My husband Jack and I like to ride the Erie Canal Trail between Pittsford and Fairport, and we do so frequently, usually rewarding ourselves with a pint at one of the many fine pubs on either end of the trail.
But at least once every summer we make that ride with the explicit purpose of stopping for lunch at Harladay Hots in Pittsford.
Harladay Hots is an unassuming hot dog cart which every weekday from May through October can be found at the Main Street entrance to Pittsford’s community parking lot. Owner Charlie Harladay and his wife Bernie have been operating the cart in Pittsford since 2010. I first discovered the food cart and met Charlie back in 2017, and got to know him better when I featured Harladay Hots in my D&C column.
From the first time I stopped by the cart, I fell in love with Charlie’s chicken sandwich slathered in his homemade hot sauce. I order it every time we return. But as I explained to him on our most recent lunch visit, I’m not really ordering chicken with a side of hot sauce. I’m ordering his hot sauce with a side of chicken, because it’s that good.
I was singing its praises so much that Jack had to try it. “This is the best hot sauce I’ve ever tasted,” he reported, adding that it reminded him of the hot sauce he used to get in a Buffalo restaurant as a child.
Apparently I’m not the only one enamored with the hot sauce. Just recently, Charlie told me, he started bottling the sauce for sale. (Of course I came home with a bottle of it, since he had some on hand.)
And finally, the Webster connection.
I was pleased to hear that the Harladay Hots Spicy Meat Sauce is available at Hegedorn’s (along with some Pittsford locations). So here’s my totally uncompensated endorsement: you gotta try this hot sauce. And if you really like it, take a ride down to Pittsford some weekday for lunch and see what it’s like on one of Charlie’s burgers or sausages or chicken sandwiches.
The “Webster Borwnies” letterbox, with a stamp pad, hand-carved rubber stamp and logbook.
If you’ve never heard of letterboxing, please read on. I’d love to introduce you to this very family-friendly hobby which, when my children were young, was one of our favorite things to do.
In a nutshell, letterboxing is kind of like a treasure hunt. Each “letterbox” (usually some sort of Tupperware or other plastic container) contains a rubber stamp, stamp pad and a logbook. There are literally thousands of these hidden all over the country — and world. Searchers go online for clues, then follow the clues to track down the letterbox. (The site I like best is Atlasquest.com)
Once the box is retrieved, each searcher uses their own personal rubber stamp to stamp the box’s logbook (adding the date and a personal note if they’d like). Then they take the box’s stamp and imprint that into their personal logbook to keep track of their progress.
Most of the clues are simply step-by-step directions and are pretty easy to follow. Occasionally a clue might also include locating a particular compass direction, or require counting off a number of paces, both of which kids love to do. If you really get into it, you can come up with your own trail names (I’m Mama Rose) and carve your own rubber stamps (which is actually pretty easy).
Here’s a good example.
Tuesday morning I went to Atlasquest.com, searched for letterboxes in Webster and downloaded some simple directions to an easy-to-find letterbox hidden in Webster Park. It’s called “Webster Brownies,” and was likely hidden by a Webster Brownie troop.
Here are what the directions look like:
The directions were spot-on, and I had no trouble finding the box tucked inside the tree. (However, I was a little concerned about the folks siting on a nearby bench wondering why I was climbing up into the tree.) I didn’t have my personal stamp with me, so I just signed my name and the date into the logbook, put everything back in the waterproof baggies and dropped the box back where I found it.
Sometimes you might come across an extra surprise on your adventure, like I did Tuesday. Tucked inside the tree along with the letterbox was a large stone with the instructions to “paint a square and re-hide it.” I don’t know if the same Brownie troop created this little treat as well, or someone else added it to the site. In any case, I have to find my watercolors and get to work.
There are so many things to love about letterboxing. Unlike geocaching, you don’t need a GPS unit or your phone to track down coordinates. It costs basically nothing (aside from buying a stamp and a logbook), and it incorporates puzzle-solving, following directions, and even a little orienteering, all while discovering new parks and trails and getting some exercise.
Try it yourself; you might become addicted like my family did. All you need when you first get started are some clues, a small personal notebook to record your finds, and a stamp pad in case the box doesn’t have one. You don’t even need to have a rubber stamp of your own. You can just sign your names and date into the logbook. But check in your kids’ rooms, because they probably have some rubber stamps in there somewhere.
You can download clues from Atlasquest.com. Search for Webster and Penfield if you’d like to start local. Even that limited a search will show dozens in our area. But think big! Are you going to the Thousand Islands this summer with the kids? Download some clues and do some exploring up there. Just make sure you have a dedicated family letterboxing logbook, because you’ll be filling it up. (We also liked to record each find with a photo which we pasted into our logbook.)
Here are some more photos from the day:
The tree with the letterbox was 30 steps west of the bench (that one with the trunks)
The letterbox before I opened it — and bonus rock
One of the best things about letterboxing is discoving nature
A few of the items in today’s mailbag are reminders about events happening this weekend. But first, a note that the Joe Obbie Farmers’ Market is officially open for business for the summer.
This early in the season, you’ll mostly find specialty items like syrups and honey, flowers and crafts. There were a couple of fresh produce stalls last weekend — opening weekend — with some beautiful strawberries. But the number of vendors and selection will expand every week, so make sure to check back regularly. And there was a food truck as well, which organizers have said will be a regular feature.
The market is located in Webster Towne Center plaza, in front of Old Navy and near the gazebo. It’s open every Saturday through November from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
St. Martin Lutheran Church, 813 Bay Rd., will hold a huge garage sale this coming Thursday, Friday and Saturday (June 17-19). Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. All proceeds will benefit the church’s local missions and neighbors in need.
The Webster Thomas Players will present their spring musical, Cabaret live and in person this year at the Penfield Amphitheater, 3100 Atlantic Ave., in three shows June 17 to 19.
The production will be PG-13, but the subject matter is most appropriate for mature audiences, addressing issues around anti-Semitism and political fanaticism. Audiences will recognize many legendary musical numbers including “Willkommen,” “Don’t Tell Mama,” “Maybe this Time,” “Money,” and of course, “Cabaret.”
Cabaret will be presented in three shows:
● Thursday, June 17, 7:30 p.m. ● Friday, June 18, 7:30 p.m. ● Saturday, June 19, 7:30 p.m.
The rain date for all shows will be Sunday, June 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Reserved seating tickets are available for $12 in advance, and can be purchased online here. On the day of the show, reserve tickets will be $15 (if available). General admission “bring your own” lawn chair ($10) or blanket ($25) options are also available. You can see more details about these options on the website (websterthomasplayers.com).
It’s Sidewalk Sale Weekend in the Village of Webster.
Five village shops will be setting up some tables outside their stores this Friday and Saturday and offering some great bargains both outside and in.
So take a stroll downtown this Friday and Saturday and meet some of our very friendly small business owners.
Webster doesn’t have an Independence Day parade, but you don’t have to go very far to enjoy one.
Penfield’s Independence Day Parade will be held Saturday July 3, beginning at 10 a.m. It steps off at Penfield High School, proceeds south on Five Mile Line Road to Route 441, east on Route 441 to Baird Rd., and north on Baird Rd. to end at the Penfield Community Center.
The town is dedicating the parade to all the people who helped the town’s resisdents make it through a very difficult 2020, and who may still be helping them cope. Help came in many forms during the pandemic: physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, financial and more.
Penfield residents who wish to contribute a name, or names, to the banner may submit them on the Town of Penfield website at www.penfield.org. Names may also be submitted via phone at (585) 340-8655, option 0. The audience at Penfield’s Independence Day will also have the opportunity to add their heroes’ names to the banner as it is walked through the parade.
The banner will be displayed in a prominent location after the Independence Day festivities, so the heroes can be recognized beyond the holiday.
Here’s this month’s Webster Museum History Bit:
Now and Then: Webster Baseball
Today’s baseball in Webster differs from the early days in so many ways.
Ball fields are all over town now. There are school fields and town fields and park field and fields owned by philanthropic organizations and pick-up games in empty spaces. There are many varieties of bats, balls, mitts, caps, helmets, uniforms and protective equipment, many of them tossed on grassy fields while players wait their turns.
Nineteenth century Webster baseball teams were loosely organized, equipped with one homemade bat and one hard rubber ball (that’s it!) and used the underhand swift pitch. Games were played on borrowed private property for at least ten years before the first organized high school game was played in 1888. Since then, Webster has fielded many excellent school teams and a number of players who went on to careers in professional baseball.
In the 1890s local businessmen organized teams and rented land now bounded by Lapham Park, Park Ave., Dunning Ave. and Elm Street. They fenced it and added a grandstand and ticket office. Uniformed and equipped, the teams from the town and from Nine Mile Point played teams from Rochester, Brockport, Parma and Penfield.
When it comes to blog ideas, I’ve found it’s either feast or famine. As it turns out today, it’s definitely a feast. I’ve got so many things to tell you about I need to throw them all into one big mailbag so they don’t get too stale.
So here we go….
Image courtesy Town of Webster website
The Town of Webster is hosting a series of open houses for anyone interested in finding out more about plans for redeveloping Sandbar Park and upcoming REDI projects (Resiliency & Economic Development Initiative) which will include, among other projects, raising a portion of Lake Rd.
There’s going to be a lot of information presented at these meetings, so if you’d like to read up on all the projects in advance, click here for a good overview of what will be happening and why.
The open houses will be held:
Wednesday June 2, 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Drive
Tuesday June 8, 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Rec Center
Thursday June 10, 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Rec Center
Saturday June 12 at the Joe Obbie’s Farmer’s Market, in the Kohl’s Plaza
The Webster Museum needs your help
Webster Museum volunteers have scoured available online resources for information about Asa Bass and his family. Museum staff members think this family may have been the first black residents of what is now Webster.
Asa (1792-1872) was born in Vermont, was a pioneer who came here in 1812 and bought at different times three different properties between the northern sections of what are now Phillips Road and Route 250. Among his neighbors were the Foster and Wright families.
Asa and his wife Matilda Fuller Bass (1790-1866) had at least two children, Jane Bass Gould (1820-1891) and Chester Bass (1724-1873). Jane married Charles Gould and they had three children: Anna, Nelson and Elijah. Chester married Sarah Gracen and they had at least one child, Francis Bass Vond. One of Asia’s nephews, Asa Boyd, lived with the family for many years.
The museum has many facts, but few stories about Asa and his farm and family lives. They’re hoping to hear from relatives of people who may have been friends or neighbors as well as descendants of this family.
Any information, even the smallest clue, would be greatly appreciated. Please send to Kathy at ktaddeo5@icloud.com
Yee haw! Challenge your kids at this rodeo!
The Monroe County Office of Traffic Safety will host a Bicycle Skills Rodeo on Saturday June 5 at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr.
Children will learn, practice and demonstrate their bicycle handling skills. Make sure to bring your bicycle and helmet to participate in this family-friendly event for kids age 4-14. (There will be a few helmets available if you need one.)
The event is free, but registration is required. Visit the Webster Parks and Recreation website and look for program #201000. Four half-hour time slots are available beginning at 10 a.m.
Bri-Pen Senior Rides hosts Open House via Zoom
This note from some of our neighbors to the south.
Bri-Pen Senior Rides is hosting an open house via Zoom for those who might like more information about driving for the service.
Bri-Pen Senior Rides is a volunteer-based service that provides rides to adults 65+ in the Penfield and Brighton areas who do not have transportation to medical or other essential appointments. They are urgently seeking volunteers to drive or offer their assistance in dispatching rides to clients.
The group will hold an Open House via Zoom on Thursday, June 10 at 4 p.m. to answer questions about how to get involved, as well as to share the history of the program.
Drivers are trained by Lifespan, and qualified drivers are offered additional umbrella insurance to drive for the service.
A link to the Zoom meeting can be found on the Penfield Recreation website calendar, or call 340-8655 for details.
Our treed and open space areas in Webster offer peaceful places to enjoy and explore, places that Friends of Webster Trails helps preserve for future generations. The future of our trees is threatened, however. Emerald Ash Borer. Wooly Adelgid. Oak Wilt. Beech Tree Canker. Those are just some of the challenges our green infrastructure faces.
Friends of Webster Trails is in the early stages of identifying how to address the problem, and they’re putting together a committee to work on it over the next several months.The goal is to enter 2022 with concrete plans to put into action.
The Webster-based Rochester Rhapsody chorus, an organization of female a cappella singers specializing in the barbershop harmony style, is excited to report they’ll be returning to live rehearsals, which were on hold for a long time thanks to COVID.
To kick off the summer, they’ll be spreading their love for music with a grand reopening for women of all ages.
Female guests can attend Rochester Rhapsody chorus’ “A Cappella Lives!” open rehearsal on June 14 from 7 to 8:15 p.m. at Temple Beth El, 139 S. Winton Road, Rochester.
Women of all ages can enjoy an evening of music in a relaxed environment and participate in a cappella 4-part harmony, vocal skill building, singing a variety of music, and meeting with other women singers. Information about the chorus’ audition process will also be provided.
This is a great opportunity for women who love to sing but have never tried a cappella.
There’s SO MUCH COOL STUFF happening at the Webster Publc Library. Here are just a few snippets just for your kids:
This year’s Summer Reading Kickoff takes place at the North Ponds Park pavilion on Thursday June 24 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
There will be games and crafts, raffle baskets and book drawings, a scavenger hunt, and Star Wars costume characters! No registration is required. The event will include a 20-minute storytime with Jason at 6:15, so bring your blankets!
Your kids’ next craft challenge: create an animal habitat!
For the Animal Habitat Challenge, kids will use supplies provided, and/or anything else you have at home. The library will provide the animal, some fun crafting supplies and a box for your diorama.
Pick up your kits from the library between June 7 and 11 and submit a photo of the completed habitat by June 18. Voting will take place on Facebook from June 21 to 27. Click here to register.
Step into the magical world of Candy Land! Between June 14 and June 30, families and small groups will be able to register for time slots to make their way through a live-action version of this popular family game. Venture through the enchanted storytime room full of gumdrops, candy canes, lollipops, and so much more. Do you have what it takes to make it to King Candy’s castle first? Click here to register.
The Webster Public Library is located at 980 Ridge Rd., at the back of the plaza. Make sure to check out their website for all of the great youth and adult programs they’ve put together. I’ve just scratched the surface.
Last Saturday May 8 was the Terry Rothfuss Memorial Good Neighbor Day in Penfield. This annual event, organized by Penfield Recreation, gathers volunteers to help Penfield seniors, veterans and those who are disabled do light yard work and spring cleaning.
The event honors the memory of Terry Rothfuss, a farmer in east Penfield who was always ready and willing to help anyone at any time. After he passed away in 2014, his friends and family wanted to carry on Terry’s legacy of friendship by continuing to help their community and inspire others to do the same.
The annual event has grown every year, and I was pleased to find out recently that its influence has even spread beyond Penfield’s borders, as neighborliness should.
Webster resident Linda Meyers read about Good Neighbor Day when I posted a blog about it in early April. That same day, Linda messaged me to tell me how much she loved the idea and was going to sign up with her daughter Julia.
I was so happy to hear her say that. I’ve written about Good Neighbor Day several times in my blog and when I was writing my column for the D&C. Never did I even consider that anyone outside of Penfield would want to take part. But of course, the event is all about neighborliness and community. And when it comes to both those things, town borders mean nothing.
When she first read about the event, Linda wrote, “I was super excited because I love yard work and weeding.” She even recruited her neighbors Chris Elias, Kim Mead and their daughter Sophia to join them.
(We) went to the opening at Rothfuss Farm on Salt Road and it was awesome to see all of the volunteers and meet Sabrina (Renner) the coordinator. We got Good Neighbor T-shirts, donuts and bags for our day and it was wonderful hearing more about Terry Rothfuss from his daughter Molly.
We were assigned to a lady’s home and raked a ton of pine needles and did some weeding in a few of her back gardens. She was incredibly appreciative and even had water bottles, bagged apples and cookies as treats for us.
After all the work was done, participants were invited to Rothfuss Park for some post-event activities sponsored by Browncroft Community Church, including food trucks, mini-golf, a pitching inflatable and other games.
“Overall we had a great experience,” Linda said. “My daughter says she wants to go back to the same lady’s house next year!”
So, this is an awesome story on so many fronts.
First, we’re talking neighbors helping neighbors, just for the fun of it. Second, it’s so heartening to see kids get involved. What a great way to help them learn about compassion and giving to others. (And a little hard work never hurts, either.) And seeing the even expand beyond the Penfield borders just warms my heart and gives me renewed confidence that maybe we can all work together and keep this world running for a long time.
Finally, on a personal note, I’d love to see this event come to Webster. There are certainly residents in our town who could use this kind of help. It just so happens that our current Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, Chris Bilow, was the former director at the Penfield Rec, and oversaw Good Neighbor Day for years.
So what do you say, Chris? Can we make this happen?
I hope you got a chance to get out and work in the yard or take a walk or ride your bike — or all three — on that summer-like Saturday we just had.
My husband and I got our bikes out for the first time, hoisted them up onto the bike rack and drove down to one of our favorite riding spots, the Canal Trail. We like to park in Fairport and ride along the trail seven miles west to Pittsford. There, we rest, enjoy the sights of Schoen Place, then head back to Fairport, rewarding ourselves with a pint upon our return.
I saw a delightful addition to the trail which impressed me so much that I would have written about it in my D&C column if I were still writing it. But since I’m not, I’ll pass it along to all you fine blog readers.
It’s a project called the 2021 Poet-Tree Installation. It’s sponsored by the Village of Fairport Tree Board in celebration of National Poetry Month (April). What they’ve done is hung 45 poems in and around the village, along North Main Street and east and west of the village along the canal path.
According to the a press release I found online, many of the poems were written by Fairport High School juniors, and others are from current and former community members. The poems were installed on April 5 and will remain on the trees through the end of the month.
What an outstanding idea to honor poetry and those who write it, especially our high school students. I would love to see Webster do something like this next year, or even later this year. How about it, Thomas and Schroeder English teachers? This would be a great project to put a spark into the end of the year for these kids.
Speaking of columns, one of the favorite ones was the Mystery of the Little Pine Tree.
My husband and I came across the little tree back in 2016 while we were riding the canal. It stood in a small clearing about a quarter mile southeast of Great Embankment Park. It was clearly a piece of chainsaw artwork, but the only identyfying feature was a date: 9-6-98.
After some research, I found out it was created by Pittsford-based chainsaw artist Dave Jewett, who carved it out of a tree that fell during the massive windstorm that blew through that day.
We enjoyed seeing the little tree each time we rode the canal path. But then, one day last year, we discovered the tree had been replaced with a much taller, much more beautiful tree, probably also the work of Dave Jewett. It’s a nice piece, but I was sad to see that our little friend had been removed.
On Saturday, I saw that the little tree was back, and that stopped me in my tracks. It’s not standing on its original pedestal — the taller one is still there — but sitting proudly beside a brand new bench at the edge of the clearing. The bench, and the new tree, and a bunch of pretty painted rocks at its base are all part of what a sign on the bench calls the “KIndness Rocks Project.”
Next time you’re down that way, walking or biking the canal trail, make a point to stop and rest a while in this peaceful spot with the strange but beautiful little carved trees. And feel free to pick up one of the rocks and pass a little kindness along in your travels.
Remember I said how we like to grab a pint at the end of our 14-mile canal ride? There’s a brand new place we can do that in Fairport, now, and it has a very Webster connection.
It’s Faircraft Brauhaus, which opened in December in the old American Can Factory on the north end of village near Iron Smoke Distillery. And the decidedly Webster connection is that the new brewery is partly owned by retired Webster music teacher Steve Landgren.
I worked for many years with Steve at Webster Thomas, and have always known him to be passionate about his brewing. I’m so happy for him that he’s been able to turn that passion into a money-making business.
And from what I saw, it should do very well. The brewpub is very spacious inside, has a nice German-themed menu, and a nice variety of German-themed beers. And the patio outside was absolutely packed with patrons enjoying the food, beer and weather. Clearly it’s already a favorite stop for others as well.
We look forward to returning after our next canal ride.
Every year, in commemoration the City of Rochester and County of Monroe’s proclamation of Irish American Heritage Month, several Rochester-area Irish cultural organizations come together to celebrate a traditional siamsa (shee-am-sah), or evening of Irish entertainment. In normal years, the event — which features a traditional Irish soda bread cooking demonstration, cultural music, dancing and historical stories — takes place at one location over a few hours.
This year, however, the annual event will be hosted in three different locations on Tuesday March 30, one of which will be the Village of Webster’s very own Barry’s Irish Pub.
Here’s the schedule:
6 to 6:15 p.m., at Barry’s Old School Irish, 2 W. Main St., Webster: Soda Bread Making Demonstration. Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians member Sandy Foley will demonstrate how to make traditional Irish soda bread. Yes, there will be samples.
6:15 to 6:45 p.m., at Johnny’s Irish Pub, 1382 Culver Rd., Rochester: Traditional Irish Music Session featuring Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann (Irish Musician Association). Several members of the music organization will play some traditional Irish music.
6:45 to 7:15 p.m., at McGinnity’s Irish Pub, 534 W. Ridge Rd., Rochester: Historical Presentationby Irish American Cultural Institute member and author Deirdre McKiernan-Hetzler. Her talk will highlight significant women in Irish and American history and their influence in the world.
7:15 to 7:30 p.m. at McGinnity’s: Irish Step Dance Demonstrationby Rince Na Saor’s Kathleen Whitfield.
In-person attendance at each event will be available in accordance with current guidelines. But each will also be streamed live on Zoom. Up to 500 guests will be allowed to register for the Zoom meeting. This is the Zoom link.
The program is sponsored this year by the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, Irish American Cultural Institute, Rince Na Saor Irish dance, Barry’s Old School Irish Pub, Johnny’s Irish Pub, McGinnity’s Irish Pub, and the Monroe County Libraries.
This summer’s Fourth of July celebrations have all been put on ice, but Penfield has devised a fun way to celebrate the holiday … virtually.
Here’s the notice they’ve sent out to everyone:
Hey Penfield! There won’t be a formal parade this year, but we can still celebrate and show our patriotic spirit! Join your friends and neighbors for a little friendly competition: Penfield’s Patriotism on Parade!
Dress up your home/property in its patriotic best and send your address to Penfield Recreation at srenner@penfield.org. Be sure to let us know if your display is best viewed during the daylight or in the dark. We will add your location to a list of addresses that the public can drive by to enjoy a dose of patriotism. They will vote on their favorite display and the house with the most votes will win this year’s coveted award along with town-wide, year-long bragging rights!
We encourage you to use recycled/upcycled materials in your displays, and choose a theme such as honoring America’s heroes, or a unique patriotic theme of your choice. All entries must be non-political, non-discriminatory, and appropriate for all ages.
Displays should be ready for public display and voting July 3-5. Voting will end at 12:00 midnight Sunday, July 5.
Way to go Penfield! How about we do something like this, Webster? Even if the town and village don’t organize a similar event, feel free to send me a photo of your decked-out house and we’ll have a mini-contest right here on my blog.
If you’ve been “downtown” in the last few days, you’ve seen that the trees are adorned with twinkly white lights and the star decorations have been hung on the streetlamps. Now all we need is a little snow to make the village really look like it’s holiday time.
The village has hosted a few special events in the last few weeks, but it’s almost like everything else is just anxiously waiting in the wings, ready to pounce as soon as Thanksgiving passes.
Here’s a quick run-down of just some of the events coming up in the next few weeks thanks to the Webster Herald for alerting me to a few of these):
Breakfast with Santa
Santa will make one of his first Webster visits on Sunday Dec. 1, when the Webster Lions Club hosts Breakfast with Santa from 8 a.m. to noon.
The breakfast, which takes place at the Webster Golf Club (440 Salt Rd.), is FREE, but donations will be accepted to benefit the Webster Community Chest, Santa’s Workshop and other local charities.
Community holiday party
If you can’t make that trip to see Santa, he returns to Webster on Friday Dec. 6, when he visits St. Martin Lutheran Church on Bay Rd. for the church’s annual holiday party.
The entire community is invited to see Santa arrive by fire truck at around 6 p.m. He’ll visit with children until 8 p.m. and free photos will be taken (but feel free to bring your own camera).
Other activities that evening include cookie decorating, games, crafts, and the opportunity to make a reverse Advent calendar (I do this every year). Free pizza and beverages will also be provided for all.
Admission is free but please bring a canned good for the Little Free Pantry at the church, which provides food 24/7 for our neighbors in need.
St. Martin Lutheran Church is located at 813 Bay Rd.
Webster Village Band holiday concerts
The Webster Village Band has three upcoming holiday concerts on their schedule:
Thursday, Dec. 5, at Eastview Mall, Victor, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 14, Webster Schroeder High School, 3 p.m.
The concert program will contain some all-time holiday favorites and a few newer compositions to delight audiences of all ages. Performances are free of charge and light refreshments will be served following the performance at Schroeder High School.
And make sure to watch for the band on their float during the Parade of Lights on Sat. Dec. 7, which begins at 6:30 p.m. (More info to come about that!)
Country Gardeners sale
The Country Gardeners of Webster, Klemwood Garden Club and the Webster Arboretum will hold their annual Garden Club Holiday Sale on Saturday December 7 from 9 am 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 for this sale. This is always a very popular event, so you want to get there early.
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.
Another breakfast with Santa
Santa will also be a special guest at the First Baptist Church of Penfield’s December Flapjack Benefit Breakfast on Saturday Dec. 14. From 8-10 a.m. they offer an all-you can-eat breakfast with pancakes, maple syrup, scrambled eggs, sausage and beverage for just $6 per person. All proceeds will benefit the Open Door Mission.
The First Baptist Church of Penfield is located at 1862 Penfield Rd., at the four corners.
Cookies, cookies, cookies!
Two local organizations are ready to help you with your holiday baking this year.
St. Martha’s Guild will hold its annual Gourmet Cookie Fundraiser on Saturday Dec. 7 from noon to 2 p.m. at Holy Cross Anglican Church, 615 Bay Rd.
Cookies, pastries and brownies of all kinds will be offered for sale.
The following weekend, on Saturday Dec. 14, the Women’s Club of Webster will host its 27th annual Christmas Cookie Sale in the community room of the Webster Public Library, on Van Ingen Drive.
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There will be more events to come, and more information about some of these in future blogs. So stay tuned, keep adding them to your calendar, and get ready for a very busy holiday season.
As for me, I’m getting an early start — I’m heading down to LaLa this afternoon to do some Christmas shopping.
There’s still time to get tickets for this Friday’s “Lift Your Spirits” fundraiser for the Webster Comfort Care Home, being held at Artisan Works, 565 Blossom Rd., from 7 to 9:30 p.m.
The event will feature wine and beer tasting from local breweries, music by Andy Calabrese & Chet Catallo, appetizers, full cash bar, silent auction and raffles for great prizes including a balloon ride over Letchworth, a Sabres Suite for their Dec. 27 game against the Bruins, lodging, dinner certificates, rounds of golf, a humidor, jewelry, home decor and more.
Tickets are $50 per person and can be purchased online here or by calling 585-872-5290.
The Webster Comfort Care Home, located at the corner of Holt and Klem roads, provides free hospice care to the terminally ill of our Webster community, and comfort to the patients’ families. The agency is run solely on donations and fundraisers like this.
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The Webster Public Library will present a spooky — and educational — program this Thursday Oct. 17 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. called “The Spiritualist Movement in America.”
Local presenter Jack Kowiak will share the story of the Spiritualist movement which began long before the infamous Fox sisters, and continued long after them. It was the fastest growing belief system in American in the mid-19th century.
Registration is required for this program. To register, call the library at 585-872-7075 (click 3 for the reference desk) or click on “events and classes” on the Webster Public Library website.
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If you didn’t get a chance to visit last week’s two-day Webster Community Blood Drive, don’t fret. Your next Webster-based opportunity to save some lives with your donation is coming up soon.
Our very own Webster Volunteer Fire Dept. will host a blood drive next Thursday Oct. 24, from 1 to 7 p.m. at the fire house, 35 South Ave. Click hereto schedule an appointment online, or just stop by. It shouldn’t take more than an hour out of your day and will help fill a critical need.
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Speaking of our local fire departments, the West Webster Fire Dept. will host its annual Fire Prevention Open House this weekend, on Sunday Oct. 20 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the fire house on Gravel Rd.
The event features fire safety and rescue demonstrations, activities for the kids, and the opportunity to see all sorts of emergency equipment and trucks up close! Refreshments will be served, including apple cider, donuts, snow cones, and popcorn.
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
Dress up your home/property in its patriotic best and send your address to Penfield Recreation at srenner@penfield.org. Be sure to let us know if your display is best viewed during the daylight or in the dark. We will add your location to a list of addresses 
The village is sparkling.
If you didn’t get a chance to visit last week’s two-day Webster Community Blood Drive, don’t fret. Your next Webster-based opportunity to save some lives with your donation is coming up soon.
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