Summer is the perfect time to take a walking tour of the Village of Webster and explore its history. The Webster Museum has a fun and interesting way to do that: the Webster Walkabout Adventure Lab. It’s an activity for the whole family that gets everyone outside to learn a little history and get some exercise along the way.
The Webster Walkabout is based on geocaching, the very popular outdoor treasure-hunting activity that uses global positioning system (GPS) coordinates to hide and locate containers called geocaches.
Typically, the hidden geocaches are physical containers containing trinkets to reward the finder. The Webster Walkabout Adventure Lab is different; participants are led to a series of virtual caches; in this case, five sites of historical significance to the founding of the Village of Webster. At each stop, the game prompts you to answer a question by typing in a word that can be found on a sign or plaque nearby. The correct answer unlocks the clue to the next location. Some of the walkabout stops even include videos.
The tour is about a mile and a half long and will take about 90 minutes. When you’re all done, you’ll be given a code to unlock a special bonus puzzle geocache located at the museum.
In order to play the Adventure Lab, you need a smartphone (iOS or Android) with the Adventure Lab mobile app installed, with a data plan and cell service. You’ll also need to sign up for a free account on geocaching.com. To open this Webster Walkabout in the Adventure Lab mobile app, type in labs.geocaching.com/goto/WEBSTER.
Read more about this and other fun ways to learn about Webster history by visiting the Webster Museum website at webstermuseum.com. Better yet, visit the museum any Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. It’s located at 18 Lapham Park.
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A couple of fun things coming up this weekend are atop my mailbag.
The first is the Webster Recreation Center’s annual Summer Celebration, this Saturday June 8 from 4 to 10 p.m.
This excellent family-friendly event features a bounce house, food trucks, live music, and fireworks at the end of the night. It’s free and no registration is necessary.
The Rec Center’s Music at the Arboretum series continues on Thursday, June 20 with a performance by Jazz Generation, beginning at 6:30 p.m. This is free (but weather-dependent). Bring your lawn chairs and blankets, plus snacks and drinks if you’d like!
Looking ahead at the Rec Center, mark your calendars now for the Summer Splash party on Saturday July 20 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the First Responders Spray Park on Chiyoda Dr. Rich the Magic Man will be there with foam bubble fun, and there’ll be free snow cones for all.
Then on Wednesday July 31, come out and see the beautiful new and improved Sandbar Park during Sandbar Splendor from 5 to 7 p.m. There’ll be lawn games, food trucks, raffles and music.
SPEAKING OF THE SPRAY PARKS…
Webster’s two spray parks are now open for the season, at Ridgecrest Park (off of Ebner Drive) and the beautiful, First Responders Spray Park near the Webster Recreation Center on Chiyoda Dr.
The First Responders Park (pictured here) is especially fun for kids and families. It’s a firefighter-themed playground and splash pad, with a nearby pavilion. The splash pad has all sorts of water-fun features including a fire hydrant, a dalmatian fountain and fire truck slide.
Ridgecrest’s spray park is a smaller facility, but is just a short walk from the center of the village. It also boasts an adjacent playground and skate park.
Also coming up this weekend is a program at the Webster Arboretum especially designed for those of you who love peonies.
The Arboretum will present a Program about peonies, the “queen of flowers,” on Sunday June 9 at 6:30 p.m. Arboretum board member George Riehle will give a tour and present the program, focusing on the care and cultivation of peonies and tree peonies. Please register at theWebster Arboretum website.
The Webster Arboretum is located at 1700 Schlegel Rd.
ALSO on Sunday June 9, the Webster Museum will present what has become one of their most popular programs, the Antiques and Collectibles Roadshow.
If you’re curious about the value or origin of an antique you own, bring it to the museum on June 9 at 2 p.m. and the Palma Brothers will use their expertise to provide some insight. There’s no cost, you don’t need to register, and free refreshments will be provided.
The Webster Museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster.
Finally, this notice which I actually got in my SNAIL MAIL: the Summer Concert Series at Cherry Ridge is back.
The first concert is scheduled for Wednesday June 19 from 6:30 to 8 p.m., featuring the Rochester Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra. Gates open at 5 p.m., and food will be available for purchase beginning at 5:30 p.m. Bring your own lawn chairs, and make sure to pre-register here so you can skip the line. There’s no cost for this community concert.
Looking ahead, on Tuesday Aug. 6, 8 Days a Week takes steps up on the Cherry Ridge stage, so make sure to mark your calendars now.
Cherry Ridge is located at 900 Cherry Ridge Blvd., across from Webster Schroeder High School. Registration is requested. Click here to do so.
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It’s been 40 years since Debbie Tiffany opened Deborah MacKay School of Dance, tucked into a one-room dance studio in Baytowne Plaza. She, and her school, have come a long way since.
Anyone who knows even a little about Debbie’s early years isn’t the least bit surprised that she became a successful dance teacher. She started dancing herself when she was just 5 years old, under the tutelage of Donna Throumoulos. She went on to get professional training in Toronto, New York City and Miami under mentors Judy Bassing and Brian and Faye Foley. It was then that she realized her passion was not just performance.
“One day in a dance class I was so intrigued with the choreography that I realized I wanted to teach and pass on my knowledge more than perform it,” she wrote. “That decided my future of opening my own school.”
When she opened that small studio in 1984, she had only 54 students and a limited number of classes in ballet, tap and jazz. It didn’t take long, however, before she outgrew that space, and Deborah MacKay Dance moved to the Village of Webster, where it would remain for 26 years. As more classes were added and more students signed up, it became clear that more parking and classrooms were desperately needed. So in 2015 Debbie purchased the old Webster Inn building at 1695 Ridge Rd. (just east of Salt), where the studio now boasts three classrooms and lots more private parking. The classes, too, have expanded, and now include pointe, contemporary, theater, hip hop, conditioning, and kindergarten development.
Classes are offered for children as young as 3 years old, and most students continue to train at the school through their high school graduation. Many have been awarded college scholarships for dance, and several have turned professional, dancing for companies including the Carolina Ballet Theater, Paul Taylor II and the Rochester City Ballet.
A few photos from a recent rehearsal
Deborah MacKay School of Dance’s continued success can be attributed in large part to Debbie’s philosophy.
“Every student counts, whether they dance one day a week or five,” she wrote. What we do at the studio goes far beyond dance education and technique; we strive to inspire students to be successful and the best people they can be. Teamwork, dedication and perseverance are qualities we hope to pass on as students graduate from our school.
And while there’s been a lot of dancing and a lot of performances in the last 40 years, for Debbie, the best part about teaching dance is — and always has been — the people.
The relationships you develop over the years are the backbone of the business. My teachers are all alumni and we have many second-generation students. Parents of graduated students still help out in the office, making props, or volunteering at our yearly show. Several of our alumni are still friends to this day, and I hope most people hold onto good memories of their time at the school.
A good example of how committed Debbie is to sharing her passion for dance came from Michelle Gibbs, a parent whose two daughters, Maren and Hollis, have been dancing for seven years. Her son Parker, however, “can’t dance, just like me,” she laughed. “My son has never taken a dance class,” she said, “but he fell in love with theater in school. I asked Debbie if there was a class he could take.”
So Debbie created a brand new theater dance class for Parker and a bunch of other kids who don’t want, or need, the traditional dance class experience.
Community members are invited to help celebrate the Deborah MacKay Dance School’s 40th anniversary by attending this weekend’s show, Encore ’24! It will feature some of the school’s favorite performances, more than 30 different dances representing the entire gamut of styles. It will be held Saturday June 1 at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday June 2 at 3 p.m., at Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Rd. Tickets are $16 if purchased before Saturday, when the process goes up to $18. Click here to reserve your seats.
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The sun did not shine brightly this year, as it usually does, on the Village of Webster’s annual Memorial Day Parade. For that matter, this was the first year in recent memory that the weather has been anything other than hot, with clear blue skies.
Perhaps due to the threat of rain, this year’s crowds along South Ave. and Main St. seemed rather light, and the parade itself even shorter than before (and it seems that ever since COVID, the parade has been attracting fewer marchers). But that was probably a good thing, given the weather; the last of the marchers had just reached Webster Rural Cemetery as it started to sprinkle, so everyone had a chance to pull out their rain gear and umbrellas before it got too heavy.
The post-parade memorial ceremony was held as scheduled, albeit a bit dampened by the rain. All of the honored veterans and dignitaries huddled under one pop-up canopy, or by the side of the building to stay dry. The marching band members and Scouts weathered the storm, but in smaller numbers. And none of the Scouts chose to place flowers at the base of the crosses when given the opportunity, which is always one of my favorite parts of the ceremony.
It was a very nice ceremony as usual. It’s always the same every year, but the solemn prayers and speeches always manage to remind the assembled crowd what this day is really all about — not barbecues and family gatherings and a three-day weekend, but to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
Thank you to all who organized and participated in today’s events.
Click here to see pictures from the parade and memorial ceremony.
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Heritage Square Museum is a 19th-century living history museum, located just 12 minutes east of the Village of Webster on Ontario Center Rd. It features ten individual buildings spread across 13 beautiful acres, which illuminate what life was like for many of the Town of Ontario’s earliest settlers.
I only really discovered the museum myself last September when I accepted an invitation to stop by during one of their community open house days and see what it was all about.
It’s a pretty cool place, offering a very educational and entertaining experience for the entire family. (Here’s theblog I wrote about my visit.) It’s really a hidden gem, which is why I’m happy to pass along news of some of their upcoming events.
The museum is opening for the season next weekend, with guided tours on Saturday June 1 from 1:30 to 4 p.m., and an ice cream social on Sunday June 2, also from 1:30 to 4 p.m., featuring live oldies music by Patrick Runne and Cheap Datez.
Opening weekend is a great chance to check out the museum, maybe absorb some history, and sit outside eating an ice cream while enjoying good music.
Can’t make it on opening weekend? The museum is open every weekend through Sept. 29, offering guided tours from 1:30 to 4 p.m. for a small fee. (Last tour starts at 3 p.m.)
If you like what you see, consider signing the kids up for one of Heritage Square Museum’s Stepping Back in Time children’s programs:
Thursday June 27, 10 to 11:30 a.m.: Games and Toys of the 1860s (register by June 13)
Thursday July 25, 10 to 11:30 a.m.: School Fun in the 1860s (register by July 11)
Thursday August 22, 10 to 11 a.m.: Daily Life in the 1860s (register by Aug. 8)
The programs are designed for children ages 5-10, and all three programs are free, but registration is required by calling Judy at 585-271-4925.
Each child may be registered for one or more programs, and each child must be accompanied by an adult. Children are encouraged (but not required) to dress like a child of the 1860s.
Heritage Square Museum is located at 7147 Ontario Center Rd., Ontario.
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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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Are you a guy who loves to sing, or do you know a guy who loves to sing? Webster’s very own Chorus of the Genesee is hosting a Guest Night on Tuesday, June 4 at 7 p.m. at the Harmony House, 58 E. Main St. in the Village of Webster.
Learn more about the Chorus, who they are and what they do. There’ll be singing, snacking and socializing. Click here to find out more.
Yoga at the Gazebo
Molly Flaherty, owner of M/Body Webster, is hosting FREE outdoor community yoga classes in Veterans Memorial Park on North Ave. every Sunday morning from 10 to 11 a.m. through Sept. 8.
While there’s no charge, registration is required. Click here to register. This event is being held in conjunction with the Webster BID and Webster Chamber of Commerce.
Day of Caring at The Webster Arboretum
Thursday May 23 was the annual Day of Caring, and the Webster Arboretum sent along this report on what their volunteers got accomplished:
“The Day of Caring, sponsored by United Way, is the community’s single largest volunteer effort, helping local nonprofits with projects, or ‘needs’, that they may not otherwise have resources for. We would like to thank Carestream Health, TRSS, Rockwell Automation, Hillside Children Center, Excellus, Paychex and Bond, Schoennay & King for supporting the Webster Arboretum. (Thursday) these groups came out in force to weed, mulch and beautify the Webster Arboretum. Thanks to their hard work we look better than ever. Stop by and enjoy the benefits of their labor.”
And don’t forget about these upcoming June Events at the Arboretum:
Composting workshops, Wednesday June 5 from 10 to 11 a.m. or Tuesday June 25 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The presenter will be Barbara Cummings from the Wayne County Master Gardener Program. No registration is required.
Program about peonies, the “queen of flowers,” Sunday June 9 at 6:30 p.m. Arboretum board member George Riehle will give a tour and present the program, focusing on the care and cultivation of peonies and tree peonies. Please register at theWebster Arboretum website.
The Music at the Arb series continues this summer when Jazz Generation performs at the Arboretum gazebo on Thursday June 20 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The performance is weather-dependent. Bring your chairs, blankets, snacks and beverages. There’s no cost and registration is not necessary.
The Webster Arboretum is located at 1700 Schlegel Rd.
Miracle Field announces inaugural golf tournament
This is exciting news from our friends at Challenger Miracle Field. They’ve just announced they’ll be hosting their first-ever golf tournament on Monday Sept. 9 at Irondequoit Country Club.
The Early Bird Golf Package will go for $1,000 a team if purchased before June 30, when the price will go up to $1,100. Packages include a round of golf for four people, golf carts, lunch and dinner.
Sponsorships are available for individuals and businesses beginning at $200.
Click here to register for the tournament and click here for more information about sponsorships.
Special Olympics Returns to Schroeder Campus
This notice from the Webster CSD:
Webster Central School District will once again host the Northeast Monroe County Special Olympics Track and Field Day.
Student athletes from nine area schools will compete throughout the day on Wednesday, May 29 at the Webster Schroeder High School track. Opening ceremonies will begin at 9:45 a.m. with the New York State Police Torch Relay slated to arrive around 10:15 a.m. Competitions will begin immediately following. Webster Schroeder, Webster Thomas, East Irondequoit, West Irondequoit, Penfield, Creekside, Mary Cariola, Greece Athena, and Fairport high schools will all be represented, competing in a variety of track, field, and adaptive events.
New this year will be several unified events. Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding. In Unified Sports, teams are made up of people of similar age and ability.
Additionally, Special Olympics NY will again offer more opportunity for age-appropriate sport activities for younger children. Their Young Athletes program, for ages 2-7, offers a variety of motor learning stations that introduces athletes to play and develops skills that lead to sport-specific movements and activities. Developmental Sports, for ages 8-11, is a step up from Young Athletes and focuses on skill development in sport activities. Both of these Special Olympics programs are designed to prepare younger athletes for authentic Special Olympics competition.
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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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Webster’s Memorial Day Parade, kind of the unofficial kick-off to the summer season, takes place on Memorial Day, Monday May 27.
Here are the details:
9:00 a.m.: All groups participating in the parade will assemble at Spry Middle School on Sanford Street. All active duty and ex-service men and women are invited to take part in the parade. Any veterans who would like to ride in the bed of an Army truck are asked to be at Spry by 9 a.m.
9:50 a.m. (approx.): Parade arrives at Webster Rural Cemetery.
The Remembrance Ceremony will begin at approximately 10 a.m., or whenever everyone arrives and gets settled.
9:30 a.m.: Parade moves out from Spry, down South Avenue, turning west on Main Street and proceeding to Webster Rural Cemetery.
In addition to honored active military members, auxiliary members and veterans, also expected to march in this year’s parade are the Webster High School Marching Band, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, firefighters and more. Click here to see a gallery of photos from last year.
This is always a very nice parade, and the ceremony that follows it at Webster Rural Cemetery is always moving. I highly recommend bringing your children to see both the parade and the ceremony, so they might begin to understand the huge debt we owe our servicemen and women.
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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’ve always loved a good home-town festival. That’s why I love the annual St. Rita Fiesta; even more than the Firemen’s Carnival, it brings me right back to the days of the fair I looked forward to every summer when I was growing up in small-town Owego.
And when I heard that this year’s festivities were going to be even bigger and better than ever, I immediately put it on my calendar.
The 69th annual St. Rita Fiesta will take place on Friday May 31 and Saturday June 1 at St. Rita Church, 1008 Maple Drive in West Webster.
Everyone’s favorite features will be back this year, including the famous Fiesta Food Tent with the also famous fish fry (Friday only) and Chicken BBQ (Saturday only), the Sweets Booth, carnival games with prizes, inflatables for the kids, the money wheel and pull tabs, a plant sale, book sale, and lawn games.
PLUS Irish dancers, karate and Robotics team demos, a talent show, an inflatable archery game, art station, the “Dunk the Deacon,” and live music from Roll the Dice, All In Brass Band and Count On It All Joy.
PLUS PLUS this year, the Fiesta is introducing pony rides for the kids, and is bringing back line dancing. Newer attractions will also include a mini golf course, giant spin art, a corn hole tournament and free bingo. And don’t forget to take a chance (or several) on the raffle baskets and $5,000 Spectacular Raffle Drawing.
Basically, there’s a TON of stuff going on both days for children and adults. Admission is free, and there’s plenty of free on-site parking, with handicap spaces available. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Meals on Wheels.
Here are the details:
69th annual St. Rita Fiesta, Friday May 31 from 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturday June 1 from 2 to 9 p.m. Check the flyer below for details on when your favorite activities are happening. You can also visit the Fiesta Facebook page or website for regular updates
St. Rita Church is located at 1008 Maple Dr. in West Webster.
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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).
That’s the message the great local group Color Webster Green wants to share with you at a free composting workshop being held at the Webster Recreation Center from 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturday June 1.
Color Webster Green is a group of Webster residents committed to helping our community be more green, improve energy efficiency and use environmentally-friendly practices. They invite everyone in the community — adults, kids, whole families — to join that effort and learn about composting at the hour-long workshop.
Doug Carney from Impact Earth will make a presentation all about composting, including the benefits, dos and dont’s, and how to get started. It will take place in room 303 at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr., and light snacks will be provided. Registration is NOT necessary.
Please bring the kids. It’s good for them to learn at an early age how important it its to care for our environment. And they can even plant a seed in compost to take home.
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).
All of your favorite special events are coming back to the Village of Webster this summer, thanks to the efforts of the village’s Business Improvement District (BID).
The official summer schedule was recently announced, with events planned pretty much every month beginning in June, through the end of the year.
Wine Walk fans will be pleased to hear that the next Wine Walk will be held on Saturday June 15 from 4 to 7 p.m. The logistical problems which caused the last Wine Walk to be unexpectedly canceled have been worked out, so put this date on your calendar now. Tickets will be available soon; keep an eye on the Webster BID website for when they do, because it always sells out.
Family Game Night and Beer Garden (Saturday July 27 from 4 to 7 p.m.)
Webster Jazz Festival (Aug. 9-10), featuring the New Prime Time Funk, Judah Sealy and more.
Health Fairand Shredding Event (Saturday Oct. 12)
Trick or Treat Trail (Saturday Oct. 26)
Bourbon Bash (Saturday Nov. 2)
Winter Wonderland (Saturday Dec. 7)
As we work our way through the spring and summer, more events will be added (I hope the Bed Races will be rescheduled), so stay tuned. The BID website will be updated regularly, so be sure to bookmark that, and “like” the Webster BID Facebook page. And of course, as I find out more, I’ll pass along the information.
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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
