… AND I frosted and sprinkled my cookie AND got a piece of pizza AND picked up my “reverse Advent calendar,” all at St. Martin Lutheran Church’s annual Evening With Santa last Friday night.
This is such a great community event, held not just for the church’s parishioners, but for anyone and everyone, as a thank you for supporting their charitable causes all year long. The Scouts of Troop 110 are always there to run games and crafts for the kids, there’s free pizza and drinks, cookie-making, story time and of course, a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.
The reverse Advent calendar, by the way, is a sectioned box with room for 24 cans of food. The idea is to put a can IN the box every day in December up to Christmas. Then all the cans are used to stock St. Martin’s Little Free Food Pantry. I love that the folks there know I do this every year and save my pre-wrapped Advent box for me.
Here’s a slideshow with some more photos from the evening. Thank you to my friend Rebecca for providing a lot of these.
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Another successful Winter Wonderland celebration is in the books, and by all accounts it was enjoyed by all. The weather was not bitterly cold, comfortable enough to take in all of the activities taking place along Main Street and in Veterans Park. There was music, dancing, storytime, crafts, cookies, hot chocolate, more music, snowmen, activities at the museum, a craft fair at the Harmony House … so much going on that I had a hard time capturing it all on digital film. And of course, the Parade of Lights was the highlight of it all.
I’ve put a few photos here but of course there’s a whole gallery more, which you can see here. If you don;t have Facebook, you can also see the gallery here in a Google file.
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Get ready for the Village of Webster to sparkle with holiday spirit when the annual holiday fun festival, Winter Wonderland, returns to Main Street, Veterans Memorial Park and Village Hall this coming weekend, on Saturday Dec. 6.
All of your family favorites will be back for the afternoon and evening, including choir performances, horse-drawn carriage rides, carolers, cookie decorating, live music, choir performances, storytime, games, face painting, a dance party, and a visit with Santa, culminating with the always spectacular Parade of Lights down Main Street.
This year for the first time, the Webster BID — who organizes the festivities — is also introducing a Community Donation Marketplace, set up in Veterans Park on North Ave. Community members are encouraged to bring donations for Webster Hope and Toys for Tots, which will be accepted all afternoon. Accepted items include:
Non-perishable food items
Personal care poroducts
Hats, gloves, scarves, and mittens
Unwrapped toys
Household items (blankets, pillows, sheets)
Reliant Federal Credit Union and Oaks Brands will also be at the marketplace.
Down at the Harmony House, 58 East Main St., the Chorus of the Genesee will be hosting a Craft Fair from 2 to 8 p.m. In addition to the wide variety of crafters, there’ll be live music, refreshments and a cash bar.
And while you’re in town for the festivities, make sure to walk up the short block to the Webster Museum (18 Lapham Park), which will be open from 2 to 7 p.m. with live music and your chance to vote for your favorite decorated mini Christmas tree as part of the museum’s Festival of Trees. Kittelberger Flower Cards will be on sale, and 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!
Plus, of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus will be greeting children at the Village Hall Community Meeting Room from 3 to 5 p.m., when they have to leave and get ready to ride in the parade.
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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We’re less than two weeks away from Wreaths Across America Day on Saturday, Dec. 13, when the Webster community will come together to place wreaths on more than 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, four million volunteers placed more than three million wreaths at 4,000 cemeteries across the U.S. and abroad.
Webster was a big part of that effort, joining Wreaths Across America for the third time. Last December, several hundred adults and children, including first responders, veterans and active service members, gathered at Webster Union Cemetery to lay hundreds of wreaths then spreading out to Webster Rural, Union Hill and Holy Trinity cemeteries. (Click here to read the blog about that incredible day.) It was a heartwarming outpouring of support from the Webster community.
Local organizers hope the community will show that commitment again as Webster joins Wreaths Across America for the fourth straight year, on Saturday Dec. 13. The plan is to meet at noon at Webster Union Cemetery (corner of Rt. 250 and Woodhull) for a brief Wreath Day ceremony. Following the ceremony, volunteers can stay there to lay wreaths or travel to Webster Rural, Holy Trinity and Union Hill to lay those cemeteries’ wreaths.
Adults and children of all ages are encouraged to take part in this very moving ceremony. Start a new holiday tradition for your family; it’s a great way to teach your children about how important it is to remember and recognize our nation’s veterans. Mark your calendar now and stay tuned for more details. You can also follow the Wreaths Across America Facebook page to keep up on all the latest news.
Right now, you can help by sponsoring a wreath (or several). Each sponsorship costs $17, and $5 from each will be donated to local Gold Star Families, who have lost an immediate family member in active duty. Click here to go to Webster’s Wreaths Across America page and sign up.
And stay tuned for details about when the Webster Police Department escort the 18-wheeler through town as it transports our wreaths from Maine to Webster Union Cemetery. I’ll post updates on my Facebook page as I heard about them!
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Y’all probably already know about — and are looking forward to — the Village of Webster’s Winter Wonderland festivities, scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 6.
For those of you not yet familiar with this annual celebration, this is an afternoon and evening packed with holiday fun, 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. The Village’s Business Improvement District, who organize the festival, has some new things up their sleeves for this year, and I’ll be detailing them in another blog shortly.
But today I want to highlight two organizations who always participate in this event, but since they’re not located right in the middle of things, sometimes don’t get a lot of community traffic.
The first is the Webster Museum, which always does Winter Wonderland up big.
Beginning at 4 p.m., the museum will have live music and a sing-along featuring The Goodwin Family, followed by The Saxophone Therapy Project at 5 p.m.
The Festival of Trees officially opens that Saturday as well. Nineteen beautifully decorated miniature Christmas trees have been placed throughout the museum, and community members are encouraged to see them all and vote for your favorite. They’ll be on display through Dec. 31, but if you can’t make it to the museum before then, you can also vote online at the museum’s website. (That link will be posted soon!)
The spectacular Burkardt Family Crèche will be on display for the month of December. Handcrafted in Germany between WWI and WWII, it was shipped to the Burkardt family in Webster at the end of the war. You can read more about it in this blog I wrote about it two years ago.
The museum’s popular holiday raffle returns this year, featuring featuring gifts and vouchers from generous local businesses. Tickets will be available at the museum through Dec. 6. They’re 3 for $5 and winners do not need to be present
Finally, the museum is participating in Kittelberger Florist’s 12 Months of Flowers program this holiday season. Purchase a “12 Months of Flowers” card for $50, cash or check only, at the museum through Dec 6 and receive one bouquet of flowers, each month, for 12 consecutive months. Bouquets are valued at $15 and must be picked up at Kittelberger Florist, 263 North Ave, Webster.
The Webster Museum is located at 18 Lapham Park (just steps off of East Main St.). They’ll be open from 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday Dec. 6.
The second featured organization today is the Chorus of the Genesee, who make their home at the Harmony House, 58 East Main St. in the village. During Winter Wonderland the Harmony House will be hosting a craft fair from 2 to 8 p.m. in the main room, just steps off of Main St. During the event, the Chorus will pop up occasionally to entertain the crowds with Christmas carols. Plus, watch for an ensemble of carolers from Webster’s own award-winning Rochester Rhapsody Chorus, who’ll be strolling through the village, popping in and out of businesses and stopping along the street from 4 to 5 p.m.
BY THE WAY,
If you’re a fan of signing Christmas carols and eating soup, the Chorus of the Genesee would like to invite you to their annual Soup and Caroling night on Tuesday Dec. 23 beginning at 7 p.m. The carolers will start at the Harmony House and walk through the village, caroling at select houses and businesses, then return to the Harmony House for a delicious variety of soups. There’ll be free hot chocolate and an open bar for those who want something a little stronger.
No registration is necessary. Just show up and bring your singing voice. Santa hats and sleigh bells are more than welcome.
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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.”
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In just a little more than a week, Friday night Dec. 5, Santa and Mrs. Claus will be visiting St. Martin Lutheran Churchon Bay Rd. for the church’s annual holiday party.
They’ll be arriving by fire truck at around 6 p.m., then spend the next few hours visiting with children in the church’s community hall. Every child will have an opportunity to talk with Santa and tell him their secret wishes (you can skip the mall lines). It’s also a great opportunity for a beautiful family photo. Free photos will be taken, but feel free to bring your own camera.
After your kids visit with the jolly ol’ elf (and Mrs. Claus), make sure to hang around a bit and decorate your own Christmas cookies, enjoy some games and Christmas crafts, listen to Santa read The Night Before Christmas and Pastor Korey read the Real Christmas Story, and sing along with Santa. Free pizza and beverages will also be provided for all.
This is a community-wide celebration! Everyone is invited. 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. It all begins at 6 p.m. on Friday Dec. 5. Get there early so you can watch for the fire truck carrying Santa and Mrs. Claus.
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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
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The 54th annual Webster Turkey Trot is approaching fast, but there’s still time to register.
The Turkey Trot, organized by Fleet Feet, is an annual Thanksgiving Day race which features a 2.5-mile fun run and a 4.4-mile race along roads and grassy fields in Webster Park. The race began in 1972, started by Webster cross country coach and English teacher Jim May as a practice run for his cross country team. It has since become a very large (typically around 4,000 runners), long-standing tradition in the Webster community.
The 4.4-mile 2.5 mile routes both start at the corner of Holt and Lake roads. Even if you’re not running the race, watch for traffic restrictions beginning at 8:30 a.m., impacting Lake Rd., Whiting Rd. and Holt Rd. Registration is open through Wednesday Nov. 26 at 5:45 p.m., and all new registrants will receive a cool tote bag. Plus, all participants receive a finisher medal.
Parking for racers can be a challenge, especially when we’re talking about 4,000 runners, but there will be shuttle buses running from Willink Middle School and Thomas High School from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Lots more information about the race, including how to register, the race routes, when and where to pick up your packet, parking information, and more can be found at the Webster Turkey Trot website.
Fleet Feet will also be running a donation drive for Webster Hope during packet pick-up. This is a great opportunity to show your support for our community and thankfulness for all of the blessings we enjoy — enough food on the table, a warm place to live, good health. To thank you for your donation, you’ll receive a Mystery Buck valued at 10 to 50% off any full-priced item in store at Fleet Feet.
Hope’s November wish list includes (these are the most critical needs, but all non-perishable foods are welcome):
Baking items- flour, sugar, cake and brownie mixes
Cooking oil
Canned peas
Canned pineapple
Canned beets
Canned potatoes
Pasta sauce
Pasta, whole wheat is NOT popular
Hygiene Products
Dish soap
Laundry soap
Any toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, shaving cream, lotion, etc.
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Making Spirits Bright is an awesome organization here in Webster which for the last 12 years has been working quietly under the radar, doing amazing things for families in need during the holidays — and this year, their efforts are needed more than ever.
The organization works with area school counselors and social workers to identify families that need assistance. Then they collect wish lists from each of the family members and begin collecting items. And unlike many other programs, Making Spirits Bright provides far more than just gifts. They also assist with winter gear, household necessities, personal care items, cleaning supplies and various other items to lessen a family’s burden. PLUS, they provide for all members living in each household, no matter their age. This includes kids, parents, guardians, grandparents, and sometimes even pets. This year, Making Spirits Bright expects to surpass 600 families helped.
The call has gone out for donations to support this year’s effort, and there are several ways you can help:
Sign up as a group, organization, business or family to help out. (Click here for current community list)
Adopt an entire family (choose the family size you’re comfortable with, two-person and up)
Organize a collection drive for some of the most needed items, like toiletries, hygiene items, cleaning supplies, gift wrap, gift boxes and gift cards.
Make a monetary donation, which are used to purchase items on the list which were not adopted. Any donations, large or small, is appreciated. Click here for more information.
Help wrap gifts. Click here to see this year’s wrapping schedule and stop by to lend a hand!
Donations should be new and unwrapped (unless otherwise noted), and all items need to be dropped off at the MSB headquarters — located in Baytowne Plaza — no later than Saturday, December 6.Click here for additional drop-off locations and hours.
email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
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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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