Two years ago, when we were still struggling through the pandemic, Webster Parks and Recreation came up with a terrific new Halloween-time event that got everyone outside, hiking and celebrating the season. It was the very first Pumpkins on Parade, and it proved to be so successful and well-received that the Rec Center has turned it into an annual event.
But this year…. well, this year they’ve gone and made Pumpkins on Parade 100% better.
The path itself won’t be much changed from previous years; the mile-long Chiyoda Trail behind the Rec Center will once again be lined with hundreds of creatively carved, illuminated jack-o-lanterns. The wide variety of humorous, scary and downright wierd designs will blow you away. They’ll also have a much shorter path again this year for seniors and small children to enjoy.
But this year, the fun stuff participants will find at the end of the walk has been greatly expanded. The Webster Rotary will be there handing out candy, there’ll be music, a kids’ slide, a mini hay maze, a bonfire, free cider and donuts from Herman’s Farm Market, a family photo area and kids’ activities from Diamond Collision.
Plus, professional pumpkin carver Eric Jones, the star of the Food Network’s Halloween Wars and Outrageous Pumpkins, will be on site carving 3D pumpkins. It’s like a big Halloween festival.
BUT the success of this event depends on community participation. The Webster Recreation Center needs several hundred carved pumpkins to make the walk amazing. The need is so great that the Rec is actually offering to buy multiple pumpkins for any business or organization that wants to do some carving. You can pick them up at the Rec on Monday Oct. 24 and return them by the 28th. If you’re interested, email Katie Kovar at kkovar@ci.webster.ny.us with your contact information and how many you’d like.
Families and individuals are also encouraged to provide pumpkins, of course. Carved pumpkin drop off is Friday, Oct. 28 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 29 from noon to 2 p.m. Every carved pumpkin gets a raffle ticket entry for a prize basket.
Even if you don’t want to carve a pumpkin, make sure to bring your family out for the event. Pumpkins on Parade takes place from 7 to 8 :30 p.m. on Saturday Oct. 29 at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr. There’s absolutely no charge.
Two uber-fun Village of Webster events are happening at the same time Saturday afternoon and evening, filling West Main Street (and beyond) with music, beers and good friends.
The first is the Village of Webster Beer Walk, taking place 4 to 7 p.m. Participants will wander through the vlllage and pop into more than a dozen local businesses, which will be providing snacks and samples of craft beers, poured in your own personal mini pint glass. I did this last year with a bunch of friends and we had the most rollicking, wonderful, laugh-filled time, despite the cold, wet and windy weather.
This year promises to be much milder, so I’m really looking forward to getting together again with my crazy friends (and a few crazy daughters) for a delightful wander through the village.
Click here to read my account of last year’s event, and click here to order your tickets for the walk. They cost $20 and need to be purchased in advance.
BUT NOT ONLY THAT. The Village’s Oktoberfest and Family Games Night is also happening Saturday night, from 5:30 to 8:30 on West Main Street, featuring Rochester’s best-known Oktoberfest band, the Krazy Firemen.
What’s great about this timing is that Beer Walkers can roll right into the fun and music. Or, even if you’re not participating in the walk, you can come down with the whole family for games, food and drink. Dancing With Denise will be there again to get the kids dancing, too.
No charge for this event. So come on down and bring your friends and neighbors.
Tickets are now available for two very popular Village of Webster events, the Beer Walk and the Bourbon Bash.
The annual Beer Walk returns to the streets of Webster this weekend, Saturday Oct. 15, from 4 to 7 p.m. Participants will wander through the vlllage and pop into more than a dozen local businesses, which will be providing snacks and samples of craft beers, poured in your own personal mini pint glass.
Some of the participating merchants include
BC’s Chicken Coop
Bernardi & Co. CPAs
Woodland Silkscreen/Ohhh Lordy
Crafty Christy’s Boutique
Modified Collective
Beyond Cuts Salon
Brimont Bistro
Lattimore Physical Therapy
The Coach Sports Bar
JoJo Bistro and Wine Bar
Barry’s Old School Irish
Ploty’s Bar and Grill
Cobblestone on Main restaurant
Mayer’s Cider, Wine, and Brewery
Finns Automotive
Glass pickup this time around will be at BC’s Chicken Coop, 159 West Main Street. The Village Oktoberfest is also happening this Saturday evening from 6 to 9 p.m. (more info on that soon), so Beer Walkers can enjoy those festivities as well.
Tickets for the Beer Walk are $20 and can be purchased online here.
This year’s Bourbon Bash returns Saturday Nov. 5 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Harmony House, 58 E. Main St.
Sample bourbons and whiskey from local and national distilleries, complemented by food samples from local restaurants.
This very popular event is brought to you by the Webster Business Improvement District and Webster Wine and Spirits. Tickets are $25 and will be limited (this event always sells out, so get your tickets doon). They can be purchased online here or at websterbid.com. Cash sale tickets are also available at Hegedorns.
If you’ve lived in Webster for any length of time, chances are you’ve heard about, or perhaps even hiked, our town’s beautiful trails. The system’s almost two dozen trails already stretch from the farthest corner of northwest Webster, south to 104 and east to Phillips Rd., and more are being created every year.
We have the Friends of Webster Trails to thank for this outstanding trail system. These hard-working volunteers put in thousands of hours every summer and fall planning, creating and maintaining the trails, clearing brush and invasive plants, laying gravel, building bridges and boardwalks, and more.
A good example of the Friends’ dedication to preserving our beautiful natural lands is their current ReTree Webster initiative.
ReTree Webster is a program which recognizes that Webster’s forests are under attack from insects and disease. As thousands of ash, hemlock, oak and beech die, they’re replaced by invasive and, usually, non-native trees.
The Friends of Webster Trails developed the ReTree program to fight back. They first completed tree surveys along many of the trails. Then, after removing some of the invasive species, new trees were purchased or grown from seedlings to replace them.
The Friends have already started planting many of those seedlings along a high traffic area of Whiting Road Nature Preserve (WRNP). Those new plants will be joined by larger saplings and other native trees next weekend, when volunteers will plant 20 saplings, some up to six feet tall, along the new Michael Johnson Trail at WRNP.
The planting event will take place on Saturday morning Oct. 15 at 9 a.m. at WRNP. Volunteers of all skill levels are needed to transport, plant, position and protect the trees. If you’re interested in helping out, just show up at the Whiting Rd. Nature Preserve parking lot that morning. You can help make a big difference in protecting Webster’s open spaces.
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If you haven’t explored any of Webster’s trails yet, this time of year is the perfect time to do so. Our area’s natural beauty is especially spectacular in the fall. Three events in the next few weeks offer some opportunities to do so.
On Saturday Oct. 29 at 12:30 p.m., the Friends will lead a guided hike through Four Mile Creek Preserve and tell the history behind six abandoned cars you pass along the trails there. There should be some interesting stories.
The following weekend, the Friends will host their annual Hot Cocoa Hike on Saturday Nov. 5. This is a fun self-guided hike along a trail marked with lights. At the end, hikers are rewarded with hot chocolate. The hike will begin at 7 p.m., at a location yet to be determined. (Details to come at webstertrails.org.)
Earlier that day, kids of all ages are invited to enjoy a Family Scavenger Hunt at Kent Park on Schlegel Rd. Three skill levels for ages 2 through 12 will be available. The event begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday Nov. 5 and costs $5 per child. For more information and to register, visit the Webster Parks and Recreation website.
Click here to find out more about the Friends of Webster Trails.
Leading today’s mailbag is the Webster Public Library Book Sale, happening Friday and Saturday at the library, 980 Ridge Rd., at the back of Webster Plaza.
Hardcover books are just $1 each, and paperbacks only 50 cents. Today and Saturday are also BYOB Bag Sale days. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to noon tomorrow, bring your own bag and fill it for just $5. Credit cards are accepted, and all proceeds benefit the library.
Also happening at the library this month:
The What, Why and How of Paranormal Investigating, Tuesday Oct. 11, 7 to 8 p.m. — Monroe County Paranormal Investigators discuss the process they go through to investigate, as well as share evidence from local haunts. There is no cost, but registration is required. Click here to register.
Invasive Species Talk: Spotted Lanternfly, Thursday Oct. 13, 6:30 to 8 p.m. — Learn about one of the biggest invasive species threats seen in decades, the spotted lanternfly, and how you can help stop this destructive bug. There’s no cost, but registration is required. Click here to register.
Spooky Storytime, Tuesday Oct. 25, 10 to 10:30 a.m. — Some skele-fun with spooky stories and a creepy craft! Feel free to wear your Halloween costume. All ages are welcome, and no registration is required.
Library Trick or Treat, Friday Oct. 28, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. — Bring the whole family trick-or-treating at the library. Follow the trick-or-treat trail through the entire library with a spooky maze at the end. No registration is required.
Halloween Crafts, Saturday Oct. 29, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Drop in anytime. All ages are welcome and no registration is required.
For the teens and tweens, there’s a Stranger Things craft night on Wednesday Oct. 12 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. with crafts and activities. Grades 4 to 12 are welcome, and registration is required. And on Friday Oct. 21 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. there’s a special Halloween Night with games, activities, crafts, treats and more. Registration is required.
St. Martin Lutheran Church is offering up some great food again.
Their next Pulled Pork Drive Thru BBQ will happen on Saturday Oct. 15 from 4:30 until gone at the church on 813 Bay Road, Webster. Pull into the parking lot, place your order using exact payment, and the dinner will be delivered to you as you drive up in your car.
The take-out dinner includes pulled pork, roll, salt potatoes, cole slaw and cookie for $12.00. Proceeds support the church’s eleventh annual Christmas Stocking Project reaching over 500 children and teens in Monroe and Wayne counties.
These next few events are repeats from my last mailbag, in case you might have missed them the first time.
The West Webster Fire Department will hold their open house on Sunday Oct. 16 from 1 to 4 p.m., and the Webster Volunteer Fire Department will hold their open house on Saturday Oct. 29 (during Halloween in the Village). These events offer much more than fire trucks, too. There are demonstrations, giveaways, a chance to check out all sorts of emergency equipment and talk to real first responders. But of course, there’s definitely plenty of opportunities to take a picture of your young firefighter sitting in a real fire truck.
The West Webster Fire Department is at 1051 Gravel Rd., and the Webster Volunteer Fire Department is on South Ave. in the Village of Webster. These events are both free and open to everyone.
Gleason Orthodontics, on South Ave. in the village, will be hosting a winter-wear donation drive from Oct. 1 through Nov. 20.
You can drop off adult and youth-sized coats, hats and gloves at the office, 246 South Ave., during regular business hours.
The Webster Recreation Center, Webster Central PTSA and Webster Teachers Association are also hosting a Concert Apparel and Coat Drive. They’re looking for any size (toddler through adult) of the following items in good condition:
Winter coats, jackets, pants, boots and accessories
Concert apparel: white and black tops, shoes, bottoms and accessories
Collection boxes are loated at each Webster Central School building through Oct. 27.
On Saturday Oct. 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr., anyone who needs winter or concert gear can come “shop” for gently-used items for free.
And don’t forget about the Webster Community Blood Drive, which returns next Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 12 and 13 from noon to 7 p.m. at the Firemen’s Exempt Building, 172 Sanford St.
Regular blood donors will know this drive as one where everyone gets a coupon for a free ice cream cone from Bruster’s. Plus, the Red Cross will be giving all donors a $5 e-gift card, good for use at a merchant of their choice.
Walk-ins will be accommodated, but it’s always best to make an appointment. Click here and choose the time that best fits into your schedule. Or call 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767). And make sure to fill out your RapidPass on the day of your donation to save at least 15 minutes.
Our very own State Champion Webster Marching Band will host their 36th annual Autumn Fanfare field show and competition this Saturday October 8 at Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Rd.
Ten different field bands will compete this year, representing schools from Buffalo to Victor. Each school has about 10 minutes to present their program for the judges before clearing the field for the next band. The programs they present reflect months worth of planning and rehearsing to be ready for almost weekly competitions in September and October, culminating in the state championships on Oct. 30.
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, and this year is especially impressive, ’cause there’s a light show involved.
Their 2022 field show is called “Only Light Can Do That,” and according to the release the band sent, it revolves around “being the light in a dark world…. It reminds people that fighting hate with hate only creates more hate, and that fighting darkness with darkness only creates darkness. Illustrating that change can begin with one person at a time, and that light and positivity can be infectious.”
The release further descibed the show:
Their performance starts with a flute soloist who plays a melody that repeats throughout the show. This represents the light. In Movement One (“Darkness”), the rest of the ensemble represents the darkness that overtakes the single light. However, in Movements Two (“Shining Through”) and Three (“Light”), you hear and see a shift of positivity when the full ensemble plays the “light” melody which represents light overtaking all of the darkness. Musical selections include original music by Webster Marching Band Director Jerbrel Bowens.
See? It’s kind of like a theatrical performance, driven by music. You really got to see it to believe it.
Autumn Fanfare begins promptly at 6 p.m. with a performance by Marcus Whitman. The rest of the schedule looks like this:
6:13 p.m.: Le Roy
6:26 p.m.: Hilton
6:39 p.m.: Greece
7:12 p.m.: Webster
7:25 p.m.: West Seneca
7:38 p.m.: Medina
7:51 p.m.: East Irondequoit
8:04 p.m.: Lancaster
8:17 p.m.: Victor
Gates will open at 5 p.m. Tickets are $7 in advance from Hegedorn’s, $9 at the gate. The show will be held rain or shine.
Fall-like weather is upon us once again, which means the Joe Obbie Farmer’s Market will be packing up for the winter soon. But all is not lost; you’ll still find the locally-produced fresh meats, vegetables, fruits, syrups, honeys and more you’ve come to love for a few more weeks.
The market is open every Saturday morning from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Webster Towne Center (Target/Kohl’s Plaza) on Holt Road, near the gazebo.
Now would be a great time to check out the market if you haven’t already. You’ll not only find many of your favorite summertime produce, crafts, cheeses, spice blends, and baked goods, but now the market is really leaning into the autumn season. Need maple syrup and cider? How about pumpkins for your porch? Stop by the market and you’ll be delighted at the selection.
September’s still here, but October and November are front and center in the minds of the Village Business Improvement District, who are deep into planning for some fun events in the coming weeks.
Lots of details are still being worked out, but here’s a taste of what’s in store so you can mark your calendars:
Village Oktoberfest and Beer Walk, Saturday Oct. 15. These two great events will be happening at the same time for double the entertainment. Times for the Oktoberfest are still being finalized, but we do know the Krazy Firemen will be returning to perform on East Main. The Beer Walk will run from 4 to 7 p.m. Tickets will be available soon at www.websterbid.com.
Trick or Treat Trail, Saturday Oct. 29, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. This event always kicks off with a costume contest at Village Hall from 11 a.m. to noon. And don’t forget to have your pups join in the fun; prizes will be given out throughout the afternoon by judges who’ll be wandering around on the lookout.
Bourbon Bash, Saturday Nov. 5, 6 to 9 p.m. at the Harmony House. Good drink, good food, and this always sells out. Watch for ticket information coming soon.
And of course, the Village of Webster’s Holiday Extravaganza on Saturday Dec. 3. Lots of details still being hammered out about this event, so stay tuned.
I can’t speak for everyone in my generation, but I’ve come to a point in my life where I can’t keep up with the pace of technology. That’s especially the case with the proliferation of social media outlets. I mean, I’m still not even on board with TikTok and Snapchat, which in 2022 are among the elder statesmen of social media.
So I can’t even imagine how difficult it must be to have kids right now, who seem to be on their phones every waking moment. Keeping them safe and focused on school and other responsibilities is a formidable task.
A program coming up on Tuesday Oct. 4 is designed to help parents with that task.
The program, sponsored by the Webster Central PTSA and the Webster Health Education Network (WHEN), is called Social Media and Your Kids. It features Mark Stossel, an award-winning poet and filmmaker, who will speak on how technology affects, influences, and makes addicts of all of us.
Stossel is kind of an expert in the field. He ran social media for multinational brands and worked for a social media company where he designed some of the same notification structures to distract people that he now raises awareness about. He has spoken with hundreds of thousands of students, parents, and educators around the world about social media’s impact on our lives and provides a unique and much needed critical perspective on the role of technology in schools and in our society.
His presentation will illustrate some of the specific ways technology is designed to be addictive and distracting, give an overview of how students are using social media, and give recommendations on how to improve focus and diminish distraction in learning environments.
Stossel will speak at assemblies at both Webster Thomas and Schroeder high schools, but the presentation on Oct. 4 is meant for the entire Webster community. It will be held at Webster Schroeder High School, 975 Ridge Rd., on Tuesday Oct. 4 beginning at 7 p.m. Admission is free.
For more information on Stossel, go to socialawakening.org. For more information on his Webster School District presentations, contact Joe Montemaro, district director of educational technology and information, at 216-0123 or joe_montemaro@webstercsd.org.
I’m a sucker for cemeteries. They’re so peaceful. I love to just wander through them, enjoy the solitude, look at the epitaphs, and think about the lives they’re trying to sum up in just a few words.
So when I heard about a recent book about cemeteries written by Webster resident Jane Hopkins, I sat up and took notice. Then I started reading it, and realized that Hopkins and I are of the same mind when it comes to the power of cemeteries to touch us deeply.
The book is titled Cemetery Reflections, and it was sparked in part by a single, simple headstone. Hopkins was taking a walk in a historic cemetery in Canada a few years ago and came across the grave of a young child. The epitaph read, “Step Softly, Here lies a dream.” A much larger monument which stood nearby detailed the death of four children three weeks apart, and their father several months later. Hopkins writes in her book, “I thought about the dreams of these parents for their children, and the harsh reality that comes to many of us who experience an early death in the family.”
As Hopkins continued to wander the cemetery, she contemplated the deep grief expressed in the words on the child’s headstone. It compelled her to explore more cemeteries, perhaps, she wrote, “looking for a workable philosophy of loss and afterlife ─ including my own death ─ and how to make it easier for those left behind.”
The result of those wanderings is the new 206-page book, Cemetery Reflections, a visual journey through notable cemeteries, illustrated by stunning black and white and color photos. Historic poetry and beautiful prose accompany the photos, giving the book a free-flowing feel similar to what one would experience on a cemetery walk.
You can meet Hopkins yourself and learn more about her book at a talk she’ll hold on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 2 p.m. in the Gleason Auditorium at the Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, 115 South Ave., Rochester. The talk is free and open to the public.
Copies of Cemetery Reflections are available for $44.95 at Amazon.com.
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
