I was honored to help represent Bella’s Bumbas at the Rochester St. Patrick’s Day Parade Saturday afternoon. I was one of more than twenty friends, family members and volunteers who braved the cold temperatures and strong winds to help Marty Parzynski and Rebecca Orr celebrate Bella’s Bumbas’ selection as this year’s Charitable Organization of the Year.
This incredible all-volunteer organization, which calls Webster home, was recognized for their work building pint-sized wheelchairs for children with a variety of disabilities, only charging the parents for shipping (and sometimes not even that). In the last nine years they’ve made about 3,800 chairs and shipped them to 70 countries.
And yes, it definitely was cold. But the worst of the winds had died down a bit, the sun was trying to peek through the clouds, and as long as you kept moving (and had thought to wear three or four layers), it was comfortable enough. Thousands lined the parade route despite the cold, most everyone wearing some sort of Irish-themed hat or t-shirt, shamrock-shaped glasses or green tights … or all at the same time. There were LOTS of kids, lots of flag waving, and everyone was smiling.
I loved the Bumba chairs on top of the wagonMy friend Laura took this one. I had four layers on top and two pairs of tights.
The Bella’s Bumbas float was pretty great. It was covered in bunting and flags and streamers. Several children sat inside the wagon on hay bales, and others rode Bumba wheelchairs as they were pushed down the street by helpful adults. Six more Bumba chairs were strapped to the top, illustrating the great variety of designs which Marty and Rebecca individualize for the children they serve.
Given that our unit was near the front of the parade, I didn’t get to see much of it, and unfortunately, no one near us was blaring music loud enough for me to dance a whole lot, as I like to do. But all in all it was a great experience and I am so happy that I could join my friends on their big day.
******
As a fun aside, this was not the first time I walked in the Rochester St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Back in 1995, my husband Jack and I were honored as the parade’s Business People of the Year, in recognition of our Irish Insider newsletter, which we began in 1992. Pictured here are Jack and me with our son Sean (then 5) and daughter Erin (not quite a year).
* * *
(posted 3/14/2026)
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).
Lala of Webster is hosting a special event next Thursday to benefit the Wilmot Cancer Center.
It’s called Sip, Savor & Support, an evening of coming together as a community to have fun with friends, meet new people, and benefit a good cause at the same time.
From 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday March 19, shoppers are asked visit Lala’s and purchase items worth $15 or more to be included in raffle baskets being prepared for the “Dinking for Wilmot Dollars” benefit pickleball tournament on April 4. As a thank you, shoppers can take advantage of a 20% discount off your entire Lala purchase that evening. Then, after you’re done shopping, head next door to Jojo Bistro & Wine Bar for live music and special appetizer and drink menus.
Lala of Webster is located at 38 East Main Street in the village.
The Sip, Savor & Support event and the pickleball tournament are both being held in honor of Marty Lembo, who passed away in 2018 after a courageous battle with colon cancer. His memory lives on through Team Marty, a group of friends and family members who continue to raise funds in his name to benefit the Wilmot Cancer Center. The “Dinking for Wilmot Dollars” pickleball tournament is one of their biggest events, scheduled this year for Saturday, April 4 at Dinkers Pickleball in Fairport.
Click on the flyer below for more details and to register.
* * *
(posted 3/12/2026)
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).
An exciting competition is taking shape this weekend when our very own One Webster SparX 1126 robotics team takes part in the Finger LakesRegional First Robotics Competition at RIT‘s Gordon Field House, and everyone in the Webster community is invited to attend to cheer on our team.
This year’s game is called REBUILT, and it has an archaeological/restoration theme. The robots have to recover “artifacts” (represented by yellow 6-inch foam balls) and use them to power up their alliance’s HUB, the central scoring structure, by placing them or throwing them in. There are obstacles (of course), including a trench that robots can drive under if they’re short enough, and bumps they have to drive over.
If you’ve never been to one of these events, try to picture something between a high-stakes engineering lab and a high-energy rock concert. It’s loud, fast-paced, and despite its competitive nature, is quite the community event — for the audience members and competitors alike. The stands are filled with students in bright, themed costumes (including capes and tutus). There’s constant music and team chants, and an emcee offering play-by-play commentary.
Each match lasts 2 minutes and 30 seconds, during which time alliances are made, robots move alternately in a pre-programmed mode, then student-operated mode as they work towards completing their task, finally sprinting through last 30 seconds and a “climax” task. In the “pits,” students work feverishly to repair or upgrade their robots, and sometimes help other teams fix their broken robots as well; that kind of professionalism is a core FIRST philosophy, balancing competition with kindness.
A few images from a competition held last September
The excitement begins on Thursday (March 12) with practice from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The competition begins in earnest on Friday beginning with opening ceremonies at 8:30 a.m., then qualification matches from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Saturday, final qualification matches begin at 9 a.m., concluding with the playoffs at 1:30 p.m. and awards ceremony at 4:30 p.m.
Visitors are welcome — and encouraged — any day at any time, to watch the robots in action. (Admission is totally free.) If you’re able to attend, look for the large “1126” lights in the stands and join your Webster neighbors for a day you will not soon forget. If you’d like to see the action but can’t make it to RIT, you can see it streamed live on YouTube with these links:
Students learned about the competition game on January 10 and have been meeting every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday (with the occasional Thursday) since then at their workshop at Webster Thomas High School. The team is made up of 15 students divided into sub-teams — electrical, software, mechanical, a drive team and a promotions team — all made up of 9th through 12th graders from both Schroeder and Thomas. The team’s 12 mentors have backgrounds in these areas, as well as marketing and web design and truly come alongside students to help them learn, rather than build for them.
So far the team has raised $18,000 to build their robot, which is about 110” diameter base, and stands almost 30” high. It has an extending hopper to hold up to 24 balls (fuel) which it can propel into the hopper on the game field.
* * *
(posted 3/11/2026)
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).
If you happened to watch one of the local TV newscasts on Friday night, or if you follow the City of Rochester social media feeds, you might have noticed a familiar face. At a press conference held Friday morning at City Hall, the Rochester St. Patrick’s Parade Committee officially introduced this year’s parade honorees, and Webster’s very own Bella’s Bumbas was one of them — pretty much front and center.
Bella’s Bumbas has been named Official Charitable Organization of this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. I blogged about this honor a few weeks ago, when the Parade Committee held its first press conference at the Hilton Garden Inn. But watching our Webster friends accept their commemorative sash in the magnificent City Hall atrium, alongside the city’s top officials, turned a great announcement into a truly meaningful milestone.
Rebecca Orr, who co-founded the organization with her husband Marty Parzynski, was on hand to accept the honor, accompanied by volunteer Shelby Deane and her “Bumbaleer” daughter Lyla. In her remarks, Parade Committee Director Kate McBride explained why Bella’s Bumbas is so deserving of this recognition:
Bella’s Bulbas is a remarkable non-profit organization dedicated to empowering children with mobility challenges by providing them with the gift of movement and independence.
Through the design, assembly, and donation of custom-built, child-sized wheelchairs, Bella’s Bumbas ensures that every child, regardless of background or financial circumstance, can explore, play and connect with their world. Each wheelchair is lovingly constructed by passionate volunteers and given to families free of charge, asking only for shipping costs when necessary.
Rebecca placing the sash on Lyla (photo courtesy City of Rochester)Kate McBride, Rebecca Orr, Shelby Deane and Lyla
Since its founding ten years ago, Bellas Bumbas has provided 3,500 chairs to children in 70 different countries. That’s an incredible legacy for a grassroots organization that began as a small community effort in one small house.
Accepting the honor, Rebecca credited the organization’s success in large part to her dedicated team of volunteers, here in Rochester and worldwide. And when she was handed her tri-colored sash, she chose not to put it on. Instead, she draped it over Lyla in her wheelchair. “I had to put the sash on Lyla,” she explained, “because Bella’s Bumbas is not about us adults. It’s about the children, and their heroes, the parents who fight for them and advocate for them.”
And THAT selfless perspective is a good illustration of why Marty and Rebecca — and Bella’s Bumbas — deserve this amazing honor.
As the Official Charitable Organization honoree, Bella’s Bumbas will get prime placement near the very beginning of the parade line-up. They’ve been working hard crafting a pretty spectacular float, which will feature several Bumba chairs with “bumbaleers” riding them, hay bales, gold frills and lots of lights. Adult volunteer walkers and some young “test riders” will be rolling beside the float to hand out information and goodies to the crowd. It may very well be the first float in the parade, so it will be difficult to miss. (Check out the photos below for a sneak peek.)
So when you see them, raise a rousing cheer for Bella’s Bumbas, our Webster neighbors, who are changing children’s lives.
The 2026 Tops St. Patrick’s Day Parade is scheduled for Saturday, March 14, beginning at 12:30 p.m. at East Ave. and Alexander St.
* * *
(posted 2/13/2026)
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).
It’s always neat to see who the Rochester St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee chooses every year as their annual honorees — like the Grand Marshal, Honorary Marshal, Citizen of the Year and the like. But this year, the announcement was especially exciting, because one of this year’s honorees is Webster’s very ownBella’s Bumbas.
At the annual kickoff event, held Sunday Feb. 1 at the Hilton Garden Inn, the committee announced that Bella’s Bumbas has been chosen as this year’sOfficialCharitable Organization. Anyone who’s read my blog for even a short time should already be familiar with this awesome grassroots, all-volunteer organization. Run by Webster residents Marty Parzynski and Rebecca Orr, it’s dedicated to building miniature wheelchairs for children with a wide variety of mobility issues, charging the families only for shipping.
In her announcement, Parade Committee Director Kate McBride introduced the organization by saying,
Since its founding, Bella’s Bumbas has grown from a small community effort into a global mission, having provided over 3,500 chairs to children in 70 different countries. Each chair represents a story of hope, inclusion, and possibility. Families who once felt isolated, now watch their children roll beside their peers, discovering new levels of confidence and independence. This incredible journey has been made possible entirely through volunteer dedication, community support, and the belief that no child should be left without mobility, simply because of financial or geographic barriers.
In this year’s parade, Bella’s Bumbas will showcase these little chairs and the joy they bring not only to the children who receive them, but also to the volunteers and donors who make each one possible.
As the Charitable Organization honoree, Bella’s Bumbas will get prime placement near the very beginning of the parade line-up. They’ve already started planning a pretty spectacular float, which will feature several Bumba chairs and “bumbaleers” riding them, hay bales, gold frills and lots of lights. Adult volunteer walkers and some young “test riders” will be rolling beside the float to hand out information and goodies to the crowd. It may very well be the first float in the parade, so it will be difficult to miss!
This is an incredibly well-deserved honor for Bella’s Bumbas, whose life-changing work for children worldwide often flies under the radar. While we in Webster have long been proud to call them our own, it’s wonderful to see them get the recognition they deserve, giving the rest of the Rochester area a chance to discover this incredible organization.
Congratulations, Marty and Rebecca, on this amazing honor.
The 2026 Tops St. Patrick’s Day Parade is scheduled for Saturday, March 14, beginning at 12:30 p.m. at East Ave. and Alexander St. Make sure to watch for the Bella’s Bumbas float at the beginning of the parade and cheer loud for our Webster neighbors!
On a related note…
This year’s Honorary Marshal is Dave North, a well-known musician who’s played in and around Webster and Rochester for decades. He was (and is) a regular performer at the former Barry’s Old School Irish in the Village of Webster and the new Barry’s Pub in Fairport. I’m pleased to consider Dave a good friend and congratulate him on his honor!
Dave, by the way, has his own connection to Bella’s Bumbas. Last year on one of his trips to London, he brought a Bumba chair along with him to deliver to a child there.
* * *
(posted 2/13/2026)
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).
Quite the variety of notices in today’s mailbag, so make sure to read till the end.
Color Your Community Green will host a discussion this coming Tuesday focused on Monroe County’s Climate Action Plan and how it can be used to meet state goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Information will be presented about the most effective solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions locally and how we can build a sustainable future for our community. Community members are encouraged to attend and share your concerns about climate change as well as your visions for a sustainable community.
The meeting will be held on Tuesday Feb. 3 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Webster Public Library’s Community Room. There’s no cost to attend but please register here so the library knows how many chairs to set up.
Go Red!
Carla Ann Scheiber, owner of Lovely You Aesthetics in the Village of Webster, has enthusiastically signed on to the Go Red for Women campaign, an American Heart Association initiative to raise awareness that cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of women, and empowers women to take charge of their heart health.
As part of her efforts, Carla Ann will be hosting a Go Red Lovely Galentine’s Event on Friday, Feb. 13 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Lovely You Aesthetics, 82 North Ave. Tickets are $30, and attendees will get cocktails, food, a Go Red Lovely shirt and five raffle tickets for a chance to win some fabulous prizes. Click here to get tickets.
So grab your girls, wear red, and support women’s health while making an impact together.
Party for Mardi Gras
St. Martin Lutheran Church’sannual Mardi Gras Free Pancake Supper is coming up on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at the church, 813 Bay Rd.
This annual event is a thank-you to the community for supporting St. Martin’s charitable missions all year. The dinner will feature unlimited pancakes and syrup, sausages and applesauce. Beads will be provided and you can even make your own masks. Feel free to come dressed in Mardi Gras style, and bring the whole family and all your friends.
There’s no charge, but a free will offering to support St. Martin’s Little Free Pantry would be very appreciated, or bring boxed and canned goods.
Kindergarten registration now open
Webster Central School District kindergarten registration for the 2026-27 school year is now open.
Families with incoming kindergartners are asked to register them now via the Infinite Campus Parent & Student Portal at www.websterschools.org by clicking More > Student Registration and completing the 2026-27 registration completely online. All registrations completed via the portal are streamlined by accessing the current information on file.
The district is encouraging families to register early because it takes a lot of planning to appropriately place students in our seven elementary schools. If there is not enough space for a child to enroll at their home elementary school, registrations will be processed in the order in which they are received.
PreK registration is not yet open. The preK lottery for the 2026-27 school year will be open February 13 at 10 a.m. and run through March 14. Parents and caregivers interested in learning more about the district’s preK options are invited to attend an open house on Tuesday, Feb. 10, from 5:45 to 7:15 p.m.
The district has three preK options:
Full-day (five hours) located at our elementary schools and both high schools
Full-day (5 hour) with wrap care located at a childcare community partner with wrap care paid by the family
Half-day (2.5 hours) with morning and afternoon options at STARS Preschool next to Holy Trinity Church
The upcoming open house provides families living within the Webster CSD boundaries an opportunity to see some of the sites and learn more about the program before registering for the lottery. This adult visit is intended to support families in ranking their choices and answering questions prior to the registration window beginning Feb. 13.
Open houses will take place at:
Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Road, Webster (enter door 4)
Bay View YMCA, 1209 Bay Road, Webster
Busy Blossoms, 60 Barrett Drive, Webster
Expressive Beginnings, 12 May Street, Webster
Kids First, 1676 Empire Blvd., Webster
STARS Preschool, 1456 Ridge Road, Webster
Families who are unable to attend the open house and would like to learn more about Webster CSD PreK are encouraged to visit the website atwebsterschools.org/prek or call (585) 216-0122.
Got antiques?
This isn’t Webster specific, but will be of interest to anyone who loves antiques: Antiques Roadshow is coming to Mumford on Wednesday, June 17.
You won’t be able to just show up or buy tickets at the door. They’re distributed through a random sweepstakes.
Deadline to Enter: You must submit your entry by Monday, April 6, 2026, at 11:59 PM PT.
Cost: Tickets are free.
The Process: You can enter the drawing on the official PBS Antiques Roadshow website. Winners are usually notified in mid-to-late April.
The “Producer Picks” Contest: When you enter the sweepstakes, you have the option to submit photos of your specific item. If a producer loves your item’s story or mystery, you might be selected for a “Producer Pick” ticket, which guarantees you a spot.
Limit is two tickets per address. Good luck!
* * *
(posted 2/1/2026)
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).
My eldest daughter, who lives in Buffalo, works at a city school which hosts a meat raffle every year as a fundraiser.
This is a very Buffalo thing, and it’s a LOT of fun. You pay an entry fee, then throughout the evening you can purchase tickets for $1 each to take chances on winning all sorts of different meat prizes. You win when the huge number wheel spun by the host lands on your ticket number. The prizes include steaks, hot dogs, bacon, burgers, chicken and lots more. It’s really exciting and so much fun.
I’ve been watching for when this very Buffalo thing started showing up in Rochester — and it finally has. On Saturday, March 28 from 5 to 9 p.m., the Webster Comfort Care Home will hold a meat raffle at the Genesee Valley Moose Club in Henrietta. Advance-sale tickets are only $10 ($20 at the door), and there’ll be a cash bar and food available for purchase.
The event will feature meat, fish and seafood packages from Meat Man Dan, other raffles and prizes, and a chance to win a 5-cubic foot chest freezer from Orville’s Appliance, a $200 value. (It would be a great place to keep all of your meat raffle winnings, just sayin’.) You don’t have to be present to win the freezer … or even attend the meat raffle at all. Click here to purchase freezer raffle tickets.
All proceeds from the evening will benefit the Webster Comfort Care Home. Sponsorship packages are also available.
More information to come about this fun event, but make sure to put in on your calendar now, and consider getting your tickets soon.
* * *
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).
If you haven’t heard the news yet, Barry’s Old School Irish has finally opened a new, larger location, in Fairport, about 12 minutes south of Webster.
Barry’s Old School Irish anchored the Village of Webster’s four corners for almost 12 years. It became kind of like village’s living room, where families and friends gathered for after-work pints and birthday parties, Irish trad music filled the air, Notre Dame football was on the TV, and St. Patrick’s Day lasted all week long. For many it became like a second home.
So when the Barrys announced in July of 2023 that they were closing the pub, it came as a shock to our community. But it was an exciting development for the Barry family. It was just the next step in their journey which began with opening Barry’s Old School and expanded with the production of their Barry’s Irish Cream.
When the Barrys left 2 West Main St., however, it was with the promise that closing the pub would only be temporary. They immediately started to look for a new location, as the Barrys faithful (and there are a LOT of them) anxiously waited from the sidelines. But finally, after more than two years, Barry’s is back.
This Saturday, Jan. 17, the brand new Barry’s Irish Pub will officially open its doors at 4400 Fairport Nine Mile Point Rd. (at Eagle Vale) with a grand opening celebrationfeaturing everything we’ve come to know and love about our little pub, including live Irish music, Irish dancers, pipes and drums, free whiskey samples, and one of Danny Barry’s legendary whiskey toasts.
The Barrys looked at a lot of places before finally landing on the former Yanhuang Gourmet restaurant on the Eagle Vale Golf Club campus. The initial goal was to find something as close as possible to the original location, but it had to have the right atmosphere. A lot of the places they looked at were “cool,” Danny said, but “they all seemed like they’re all trying to be bigger just for the sake of being bigger.” He wasn’t even sure he wanted to tour the Eagle Vale location, but when someone pointed out that it’s basically just a bit farther south on the same road, he decided to check it out.
It was last March, around St. Patrick’s Day, when he first walked in. The former restaurant clearly needed a lot of work, but somehow Danny was able to see its potential. “This one had that homey feel to it,” he said. “By the end of the walk-through, I thought, this is an Irish Pub. It just doesn’t know it yet.”
The new Barry’s Irish Pub has much more floor space than the original Webster Village location. Behind the roomy bar area is a separate party room/overflow room with a deck. A third room, separated from the bar by a gas fireplace, is what Danny calls the “music room,” with a dedicated stage for musicians, complete with a sound system and speakers. (The musicians are going to love that upgrade.)
The layout accommodates multiple activities simultaneously while maintaining a sense of shared experience for everyone.
Danny explained, “If you’re sitting in the party room you could still see into the music room, but if you want to make that private, you can. So the whole place flows — no matter where you’re at, you’re kind of seeing what’s going on in the other room, but you also have the snug-like feel to it.”
There are plenty of fun new decorative touches, but comforting reminders of the old place are scattered throughout the space, like the old 1800s-era bar, posters and photographs on the walls, the “firefighter’s corner” with its framed turnout coat, lots of the old tartan-covered stools and favorite menu items. Even the walls are painted Barry’s Old School Irish green. The shelves behind the bar are filled with whiskies, and Guinness is still on tap, of course (two taps, actually, to meet the demand) along with Harp, Smithwicks and Magner’s cider. New to the taps are a Barry’s Irish Red, brewed in New Jersey, and a White Hag Irish IPA, brewed in Ireland. There’s even yard space outside, where Danny hopes to set up fire pits and lawn games when the weather turns warmer.
Live music is returning as well, at least Friday and Saturday nights, plus Saturday afternoon’s traditional Irish session.
So, it’s been a long time coming, but it sounds like the Barrys have found their forever home. Once again they’re inviting everyone to make yourself at home in their cozy living room, have a pint or a whiskey, settle in and enjoy some music, and chat with friends old and new.
If you’ve never been to Barry’s Pub before, welcome. And for everyone else … welcome home.
* * *
Details about the grand opening celebration
Barry’s Irish Pub will hold its Grand Opening Celebration this Saturday from noon to 11:30 p.m. You can visit their Facebook page for more details, but here are a few highlights (and Don’t worry, the Buffalo Bills playoff game will be on the TVs):
traditional Irish music session, noon to 3 p.m.
ribbon cutting
live music by Kevin Reynolds and Lucky Enough from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Jamieson Irish Dancers at 4 p.m.
Keeper’s Heart Irish Whiskey Samples
Dave North Trio plays 7 to 10:30 p.m.
ROC City Guardians Pipes & Drums Performing, 7:30 p.m.
Official whiskey toast on the house, 9 p.m.
And by the way, there’s a LOT of parking.
* * *
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).
A holiday classic is returning to the Auditorium Theatre next Tuesday, and once again some of our very talented local kids will be taking part.
About 38 boys and girls ages 4 to 18 from Webster’s Dancing With Denise studio will be performing alongside the full international professional Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballettroupe this year, filling the roles of little snowflakes, mice, party children, snow sprites, snow maidens, and variations. It’s a rare opportunity for these kids to audition, rehearse and perform with a professional, international touring ballet company.
The Nutcracker is truly a magical show, from the bright Christmas-Eve-celebration colors, costumes and staging in the first act, to the sparkling wintry scenes in Act II, all wrapped in the beautiful music we all know so well. The addition of adorable local children makes it even more enchanting.
The show takes place at the Auditorium Theatre, 885 East Main St., Rochester, on Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $37. For more information about the show and to purchase tickets online, click here.
Preparing for the Nutcracker isn’t the only thing keeping these young dancers busy.
The Dancing with Denise Nutcracker families organized their second annual Making Spirits Soar Project this year, creating performance care packages for each of the professional dancers.
Thanks to tremendous support from all the DWD families, enough funds were raised to purchase, create, and decorate care packages for all 40 of the Nutcracker cast members. The idea is to provide the international dancers with food and treats to give them energy and protein while they’re on tour.
The Dancing With Denise students will present the care packages to the dancers during their stage rehearsal on the day of the show. Studio director Denise Baller says that the project is a way to teach “thoughtfulness and doing good deeds for others … part of the foundation of the Dancing With Denise studio.”
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).
If you attend Geva Theatre’s annual production of A Christmas Carol this holiday season, you might just recognize one of the young cast members.
Once again this year, two young Webster actors — Reid Antal, an 8th grade student at Willink Middle School, and Adriana Ruya Venable, a 6th grader at Spry Middle School — have been cast as young Tim Cratchit in Geva’s A Christmas Carol (since there are so many shows, all the children’s roles are double cast).
Based on the classic by Charles Dickens, this adaptation begins with a wish made by young Tim Cratchit. Over the course of one night, notorious grump Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by four ghosts, but will their intervention prompt him to change his “humbug” ways? Filled with humor, heart, hope – and a little bit of horror – A Christmas Carol reminds us that it is never too late to have a change of heart.
Geva’s A Christmas Carol runs from Nov. 22 through Dec. 28 on the Wilson Stage, 75 Woodbury Blvd., Rochester. Tickets can be purchased online here, by calling 585-232-GEVA (4382), or by stopping by the box office in person.
Geva will also present a free performance of A Christmas Carol called “Home for the Holidays” on December 26 at 7 p.m. for Blue Star Families, who are active-duty service men and women, veterans, and their families.
ReidAdriana
* * *
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