Today I want to re-introduce you to another one of my favorite runs, and I say that after having participated in it only once. It’s the Sunshine CampTrail Mix 5K and Beer Fest — a really long name for a really fun event — scheduled this year for Friday night, October 16. I posted a blog about this race last fall, about a week after I ran it, and if you read that blog you know why I like it so much.
For starters, the race benefits Rochester Rotary Sunshine Camp in Rush. The course meanders along wooded paths and walkways for three miles through and around this beautiful facility. And true to its name, after the race, runners are treated to a real festival, where perhaps a dozen Rochester-area breweries hand out generous samples of their beers. Plus there’s live music and dancing and prizes, old friends and new.
Sunshine Camp (if you don’t already know) is fully-accessible residential summer camp for children with physical challenges. I had never been there before, so I actually wondered if the property was big enough and wooded enough for a 5K trail run. I discovered that’s it’s plenty big, and the trails are just a small part of this incredible camp.
In a nutshell, Sunshine Camp is a 157-acre magical place where more than 2,500 children and young adults with special needs come every summer just to … well, be kids … without worrying about wheelchairs, medications, or being “different.” Along the trails I ran by a tree house, climbing wall, zip line, splash pad, playground, a lake, and an actual TRAIN! It’s like a child’s fantasy world, where the most fun things you can imagine are all in one place.
About 120 runners participated last year, ages 6 to 84, and the money raised through the entry fees went straight to support Sunshine Camp. The race itself was fun (albeit a bit hilly), and the post-race music and beer and snacks were excellent. I’m looking forward to running it again in a few weeks. (The photo is of our Village Runners team last year.)
Please consider joining me and my Webster Village Runner buddies. The race is Friday, Oct. 16, starting at 5 p.m. at the Rotary Sunshine Camp in Rush. You can register here, and remember you don’t have to run it. Come to walk it if you want. You can still enjoy the great music, good beer and friendly conversation afterwards. And, by the way, you can just sign up for the Beer Fest alone (for less money), so you can cheer your running friend on, then enjoy the after-party.
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(posted 10/2/2026)
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Get ready for a spectacular evening of sight and sound when our very own Webster Marching Band presents its 40th annualAutumn Fanfare field show and competition on Saturday October 17 from 6 to 10 p.m. at Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Rd.
Autumn Fanfare is always a spectacular evening of storytelling through music, marching, and even a little bit of acting. There are always huge set pieces involved to move the music-story forward. This is an awesome opportunity to see what our hometown marching band has been up to, and be impressed by the incredible amount of hard work these kids put in every year to create a show that will blow you away.
This year’s show is called Every Which Way, described as,
… a visual journey where direction becomes our playground. We begin Left and Right, exploring the horizontal plane as arrows point the way and performers shift, travel, and cross from side to side. Our second movement, Up and Down, turns our sense of direction on its head, as performers climb, descend, and slide their way through an ever-changing vertical landscape. Our final movement gets Twisted, when everything we’ve explored collides as twists, turns, and paths overlap in an energetic kaleidoscope of motion. Left becomes right, up becomes down and suddenly there’s no single direction to follow but Every Which Way!
Whoa.
Autumn Fanfare is a true spectacle, featuring 11 bands from across the region, who compete for top honors. In past shows, participating schools have included Corning, Greece, Horseheads, Jordan-Elbridge, Lancaster, LeRoy, Medina, Orchard Park, Rochester, Victor, Webster and West Seneca. Every one of their amazing performances will have you at the edge of your seat and on your feet. Plus, there are FOOD TRUCKS, so plan to get dinner there, too.
The show will take place on Saturday, October 17, from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Webster Schroeder Stadium, 875 Ridge Road. Gates open at 5 p.m. Tickets are $12 at the gate, or $10 in advance through this link: (kids 5 and under are free).
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Autumn has only just begun, and we don’t REALLY want to think about the cold winter ahead yet, but it’ll be here before we know it. And right now is definitely the time to start thinking about helping the families — and especially the children — who can’t afford enough warm clothes. The Webster Knights of Columbus Trinity Council #4618 is already doing that, as they gear up for their 15th annual “Coats for Kids” fund raiser.
The annual drive runs through September, October and the first two weeks of November. Over the past 14 years, through Coats for Kids, the Webster KofC has raised enough money to purchase and distribute more than 4,650 NEW winter coats to children in Monroe and Wayne counties, distributed through more than 30 charitable organizations, schools and churches throughout Webster and Greater Rochester.
PLUS, in the last three years, they’ve also handed out 516 pairs of sneakers through their springtime “Sneakers for Children” program, to some of the same organizations and charities that receive coats.
Those incredible numbers have been made possible by generous donations from individuals, businesses and community organizations. This year, once again, they’re hoping the greater Webster community will step up and help them spread their reach even further.
Each new coat costs $25 and each new pair of sneakers $21. If you can help by making a donation, please make a check payable to Knights of Columbus #4618 and send it to:
“Coats for Kids” c/o J. Stewart Coon, Chairman 230 Champion Ave. Webster, New York 14580-3464
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Today, another reminder about a great family event being hosted by the Webster Museum this weekend, on Saturday, Oct. 3 from 1 to 4 p.m. It’s called the Celebrating America 250 Festival, an opportunity to honor our nation while exploring the rich history right here in our own backyard.
The festival will highlight Webster’s agricultural, business, educational and pioneer history, giving residents a chance to learn more about the people, places and stories that helped shape our town.
You’ll start your historical tour by picking up a bag of pennies at the museum entrance. Then stroll through the museum and parking lot (weather permitting) to experience almost two dozen displays and hands-on “old-timey” activities. Each one will cost one cent.
For example, you can:
taste some dried apples and vote for your favorite apple variety
learn to make a friendship quilt
practice your letters on a slate in the one-room schoolhouse (be the first to find the mouse in plain sight!)
peer through a stereoscope (which is kind of like a View-Master)
play with some vintage toys and try some pioneer games
learn to make butter in the kitchen
buy some penny candy at Witmer’s Variety Store
get an ice cream cone at the Candy Kitchen
There will also be several other special activities, including a performance by the Genesee Country Fiddlers, a Children’s Broomstick Drill led by Michael Grenier (at 1 p.m.), a student art display, a skit about “How Webster Became Webster,” and a cake-cutting by Town Supervisor Alex Scialdone (at 2 p.m.).
And as a special treat, the museum has created a new display for their 8,000-year old wooly mammoth molar, so you can check that out and read about where it was found in Webster.
The museum folk continue to add more exhibits and activities, so plan to arrive early, stay late, and celebrate our town’s — and our nation’s — rich history. It all happens this Saturday Oct. 4 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Webster Museum, 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster. Admission to he event is free.
Basically, this is a great opportunity for the whole family to get better acquainted with the Webster Museum, while having a lot of fun learning about our town’s history.
(Militia photo credit: Joe Altieri)
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(posted 9/29/2026)
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Today I want to tell you about a race which, as far as I can tell, is like no other.
It’s the annual Wegmans East Avenue Grocery Run, organized by Third Presbyterian Church in Rochester. It’s scheduled this year for Saturday, Nov. 7. Since I’m somewhat connected with the Rochester running community, I’ve often heard about this race, but have never run it. But the more I hear about it, the better I like it. (Especially the part about how your entire entry fee is donated to a local food cupboard like Webster Community Chest and Webster NY HOPE — but more about that soon.)
For starters, the race is run in downtown Rochester, so it’s a flat and easy course. There are several distance options, making it easy for anyone to take part: a 5K, 10K, a 1K, a free “Boogie for Broccoli” dash and a virtual option. People wear costumes. Walkers are more than welcome. AND the registration fee is reasonable. But, as I said, the best part about this race is that your entire entrance fee can be donated to your favorite food pantry.
Here’s how that works:
When you sign up for the race, as part of the sign-up process, you’ll be asked if you want to join a team. When you’re ready to choose that team, scroll down the options until you find the food pantry you would like your registration fee to benefit. It’s that easy. Your entire registration fee will be donated to that organization.
Both the Webster Community Chest and Webster NY Hope have created teams. So if you live in Webster and will be running in this race, please consider signing up for one of these two teams. And if you’re one of those “I’m-not-a-runner” people who would never consider participating in a race, please consider this one. There are always a LOT of walkers, and did I mention you can wear a costume? Plus, this race is famous for its huge post-race food spread.
By the way, you can increase your impact by bringing some non-perishable foods to donate!
Last year’s startPart of the Webster NY HOPE teamBring some canned foods!
A little history
What I also didn’t know about the Grocery Run is that Webster resident Ellen Rye is one of the organizers. Ellen is part of a dedicated group of volunteers who, year after year, pull together the hundreds of details required to put on an event of this size.
I sat down with Ellen a little while ago to find out more about this amazing race and how it got started.
Third Presbyterian Church, located on Meigs St. in Rochester, for years has hosted a food cupboard and provided a hot lunch every Sunday to serve their local community. Back in 2010, they began to notice that the number of people visiting the pantry and attending the lunches was increasing. At the same time, grocery prices were on the rise.
So Ellen and several other “church moms” put their heads together to see how they could raise some money for the food pantry. “Somebody came up with the idea of organizing a 5K,” Ellen remembered, “which none of us knew how to do.”
It was a daunting challenge. Their first step was to solicit some sponsors. Wegmans was one of the first to sign on, which gave them a little encouragement. After that, things started to really come together, and when they were finally ready to put out the call for runners, they hoped they might attract 100 or so participants.
They got 800 that first year.
The race continued to grow, and before long (thanks in large part to the corporate sponsors), the race was raising more money than Third Church needed for their own food pantry. “So we said, let’s spread the wealth,” Ellen said.
“Let’s share; so many food pantries are really working on shoestring budgets,” she continued. “They never have enough money or people. So we realized, we have this infrastructure for putting together a great fun community event that attracts a lot of people. And why don’t we provide that infrastructure to other food pantries? That way they don’t have to organize their own race.”
And for the last 16 years, that’s exactly what Third Presbyterian Church has done. Since 2010 the Wegmans East Avenue Grocery Run has raised more than $760,000 for local food pantries. (Even if a runner doesn’t sign up for a specific team, all other fees and donations are distributed evenly among all the teams.) Corporate sponsors cover the cost of the event, so that 100% of race registration fees and donations go directly to food pantries. Last year alone, $110,000 was distributed to 41 organizations that provide food, hope and dignity for our neighbors in need.
The event is organized entirely by volunteers, a core group of about 20 people work year-round seeking corporate sponsors, planning logistics, supporting food pantry participation and sweating over details to make the Grocery Run a safe, fun and profitable community fitness event. During race week, more than 100 more volunteers help with packet pickup/registration, site and course set up, race marshals, hospitality and more.
And remember how that first race in 2010 attracted 800 runners? Last year, there were 1859 registered participants (10K, 5K, 1K and kids’ fun run).
Won’t you join us this year? Remember to sign up for your favorite food cupboard team. Both Webster Community Chest and Webster HOPE have teams!
The 2026 Wegmans East Avenue Grocery Run will be held Saturday, Nov. 7 at 8:30 a.m. Prices vary depending on the distance you’re running, but they will go up after Sept. 30. You can find more details including route maps on the website.
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Webster Comfort Care Home, at 700 Holt Rd., will be hosting a very special event on Tuesday, Sept. 29 which will give you and yours a chance to remember someone special who has passed away. It’s called “Their Light Shines,” a memorial luminaria gathering to honor and celebrate the lives of loved ones we carry in our hearts.
For this beautiful evening, participants are invited to purchase a luminaria and personalize it in honor of a loved one. On the evening of Sept. 29, they’ll all be placed around the Comfort Care Home’s parking lot, and at sunset, they’ll all be lit. It makes for a very powerful and moving scene a very meaningful evening of remembrance, reflection, and love.
The event will take place from 6:30 to 7:30 pm., with a brief welcome at 7 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. Rain date will be October 1.
Each luminaria costs $15, two for $25. To purchase and personalize yours, log onto www.webstercomfortcare.org. Even if you can’t attend, consider purchasing luminaria to honor your loved ones. That way, their light will shine even if you can’t be there.
Webster Comfort Care Home (WCCH), located at the corner of Holt and Klem roads, provides free hospice care to the terminally ill of our Webster community. The dedicated staff members and volunteers there uphold the dignity and ease the suffering of its residents, while supporting their loved ones in a warm, home-like atmosphere.
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(posted 9/22/2026)
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Before the run …… and after (photo courtesy J. Verna)
I have to say, I was NOT planning to write a follow-up blog to last Saturday’s super incredibly fun Mud Run at the Webster Recreation Center. But then my email and texts started filling up with photos from the event, and as I went through them I knew I needed to share them with you all.
The Mud Run — if you’re still not familiar with it — is an annual half-mile (or so) fun run/walk around the trails in back of the Webster Recreation Center, where participants splash through water, crawl through mud, maneuver through a string maze, clamber over hay bales, hop through tires, and manage a few other obstacles before being engulfed by a huge pile of suds, then sprayed off by the Webster Volunteer Fire Department. The goal for almost everyone, especially the kids, is to get as muddy as possible.
It’s exactly as much fun as it sounds. And (BONUS!) at the end, the Rec Center was handing out fried cakes, apples and t-shirts.
I “ran” the run with my friends Kevin and Denise, but also saw a lot of other friends and neighbors there, including Webster Town Supervisor Alex Scialdone, who gamely muddied himself as well. Denise kept her phone with her through the entire course, which I thought was extremely brave. She took most of the photos you’ll see here, unless otherwise noted.
And of course I wore a tutu.
The necessary fire dept. spray-down
This was an incredible family event, and I highly recommend you put it on your calendar for next year. It’s usually scheduled for the third Saturday in September.
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Now here’s an event I want to pull out for special attention because it’s gonna be a lot of fun, AND it benefits an organization near and dear to my heart, the Women’s Club of Webster.
It’s called Sip, Shop, Savor and Support, and it’s being hosted by Lala of Webster this Thursday, Sept. 24 on behalf of the Women’s Club. It’s 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 Sept. 24, shoppers are asked visit Lala’s and purchase items worth $15 or more to be included in raffle baskets being prepared for the club’s Card and Game Party on Tuesday Sept. 29. The party is one of three big fundraisers the Women’s Club hosts every year, which also include the Christmas Cookie Sale in December at the Webster Public Library, and the Fashion Show every spring.
As a thank you for your donation, shoppers will receive 20% storewide on items over $10 (excluding final sale items).
BUT THERE’S MORE! After you’re done shopping, head next door to Jojo Bistro & Wine Bar for live music, and 20% off your bill when you show them your Lala receipt.
Sounds like a great date night to me.
I’ll be there through the whole event with a smile and information about the Women’s Club for anyone who might be interested. Please come by and say hi!
Lala of Webster is located at 38 East Main Street in the village.
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By the way, the Women’s Club is gearing up for their October meeting, scheduled for Thursday, October 15 at Bill Gray’s Restaurant, 964 Ridge Rd.
Tracy Dennis, Benefits Counselor for the Webster Community Chest, will be the featured speaker. Social time begins at 11:15 a.m., followed by a business meeting at noon, lunch at 12:30 p.m. and Tracy’s presentation at 1 p.m.
Attendees can choose one of two lunch options, a cheeseburger or grilled chicken sandwich. Side dishes will include tater tots, macaroni salad, coffee, soda and dessert. Cost is $20. Please mail your check by Oct. 8, made out to the Women’s Club of Webster, to Mary Malone, 606 Galbro Circle, Webster, 14580.
New members are always welcome, and warm camaraderie is included at no charge!
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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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Here’s a brief rundown on just a few things happening at the Webster Public Library this month:
September’s Community Collection is picture frames. Bring in your unused ones and swap them out for new-to-you ones.
This month’s Donation Station is diapers.
Opera in the Dewey Decimal System, Thursday Sept. 24, 3 to 4 p.m.
An afternoon of music that will allow you to hear what is in-between the pages of the books in your library! You’ll hear scenes from famous playwrights, art songs based on two highly distinguished poets, and arias from shows based on legendary fairy tales. Registration is required.
Yoga for Seniors
A variety of gentle yoga and yoga-type workouts which will be played on video on the large screen in the Community Room (so this is not a live instructor class). Come enjoy some gentle exercise and camaraderie with old, and maybe new, friends! If you have your own yoga mat and/or seat cushions, please bring them. The library can provide yoga mats for up to 10 participants. The sessions will run on Wednesdays, October 7, 14, 28 and November 4 and 11 from 11 a.m. to noon. (Registration for the November sessions will open up in October.) Please register separately for each date: October 7, October 14, October 28.
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Join Town Supervisor Scialdone and other Webster representatives to talk about the local issues that matter most to you. The next scheduled Community Office Hours are Wednesday, Sept. 30 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Liberty Lodge at Finn Park, 850 Maple Dr.
If you can’t make it to this one, no sweat; they’re scheduled regularly. Details are posted on the Town of Webster website calendar.
The Chamber of Commerce and rocENROLL HEALTH (which the Chamber owns and operates) has invested in an outdoor signage update, welcoming visitors to Webster from three directions.
Several Chamber members gathered a few weeks for a photo op at the sign near Route 104 & County Line Road.
The Chamber’s next monthly meeting will be on Friday, Sept. 25 from 7 to 8:30 a.m. at the Webster Golf Club. This month’s meeting will recognize member businesses which are celebrating milestone anniversaries.
The monthly meetings are opportunities to network, meet new contacts, develop current business relationships, learn, and earn visibility for your business or organization. This is the largest monthly Chamber networking event within the Greater Rochester area, with 85-110 attendees. Bring a door prize for visibility and your business card, to take your chances on winning a door prize! Online reservations are required by 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24.
The Chamber will also be hosting a “Lunch & Learn” on Friday, September 25, at the Chamber Office (1110 Crosspointe Lane, Suite C). The program is called AI in Action. Register here.
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The Webster Thomas Class of ’71 reunion is just a few weeks away! I got a flyer recently with all of the latest details, but rather than just regurgitating them, you can read the flyer for yourself.
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Here’s a notice about a fund-raising walk sponsored by Embrace Your Sisters, a Canandaigua-based organization dedicated to providing emergency financial support for people with breast cancer. In the past, Webster residents have supported, and received financial support from, Embrace Your Sisters, so I’m pleased to share this information.
Embrace Your Sisters is hosting its 15th annualPositively Pink in Pittsford Walk Fundraiser on Sunday, Oct. 4. Check-in begins at 9 a.m. in the parking lot of Pittsford Sutherland High School, followed by the start of the Walk at 10 a.m.
The 1.8-mile long walk takes participants through the beautiful streets of Pittsford and along the Erie Canal. Walkers can come solo or join families, friends, sports teams, coworkers, organizations, cancer survivors, and even dogs, to add to their impact. There’s no charge to attend but please register if you plan to walk and consider donating to the cause. Anyone who donated $30 or more gets a terrific t-shirt. For more information and to register, click here.
Since its founding, EYS has raised nearly $1 million with the help of sponsors, friends, and business partners, to meet short-term emergency funding needs of breast cancer patients, across our 13-county Finger Lakes region.
Women’s Club of Webster announces their October meeting
Tracy Dennis, Benefits Counselor for the Webster Community Chest, will be the featured speaker at the next meeting of the Women’s Club of Webster, scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 15 at Bill Gray’s Restaurant, 964 Ridge Rd., Webster. Social time begins at 11:15 a.m., followed by a business meeting at noon, lunch at 12:30 p.m. and Tracy’s presentation at 1 p.m.
Attendees can choose one of two lunch options, a cheeseburger or grilled chicken sandwich. Side dishes will include tater tots, macaroni salad, coffee, soda and dessert. Cost is $20. Please mail your check by Oct. 8, made out to the Women’s Club of Webster, to Mary Malone, 606 Galbro Circle, Webster, 14580.
New members are always welcome, and warm camaraderie is included at no charge!
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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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I heard some big news recently about the Joe Obbie Farmers’ Market, which right now calls Towne Center Plaza its home every Saturday morning. Next season, the market will be returning to the Village of Webster.
Beginning June 12, 2027, the Joe Obbie Farmers’ Market will be setting up at Spry Middle School, in the cafetorium parking lot right off of South Ave. It’ll still be on the same day (Saturday), at the same time (8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and will have the same vendors you’ve come to know and love, plus some new ones.
The parking at Spry will be much easier and more plentiful, and I’ve heard unconfirmed reports that there will be food trucks at the new location as well. (Still trying to get more information about stuff like that.)
It’s also basically going to be right across the road from me, so I’m all for the move!
As I find out more about this change, I’ll let you all know.
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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
