Archive | Village events RSS feed for this section

Scenes around town

17 Aug

OK, I’m a bit ashamed to admit it, but I was planning to post this blog more than a week ago before I left on vacation. But I was sitting on it while I awaited more information. Then when it finally arrived I totally wrote a whole new blog with it and forgot about this one.

I just came across it again. So consider this a bonus blog.

* * *

The following photo and caption were submitted by my friend Kelly Mutschler, who’s a little proud of what her daughter Maggie and her volleyball teammates are doing for the community.

Members of the Webster Schroeder Volleyball team spent time a few weeks ago volunteering with the American Cancer Society. The girls assembled kits for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, which will  be distributed to the attendees of the kickoff breakfasts in Rochester and Waterloo this month.  Jessica Shatzel, a fundraising coach for this event, said,

It was my pleasure to work with the Webster Schroeder Girls Volleyball team who came to volunteer at the American Cancer Society’s Lakes Office in Rochester. The girls were here from 9 am until 1 pm and in that short time were able to assemble about 800 team leader kits for our upcoming Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Kickoff Breakfast. This was no small task as folders needed to be stuffed, tee shirts folded and ribbons tied, but they kept a positive and hardworking attitude throughout, an excellent representation of both the school and the athletic department. I am so grateful for all of their help! Without volunteers like these girls, events like this would not be possible.

Front row: Ciara Lutz, Cailyn Hart, Deanna Callerame and Jane Vanvessem. Back row: Cassie Campbell, Maggie Mutschler and Courtney Miller.

These are the same ladies who are holding the mattress fundraiser tomorrow which I mentioned in my Thursday blog.  Click here for more information and for a $50 coupon.

This next photo is one I snapped a few weeks ago at Barry’s Old School Irish, where I was was having a gabfest with my friend and colleague Carol Klem. While our meeting was going on, at the next table over, several of the ladies from the Webster Museum’s Historic properties Committee were also meeting.  They were starting to plan out which local homes would be recognized this year for their historic significance.

Webster owes this committee a debt of gratitude for regularly reminding us that our town has a very rich and exciting history.

And speaking of Barry’s Old School Irish, the little pub/bakery on Webster’s Four Corners will host a second Fiddle Workshop tomorrow from 3-4 pm.

The free workshop will be led by Barry’s Crossing fiddle-meister Sean Rosenberry. It’s designed for advanced beginners and intermediate players, but fiddlers of all ages and skill levels are welcome, and participants are invited to bring other traditional Irish instruments as well.  Spectators are encouraged. Following the workshop, Sarah and Sean of Barry’s Crossing will perform a short fiddle set.

While family and friends watch, young fiddlers perform the tune they just learned at the first Fiddle Workshop in June.

For more information about the workshop, visit the Barry’s Crossing website and choose the “Shows” tab.

Barry’s Old School Irish is located at 2 West Main Street, smack dab in the middle of the Village of Webster. There is no charge for the workshop.

 

So where did Village Days go?

13 Aug

A young Village Days patron trying out the bounce house last year.

If you’ve been wondering lately why you haven’t seen any advertisements about Village Days yet this summer, there’s a good explanation for that.  It’s not happening this summer.

But wait!  Village Days WILL be happening this fall.  Specifically, Village Days has been moved from the middle of August, when the event has traditionally been held, to the first weekend of fall, September 21-22.

Organizers decided to move the festival this year to get away from what has traditionally been a VERY busy summer weekend for vendors.  Being up against five other festivals that weekend made attracting vendors to Webster a difficult proposition.

So the move promises to make Webster’s annual celebration of summer even bigger and better than ever before.  Organizers are not only expecting many more vendors to participate, but they’re combining the event with the regular Saturday morning Main Street Farmer’s Market, a sidewalk sale, and a Soap Box Derby.

More details will be forthcoming in the next few weeks, but here are some highlights:

  • Friday night September 21 will feature an Oktoberfest theme. The Krazy Firemen will perform in the gazebo, and food vendors will offer German specialties.
  • Vendors and community groups will be set up along both East and West Main Street all day Saturday
  • The Main Street Farmer’s Market vendors will be encouraged to stay set up all day
  • Local businesses will have a sidewalk sale
  • Open houses at the fire department and Webster museum (which will also have children’s games in the front yard)
  • Soap Box Derby Saturday and Sunday
  • Rock and roll music in the gazebo Saturday night
  • Lots of kids’ activities including a bounce house

Stay tuned for more details.

 

 

Revisiting the Main Street Farmer’s Market

5 Aug

A shot from the Main Street Farmer’s Market in June

This being Saturday, I thought it might be a good time to revisit the state of the Main Street Farmer’s Market, which is trying to get a foothold in the village every Saturday morning.

The Main Street market was established, of course, to counter the decision by the Joe Obbie Farm Market to move from the community parking lot behind the fire hall to the Target Plaza.  The decision was a good one for them, judging by the number of vendors it attracts and the crowds of people who visit every weekend.

In contrast, the new Main Street Farmer’s Market has been, well, unimpressive.

On a good day there might be seven or eight vendors on the street.  But too often there are only four or five, and for a while they were so spread out it was hard to find them.  At least now all of the vendors have been clustered along West Main Street, so it looks a little bit better.

Granted, encouraging market growth is a Catch-22: it’s hard to attract new vendors when no one comes to buy your products, and no one wants to come to town if there are no vendors.  And it’s not like the village isn’t trying. I’ve seen cents-off coupons distributed to encourage new customers, and there are lots of special events coming up to draw families to town during the market.  So, little by little, those efforts might begin to turn things around.

In the meantime, there are still concerns about the safety of having vendor stalls along busy Main Street. No matter how many signs you put up, cars will continue to drive at unsafe speeds through the village.  That’s a concern which can only get worse as the farm market becomes more popular, and there’s little chance the market will be moved back off the street to a parking lot again. BID leaders like the idea of residents seeing a busy village, where there’s always something going on.

Unfortunately, right now the Main Street market isn’t quite pulling its weight in that regard. But it’s still early, and I hope things eventually improve, because the market is a good thing for the village. (And please slow down as you drive through!)

The Main Street Farmer’s Market is open from 8 to 12:30 every Saturday morning through October 13.  Upcoming special events include:

August 11: Dig Safely Day – Can Ya Dig it??

Stop by the Village Hall from 9 to noon to check out some of the village’s excavating equipment. Children are invited to pose for photos. There will also be balloons and tattoos.

August 18: Cooking Demo with Jim & Jeannean LaMonica

Jim & Jeannean from Uncle Jim’s Donuts & LaMonica’s Pizza are still cookin’ after all these years. They’ll hold a demo featuring the delicious seasonal vegetables from our area.

September 1: Storytime with the Mayor

Village Mayor Peter Elder will be at Yesterday’s Muse Bookstore at 11 am to read a story to children.

September 8: Lacrosse Clinic

Tom Spoonhower of Metro Sports will hold a Lacrosse Clinic, teaching tips and tricks for players of all ages.

Also, every week the Village Band will be on hand to provide music, and the Webster High School Marching Band will hold a bottle and  can drive every Saturday.

Click here to go to the village website for more details.

 

Hojack Trail extension officially open

27 Jul

Hikers have something to celebrate this evening.

The much-anticipated extension of the Hojack Trail will officially open to the public this evening (Wednesday July 25) with a ribbon-cutting at 7:30 pm,  where the trail crosses Route 250 (South Ave.).

The Hojack Line itself has always passed through the village, of course. But what’s new and wonderful is that the old railroad tracks have been removed in the section from Holt Road east to Xerox, making an already great trail even better.

The project has been in the planning stages for years. Its completion is a result of outstanding cooperation between the Town and Village of Webster highway departments to remove the tracks, prepare the railroad bed for a walking trail and leveling the crossings for automobile traffic. Original plans were to have the new extension ready by July 31.  And look at this — they did it.  So there’s still plenty of time to try it out and hike it this summer and fall.

Many thanks to Webster town and village officials who helped make this happen.  It’s a valuable addition to Webster’s already exceptional trail system, thanks in large part to the volunteers of the Friends of Webster Trails.

If you don’t know the history of the Hojack Line, I recommend you click here to read a very informational piece on the Friends’ website.

 

 

Photos from the Firemen’s Parade

13 Jul

Not much to say about yesterday’s Fireman’s Parade. As always it was a great event, and the Webster community came out in force. One report I heard was that chairs were being set up along Main Street even before 7 am.  One of the marchers told me the crowds were bigger than she had ever seen before, 4 and 5 deep all along the route.

I took tons of photos, of course (actually, only about 200) and have posted a few of my favorites here. The rest can be seen by clicking here or on one of the photos.  I didn’t get a photo of everything in the parade (there were SO many fire trucks!) but I did try to capture the highlights. And you’ll notice that small children are some of my favorite subjects.

The Fireman’s Carnival continues tonight and tomorrow, culminating with fireworks at midnight. Click here  for details.

 

A famous local fiddler, cool science and a kiddie parade

11 Jul

Several little tidbits of information I want to toss out today, before I get to photos of last night’s kiddie parade. A few of these have been hanging around my email box for weeks, just waiting for me to get around and blog about them.  But this first nugget came to my attention just yesterday afternoon, and will interest anyone following the career of one of Webster’s finest musical talents, Kate Lee.

Kate is a 2010 graduate from Webster Schroeder High School, and an incredible fiddle player who has already been making a name for herself in Nashville, where she attends Belmont University.  Last November, for example, she was one of several back-up musicians for Rascal Flatts on the Country Music Awards television program.

Yesterday she announced something even more exciting. On July 24 she’ll be playing violin for the Heart & Soul Concert behind Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks in Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Wow.

Keep an eye on this young lady, folks, ’cause she’s going places.  Actually, you can see her for free at the Little Theater the day after the Heart & Soul Concert, playing a free concert from 7:30-9:30 pm.  Check out her website here.

* * *

This Friday, CDS Monarch’s Wolf Life Transitions Center on Hard Road will host a Luau Dance from 6:30-8:30 pm.  As always, there will be refreshments and music from DJ Delight. Cost is $5 per person for community members. RSVP to Summer at 347-1661 or Summer.Vanscott@cdsmonarch.org.

* * *

Cherry Ridge is hosting a concert series this summer, called Under the Stars. Gateswingers Big Band will perform on Tuesday, July 24, and Gentlemen of Song will perform on Thursday, August 16. The concerts are held on the Cherry Ridge Lawn from from 6:30 – 8 pm and there’s no charge. Refreshments will be served and attendees are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs. In case of inclement weather, concerts will be moved inside.

Cherry Ridge is located in Webster, across from Webster Schroeder High School.

* * *

Remember that great idea you had at the beginning of the summer? “Hey, let’s NOT sign the kids up for camp this year, so we can spend more quality time with them!”

So now you’re wondering what the heck you were thinking, and you’re all stressed because this late in the game all the summer camps are full. Don’t sweat. Here’s a super option:

It’s called “Cool Summer of Science with Mr. Noon,” a series of week-long summer science classes (for 4-6 year olds and 7-9 year olds) taught by Williamson High School science teacher Brendan Noon. The classes feature age-appropriate hand-on activities that are not only fun but help develop the skills kids will need to meet the next generation of National Science Standards. (So they’ll be learning while they’re having fun, but don’t tell them.)

Upcoming classes include weather and the interaction between organisms and their environment.  You can click here for more details, but I’ll tell you right now the kids will be making clouds, playing in a pond and collecting slimy things.  Sounds like fun to me.

Classes cost $25/day and are held from 9 – 10:30 am Monday-Friday, at 153 Salt Road in Webster. For more information log onto the Science With Mr. Noon Facebook page or email Mr. Noon at Brendan.Noon@yahoo.com.

* * *

Finally, a quick note about the Kiddie Parade which took place last night in the South Avenue/Spry Middle School neighborhood. This annual warm-up for the Fireman’s Parade (which happens tonight in the village) is always an adorable affair.  I love the idea of this parade, because it gives kids of all ages a chance to get dressed up in costumes, march in a real parade (albeit a very short one) and throw candy at high velocity at the people lining the parade route.

(And I had forgotten about the candy at high velocity part. Popping in and out of the parade taking pictures, I felt at times like I was in a war zone dodging bullets. A strawberry Dum-Dum actually hit me so hard in the shoulder it made a mark.)

It’s also fun to see how much the kids’ parents enjoy the parade. Many of them dress up in themed costumes, and it’s obvious how much thought and effort work goes into many of the “floats.”  I’ll bet some families start working on them months in advance.

One child who was watching the parade walk by described it this way: “It’s like Halloween, only earlier.”  I’m not sure whether he was referring to the costumes or the abundance of candy.

As usual, I took lots of photos. Click here or on the photo above to see the gallery.

email me at missyblog@gmail.com

“Like” this blog on Facebook

Webster Jazz Fest hit a high note again this year

8 Jul

Thousands were already on hand when the festival began, and more kept arriving all evening.

If you didn’t make it into the village of Webster last night for the Jazz Festival, you missed a wonderful evening filled with great music, great food, good friends and incredibly good weather.

Mother Nature threatened all day to make the evening a wet one, but by the time the music really started to groove, the rain clouds had parted and blue skies prevailed.  It wasn’t even that hot or muggy.  By 5:30, when the Bill Tiberio Band hit the downbeat at the Four Corners stage, hundreds of people had already settled into their lawn chairs or on blankets, or had staked out the handful of cabaret-style tables in the middle of West Main.

As the weather continued to get even better, people kept arriving and the crowds kept getting bigger.  At around 7:00 everyone turned their quad chairs around to face the Corning Park stage, where jazz fest regulars Paradigm Shift performed a set.  Then at 8:30, pianist Lao Tizer wowed the crowd with his take on contemporary jazz. I even liked his stuff, and jazz normally bores me to tears.

The Bill Tiberio Band opened the show.

On a side note….

I spent most of the evening (when I wasn’t wandering around taking photos) at Barry’s Old School Irish, which has become a second home of sorts for my family.  I was reminded how last year when I was at the Jazz Festival I also spent most of my evening on that corner.  At that time, though, there was only a sign announcing that Barry’s would be “coming soon.”  In the blog I wrote a few days later, I remarked:

Barry’s calls itself an “old school Irish pub, cafe and bakery,” whatever that means. My husband is Irish and he’s never heard of such a thing.  And he went to an old school, complete with nuns wielding hand-smacking rulers.

When Barry’s finally did open up its doors, we sure didn’t get any ruler-smacking nuns. But we did get a bunch of new friends, which helped make this year’s Jazz Fest even better that last year’s.  And I didn’t think that was possible.

Jazz Festival headliner Lao Tizer (center) was a crowd favorite.

The waitresses who worked the crowd were an inspired idea. They brought tons of business to the village restaurants.

These t-shirts were another great addition this year. I’m sorry I forgot to purchase one before I left.

As the sun set the music got cooler…

… and the dancers came out.

Jazz Festival returns to Webster Village this weekend

5 Jul

I hope this recent string of good weather keeps up for a few more days, because the Jazz Fest rolls back into town this Saturday.

This year’s featured entertainers include The Bill Tiberio Band, Paradigm Shift and contemporary jazz keyboardist Lao Tizer. You can click here for more details about the evening’s events, but here are the basics:

Everything happens on West Main Street in the village, where the street will be cordoned off, two stages set up, and there’ll be plenty of room to set up chairs and blankets for the evening. You can start setting up at 4:15, and the music begins at 5:30. Admission is free.

Here’s the schedule:

  • 5:30 pm: The Bill Tiberio Band on the East Stage (near the four corners)
  • 6:50 pm: Paradigm Shift on the West Stage (near Corning Park)
  • 8:30 pm: Lao Tizer plays two sets on the East Stage

Bring your own picnic fixings and beverages or you can buy something from one of many food vendors set up along the street.

Aside from a possible thunderstorm, the weather looks like it might cooperate. But if not, the rain plan is for Bill Tiberio to play at The Coach Sports Bar (23 West Main St.), Paradigm Shift at Hatter’s Pub (5 West Main St.), and Lao Tizer at The Coach.

This is always a wonderful event, and the whole town seems to come out for it. It’s a great chance to meet up with family and friends on a beautiful summer evening.

 

Friday mailbag

21 Jun

Today’s version of the mailbag is more like the way I always meant it to be; not just a calendar of events, but odds and ends of different comments, events and photos that have recently come across my computer screen.

In that spirit, I’d like to start with a photo I received yesterday from Jen Calus, the PR person for the Webster School District. She sent along with this explanation:

Elementary students throughout the Webster School District celebrated Flag Day on June 14. The students at Klem Road North sang a variety of patriotic songs for family and friends assembled by their flagpole. In this photo, kindergartners belt out “You’re a Grand Old Flag.”

The photo was so cute I just had to post it:

 A rather unusual event will be taking place in Webster village Saturday afternoon. It’s a free fiddle workshop hosted by Barry’s Old School Irish’s house band, Barry’s Crossing.  The workshop is designed for advanced beginners and intermediate players, but fiddlers of all ages and skills levels are welcome.  Spectators are encouraged, and everyone is invited to hang around after the workshop for a short fiddle set by Sarah and Sean of Barry’s Crossing.

The half-hour workshop will begin at 3 pm at Barry’s Old School Irish, 2 West Main Street, Webster. There is no charge.

* * *

This news about a very nice event hosted by some of our high school kids, also comes from my colleague Jen Calus:

For the second year in a row, the Webster Thomas High School cross country team will hold a 12-hour relay to raise funds for Reece’s Rainbow, an organization that helps facilitate international adoptions of children with Down Syndrome. The event will be held at the Webster Thomas track tomorrow, Saturday June 23, from 9 am to 9 pm.  Last year the team raised more than $2700.  To find out more about the event and how to donate to this great cause, click on the photo of Ashlyn on the left.

* * *

Important reminder: This is the first weekend that the NYS DOT has chosen to close half of the Irondequoit Bay Bridge.

All westbound lanes of the Irondequoit Bay Bridge will be closed beginning tonight (Friday June 22) at 8 pm, and will not reopen until early Monday morning.

This is going to cause major headaches, especially since both high school graduations will be taking place Saturday morning at RIT. So if you have anyone coming into town for those, make sure to advise them to avoid 104 West. Or Empire Blvd., for that matter. I recommend everyone head south to 286 and 441 and get on 590 well south of the city.

 

The Village Band adds even more music to Webster summer

21 Jun

Several days ago Mayor Peter Elder was kind enough to drop me an email about last week’s Village Band Concert. It made me think that in my recent blogs about this summer’s village events. I totally forgot to mention this wonderful musical treasure we have here in Webster.

The Village Band plays six more times this summer — just about every other Thursday night — in the Gerald R. Barrett Bandshell at Harmony Park, at the corner of Phillips Road and Foster Drive, just south of Ridge Road.

The band played a selection of pieces in honor of Flag Day. They also flew a special flag which was flown on several missions

Mayor Elder introduces the band.

(including in Korea), donated by a village resident.  In these photos from the event, you’ll also see one of Elder rededicating a new plaque in honor of former band director Gerald Barrett. The original one was defaced by vandals a few years ago.

The band’s next concert is Thursday June 28, starting at 7 pm.   Click here to see the entire schedule.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dedicating the new plaque.

 

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →