers from both organizations organizing the foods to be distributed. Distribution volunteers were trained to deliver bags of food to waiting carloads of families and manage traffic control. An anonymous donor came in at the last minute to donate more than 200 $10 grocery gift cards so families could purchase a protein course (such as turkey) for their holiday meal.
This is the Webster Community Chest’s third collaborative holiday distribution for 2024.
It’s a tribute to the dedication of leaders and volunteers from both organizations that they were able to carry off such a successful event all the while maintaining their regular food distributions that week.
Coming up for the Community Chest:
WEBSTER MASONS SPAGHETTI DINNER FOR THE CHEST FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6
The Webster Masons hold a Spaghetti Dinner on the first Friday of every month from October through June and each benefits a Webster charity or not-for-profit organization. The one on December 6 from 5 to 7 p.m. benefits the Community Chest. It’s at the Masonic Lodge #538, 30 Orchard Street in Webster. On the menu is spaghetti and meatballs with either marinara or garlic sauce. Garlic bread, salad, water/coffee/tea, and ice cream with a cookie are included, and diners may have seconds. The cost is $12 for adults and $6 for children aged 12 and under.
The meals are prepared by the Masons and will be served by 36 volunteers from the Chest and from both Webster Schroeder and Thomas High School. The students at the event represent such groups as the National Honor Society, Rotary Interact, The Library Club, CARE Club, and Key Club.
Take out dinners are available at the door. If you’d like to buy advance tickets, click here.
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One of my favorite events of the entire year — and not just the holidays — is coming up very soon.
It’s the annual St. Martin Lutheran Church Evening with Santa, on Friday Dec. 6 from 6 to 8 p.m., and I love it for so many reasons: there’s free pizza and cookies, crafts and games for the kids, and it’s my chance every year to get a photo with Santa.
But what’s really neat about this event is that the church puts it on not just for their parishioners, but for all their fund-raiser event patrons, their neighbors and their families, and for pretty much everyone in the community who’d like a fun evening out with the kids. And they would truly love everyone to come to enjoy the evening’s festivities.
The highlight of the evening, of course, is Santa himself. And I mean, the REAL Santa, whom you might know from the Village of Webster’s Winter Wonderland festival and Parade of Lights. Every child will have an opportunity to talk with Santa and tell him their secret wishes (you can skip the mall lines). Bring your phone and take as many photos as you want, but St. Martin will also be taking photos for everyone, and they’re really good. It’s a great opportunity for a beautiful family photo.
Children (and adults) can decorate their own Christmas cookies, listen to Santa himself read The Night Before Christmas, enjoy some games, write a letter to Santa and sing along with Santa. And everyone gets free pizza.
When the lights dim, Pastor Kory will read the Christmas Story to children of all ages. It’s all absolutely free, but participants are asked to bring a few non-perishable food items for the St. Martin Little Free Pantry food cupboard.
It all happens Friday Dec. 6 from 6 to 8 p.m. at St. Martin Lutheran Church, 813 Bay Rd., Webster. Santa will arrive by fire truck just before the event, so make sure to be there early and bring your camera!
(The beautiful photo above, by the way, came from the 2022 event when Santa visited with 8-month old Emory.)
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The New York State Athletic Administrators Association (NYSAAA) has named Shawn Strege the Chapter 5 Athletic Administrator of the Year.
A 25-year veteran of Webster CSD, Strege is the director of health, physical education and athletics for the Webster Schroeder High School Warriors, a role he’s held since July 2018. Prior to then, he served as an assistant principal and a physical education teacher, all at Schroeder.
NYSAAA’s Chapter 5 Athletic Administrator of the Year award is presented annually to an individual who has demonstrated evidence of devotion and idealism to athletics through NYSAAA.
“Your peers have recognized your hard work, dedication, and professionalism in the promotion of athletics in a positive manner,” Chapter 5 Chair Brian Donohue wrote in a November 19 letter announcing the honor.
Webster Schroeder High School Principal Paul Benz agreed. “Each year Shawn finds ways to make our athletic programs better for our athletes, coaches, supervisors, and spectators. He spreads the good about high school athletics, as is evident with his leadership work with our team captains and schools across the county,” he said. “The Schroeder brand shines because of his creativity and commitment to our student-athletes. We are fortunate to have him as our AD.”
Strege will receive the award at the Chapter 5 annual Dennis E. Fries Awards banquet to be held in June at the Genesee River Restaurant. He will also be recognized at the Roy O’Neill Awards dinner at the NYSAAA Conference in March.
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Kittelberger Florist‘s popular Bouquet a Month cards will be available through Dec. 7 at the Webster Museum, 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster.
For just $40, your card entitles you to one fresh bouquet every month for 12 consecutive months, which you will pick up at Kittelberger, 263 North Ave., Webster. They’re available at the museum during normal open hours, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2 to 4:30 p.m., and proceeds will benefit the museum.
Holiday Shopping Friday Night Faire every Friday through Dec. 13. Holiday shop with new vendors every week, 11/29, 12/6 and 12/13 from 7 to 10 p.m.
Holiday Photos will be offered every Sunday in December. Click on the flyer for times.
Pancakes, Pups and Pictures on Sunday Dec. 8 from 9 a.m. to noon. Features a Pancake Breakfast with Santa and photos. $20/adult. $10/children. Proceeds will benefit Operation Freedom Ride. Operation Freedom Ride. On-leash dogs are welcome.
An Ugly Sweater Silent Disco on Dec. 20 from 7 to 10 p.m. Cost is $15 and proceeds benefit the Verona St. Animal Society. Click here for tickets.
It all happens at Woofs Canine Club and Indoor Dog Park, 187 W. Main Street, Webster.
Meet “Webster’s Santa” at the Women’s Club
The Women’s Club of Webster’s December meeting and luncheon will take place on Thursday Dec. 19 at the Penfield Country Club, 1784 Jackson Rd.
This month’s speaker is “Santa Jim” Lockwood, a professional Santa who many residents will recognize from the annual Parade of Lights and Christmas in July at the Joe Obbie Farmers’ Market.
Social hour begins at 11:15, followed by a brief meeting and lunch. Entree choices include chicken French, Reuben sandwich or Caesar salad. All lunches will come with fresh fruit, coffee, tea, or cold drink. Price is $24. Send your check with choice of entree made out to Women’s Club of Webster no later than December 12 to Carolyn Rittenhouse, 405 County Line Road, Ontario, NY 14519. If you think your check will be late, phone Carolyn at 585 -265-1303.
And remember, the The Women’s Club of Webster’s super-popular Holiday Cookie Sale returns to the Webster Public Library on Saturday, Dec. 14, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (or until sold out, which is pretty quickly). Proceeds from the sale benefit the club’s scholarship funds and many other programs and not-for-profit organizations in the Webster community.
Families of Young Children Asked to Take Census
Parents/guardians residing within the Webster Central School District (CSD), and who have children ages birth to 5 years residing in the household, are being asked to take a brief young child census survey that will be used to forecast student enrollment for the foreseeable future.
Completing the census is a young families’ first connection with the school district. It enables Webster CSD to keep in contact with families as their children approach school age. When families share their email address with Webster CSD through the census, it enables the district to notify those families when their children are eligible for prekindergarten and kindergarten registration.
The form can be found on the Webster CSD website beginning Dec.1 and will be available through January 6, 2025. Families who do not have access to a computer can participate by calling Student Registration at (585) 216-0029.
A look ahead at two great library events
These two events at the Webster Public Library won’t be happening until January, but I think you’ll want to get them on your calendar early.
The library will host a Preschool Open Houseon Monday, January 6 at 6:30 p.m. Representatives from preschools and nursery schools in the Webster area will be available to chat with parents and provide information about their programs. Registration is not required.
This next event sounds really cool, and will most certainly will fill up quickly.
It’s called the Library Fan Fest, on Sunday Jan. 19 from 4:30 to 8 p.m., an afternoon and evening of immersive literary fun for all ages. Participants can visit five different literary realms: The Dragon’s Den (fantasy), The Queen’s Ball (Regency era), The Fairytale Forest (princesses & fairytales), Mythology Camp, and the Comics Cafe (comics & superheroes). Each realm will offer themed crafts, activities, treats, and more. Visit with live animals, have a tarot card reading, learn a Regency-inspired dance, get your face painted, visit the Candy Shoppe, meet characters from your favorite fairy tales and comics, and more. Costumes are highly encouraged.
This event is for literary lovers of all ages. There’s no charge, but you must register. Registration for this event will open Sunday, Dec. 1. Click here to register.
Also from the library, remember that the Friends of the Webster Public Library will be hosting their Holiday Book Sale from Nov. 27 through Dec. 23 during normal library hours. A nice selection of gently-used books with winter themes will be available at great prices.
Two more reminders
The Country Gardeners of Webster will hold their annual Garden Club Holiday Sale on Saturday December 7 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Drive.
This huge sale features fresh wreaths, arrangements, poinsettias, centerpieces and gifts that are created by hand by the club members. This is always a very popular event, so you want to get there early.
The Webster Arboretum will also be there with an information table, holiday plants and a holiday raffle.
The sale is the Country Gardeners’ annual fundraiser, so think about decorating your own home, and purchasing gifts for family, friends and holiday hostesses. Admission is free.
The Webster Lions Club’s Annual Pancake Breakfastwith Santa has been scheduled for Sunday Dec. 8 (note the new date; it’s been scheduled for the first Sunday in December for years).
It will be held at Webster Schroeder High School from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Santa and his elf will be there for the children, as well as the Lion Club’s Lion. Plus, there’ll be lots of great raffle items and free vision screening for kids ages 6 months to 12 years. And of course, breakfast: pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, juice and coffee. Admission is free but donations will be gratefully accepted.
The Pancake Breakfast with Santa Fundraiser is one of the ways the Lion’s Club earns money to help those in need. This year, donations will be made to the Webster Community Chest, Webster Hope and other charities.
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email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
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We’re only three weeks away from Wreaths Across America Day on Saturday Dec. 14, when the Webster community will come together to place wreaths on 2,100 veterans’ graves.
Wreaths Across America is a nonprofit organization which began 30 years ago, its mission to place a wreath on the grave of every veteran in the country. Last December, more than two million volunteers placed more than three million wreaths at 4200 cemeteries across the U.S. and abroad.
Webster was a big part of that effort. Last December, an estimated 1,000 adults and children, including first responders, veterans and active service members, gathered at Webster Union Cemetery to lay 1,350 wreaths.
It was an impressive turnout which put Webster on the Wreaths Across America map. Out of 235 participating towns in New York State, our little town ranked 9th for the number of veterans honored that day. And out of 6,706 locations nationwide, we ranked 248th. That’s in the top 4%in the country. What’s particularly noteworthy is that we achieved these rankings with only three participating cemeteries.
Local organizers hope the community will show that commitment again next month as Webster joins Wreaths Across America for the third straight year. This year, even more support is needed, because Webster’s Wreaths Across America effort will be expanding to FOUR cemeteries.
On Saturday Dec. 14, volunteers will be placing about 2,100 veteran wreaths — 1,000 at Webster Union, 55 at Union Hill, 736 at Webster Rural and 309 at Holy Trinity cemeteries.
The plan is to meet at noon at Webster Union Cemetery (corner of Rt. 250 and Woodhull) for a military Wreath Day ceremony at noon, after which volunteers will fan out to the other cemeteries and within Webster Union to place the wreaths.
Adults and children of all ages are encouraged to take part in this very moving event. It could be a new holiday tradition for your family and a great way to teach your children about how important it is to remember and recognize our nation’s veterans.
This would be an especially meaningful day if one of your family members is a veteran resting at one of the ceremonies. You can personally a sponsor a wreath for him or her and place it on the grave yourself. If you’d like to do that, email WebsterWreaths@icloud.com with the name of your loved one and your sponsored wreaths will be set aside for you.
Right now, you can help by sponsoring a wreath (or several). Click here to do so. Individual wreath sponsorships are just $17, and $5 from each will go to one of three charities of your choice: the Blue Star Mothers, who will use the funds to prepare and ship care packages to deployed servicemen and women; Gold Star Mothers Rochester who provide meals and support for veterans in need; and the Coats for Kids program sponsored by the Knights of Columbus.
So mark your calendar now for National Wreaths Across America Day, Saturday Dec. 14, and stay tuned for more details. You can also follow the Wreaths Across America Facebook page to keep up on all the latest news.
And check out this great feature which ran recently on Channel 8, featuring Webster’s local Wreaths Across America coordinator Cherie Wood.
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email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
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The Village of Webster posted their latest bi-weekly newsletter on Monday, and once again it’s packed with great features about local businesses and upcoming events.
a look at the Village’s newest restaurant, Annette’s
info about this year’s Festival of Trees at the Webster Museum
a preview of the Winter Wonderland holiday festival
a list of upcoming Village meetings
And that’s just THIS week!
Since the newsletter was introduced in August, View From Main Street has become a valuable source of local news and information, and seems to continue getting better each time. So make sure to check it out.
Click here to see the newsletter, then check the Village of Webster websiteevery few weeks to see the latest edition. Just click on the “news” link and it will bring you there.
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email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).
The holiday season got an early start last Friday morning at Webster Montessori School (WSM), when the school hosted its first-ever Mini Macy’s Parade.
The parade featured more than 50 very creative hand-crafted miniature floats, so many that it took almost 45 minutes for them all to snake through the school’s gymnasium through a parade route lined with streamers.
Very much like the actual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, it was a festive affair. Students from all of the school’s classrooms gathered in bunches to enjoy the spectacle, while parents and grandparents sat along the walls. One after another, the mini floats rolled by, pulled by 5th and 6th grade float handlers selected from the school’s Upper Elementary classrooms, each one as delightful as the one before.
The variety of float designs was impressive and very entertaining. There were a lot of nods to actual Macy’s parade floats and balloons, like Dino the Dinosaur, Mickey Mouse, the Peanuts gang and several turkeys. But plenty of others broke the mold entirely, like a school bus (with pictures of actual WSM students in the windows), the “used car sale lot,” and “Old McDonald’s Farm,” and others highlighting local businesses including Kodak, Knucklehead Brewery and Wild Wings. And of course, pop culture was well represented with floats depicting Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, Bluey, and the movies Coco and Frozen.
Appropriately, the final float carried Santa Claus, who then surprised the assembled students and adults with an in-person appearance, accompanied by Mrs. Claus.
Jennifer Thornquest, WSM’s Director of Advancement and Community Engagement, pulled together most of the parade details and acted as announcer. She organized the parade line-up by theme, and as she introduced each float, described for the audience the float’s builder, topic and pertinent details, much like in the actual Macy’s parade. AND she matched each float with an appropriate theme song (for example, the fire truck float was accompanied by Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire”). It all made for a very Macy’s-parade-like experience.
The event was truly a school-wide endeavor. Thornquest wrote,
All families of our Webster Montessori community were encouraged to submit a float of any theme, size, and style. The hope was to encourage families to craft together, brainstorm ideas and promote creativity. Most of our floats were completed by the adults AND children in their households, making each float unique and a beautiful collection of joint collaborations.
Families had about a month to work on their creations. Staff members assisted with some of the in-classroom submissions, including what Thornquest called the school’s “marquis/signature float” which they plan to use every year: a hand-knit rendition of the school’s mascot, a great-horned owl, created by staff member Sarah Reynolds. For its first parade this year, the owl was perched atop a custom basket that mirrors the design of the school’s main lobby.
Three floats were chosen as top prize winners. “The Adorable UFO” by Maren K. and family came in first place; “Mermaid World” by Vivienne and Hailey F. and family took second; and there was a tie for third place between “Nemo and Friends” by Porter and Maverick T. and family, and “Cocomelon and WMS FriendsSchool Bus Float” by Chloe M. and family. Each winner received a $30 Wegmans gift card and all four will be featured on illuminated dollies at the Webster Village Parade of Lights during Winter Wonderland on Dec. 7.
Because it’s what I do, I took a photo of almost all of the floats, which I’ve included in this Facebook gallery. You can also click here to see the story that WROC-TV broadcast about the event, and click here for WHEC-TV’s story.
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email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
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The Willink Student-Parent Band will be presenting their fall concert this Saturday.
This is a very talented local music group whose musicians range from middle schoolers to grandparents, doing what they love to do — play music — all together in one place.
The band, now in its 31st season, is comprised of Webster School District students, parents, grandparents and community members. It’s led by conductors Tiffany DiPiazza and Matt Osika, who promise a musical lineup with pieces from Jurassic Park, the Muppets, disco tunes and more. Plus, in celebration of the band’s 30th anniversary last year, there will also be a special world premiere of “Dramatic Fanfare” written for the band by former Willink music teacher, composer, and Student-Parent Band founder Larry Neeck.
The Willink Middle School Student-Parent Band will perform Saturday, Nov. 23 at 2 p.m. in the Willink Cafetorium, 900 Publishers Parkway. A $4 donation is suggested for admission. Tickets can be purchased from band members or at the door.
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email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).
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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