The 2025 Webster Museum Festival of Trees has concluded, and after counting and re-counting, the winners have been announced.
This year’s contest included 20 mini-trees, beautifully decorated by these organizations and individuals:
American Legion
Gwen Hoffman
Jack Foundation
La La’s
Spry Lego League
The Webster Citizen’s Action Group
The Webster Republican Committee
Webster Arboretum
Webster Comfort Care
Webster Community Chest
Webster Country Gardeners
Webster Democratic Committee
Webster Firemen Ladies’ Auxiliary
Webster Grange
Webster Museum Volunteers
Webster Quilt Guild
Well Field Preservation
Women’s Club of Webster
Wreaths Across America
More than 630 votes were tallied in person and online, and I can tell you from personal experience, it was not an easy choice.
Taking first place this year, with 84 votes, was the tree decorated by the Webster Comfort Care Home. (This is the third year in a row that Webster Comfort Care has taken the top spot. We’re talking a dynasty here.) Coming in a close second with 78 votes was the Go Bills! tree designed by Webster Museum volunteer Gwen Hoffman. I didn’t vote for this one, but I thought it might be a fan favorite.
In third and fourth places were the Webster Quilt Guild with 61 votes and the Webster Community Chest with 58.
GO Bills!Webster Quilt GuildWebster Community Chest
The Webster Museum hosts the very popular Festival of Trees every year. Voting typically opens in early December on the day of the Village of Webster’s Winter Wonderland and runs through the end of the year. It offers a great chance for local organizations to have a little fun with tree decorating, while drawing some attention to their cause. And having 20 beautifully lit and decorated trees sprinkled throughout the museum makes the museum really sparkle during the holidays.
Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you to everyone who participated.
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As I like to do at the end of every year, a few days ago I took a stroll back through all of the blogs I wrote in 2025. It’s always a fun exercise, as I review all of the events, business openings and closings, people and places that I found to share with you all. They reflect the extraordinary diversity of people, places and events we have here in Webster, and how close-knit this town is.
In the last 12 months, counting today, I posted 334 blogs. That works out to about 28 blogs every month. And thanks to the wonders of the Internet, I managed to keep up that pace even though I was in Prague for six weeks. It’s also interesting (at least to me) to note that the blogs were viewed more than 238,000 times. Fourteen of the top twenty blogs were about new businesses, the most popular one being an update on The Coach renovations — which was my best-read blog of the year.
As in previous years, my photo galleries following events like the Trick or Treat Trail and Fireman’s Parade were also big draws, and my History Bits — highlighting local history — are also still very popular.
If you’ve got a few minutes and would find it interesting, I’ve pulled out my favorite blogs from each month. My posts have run the gamut from special events to special people, new businesses to new trails. But you’ll notice that many of my favorite blogs are the ones where I share personal stories and everyday moments, the kinds of things that may not seem very exciting, but are what make our lives interesting and meaningful.
If something really strikes your fancy and you want to read any of them again, click through the hyperlink.
My two favorite blogs in January were about local history: the Irondequoit Bay Bridge and the first of my six-stop History Bit Webster Museum tour. The bridge blog was a follow-up on two blogs I’d posted the previous March when the Bay Bridge celebrated a birthday. Like those, this one about how the bridge had won an award also garnered several “likes.”
In February I caught up with a village neighbor of mine who will often hitch up her dogs to a dogsled and run them through village neighborhoods. This was a good example of a great community story which I was alerted to by one of my readers. Usually the best blog ideas come from my readers.
Jack’s Happy Hour celebrated its five-year anniversary in March. I first wrote about this nightly gathering of Brooksboro Dr. neighbors in 2022, when they were celebrating the occasion of having come together for a beverage every night for 1000 days straight. Last March they marked five straight years of gatherings. Every. Single. Night. For five years.That was definitely worth a blog.
In April, I posted what would become one of my most popular History Bits, about Willow Point Park. So many people fondly remember the old amusement park and shared a lot of memories. That month I also highlighted Webster Schroeder graduate Adam Marino, who was playing Frankie Valli in OFC Creations’ production of Jersey Boys.
My two favorite blogs in May were both personal reflections. I wrote about my recent trip to Prague, and how I successfully completed my first (and only)half marathon upon my return. Both were extremely memorable experiences. One of them I would like to do again. I’ll leave it to you to guess which one.
In June, my favorite blog was probably the shortest, when School Resource Officer David Herrle joined me in a dramatic reading of Mo Willems’ We Are in a Book, starring Elephant and Piggie. I was substituting at State Rd. Elementary when he happened to pop into the library and I corralled him. I love showing that police officers are fun-loving people, too.
I highlighted the WEBSTER bushesin July, the ones that welcome visitors to town on Rt. 104. They have some interesting history. I also enjoyed highlighting an unusual benefit to living in the Village of Webster when I wrote about how the Webster Marching Band practices at Spry Middle School during the summer and provides my own personal band concert.
In August, I followed up another blog idea submitted by a reader when I attended a Front Porch Pickin’ social event on Millcreek Run. I wrote a History Bit about the Forest Lawn Train accident, and shared some thoughts about some trail riding my husband and I did in Penn Yan and Waterloo, where we saw some beautiful scenery and explored some Civil War history.
I was honored to be invited to Jack’s Happy Hour again in September when the Brooksboro gang celebrated their 2,000-night anniversary. (They SAID it would be their last time, but I don’t think it was….) The whimsical Holt Rd. skeletons were back in action for Halloween, and I had to share this year’s cleverness with everyone. Also in September, I introduced everyone to young Pierson Farina and his “Returns for a Reason” initiative in which he collects returnables and donated the funds to local nonprofits.
In October I featured Judah Sealy — who doesn’t live in Webster but plays every year at the Webster Jazz Festival — who landed the role of Clarence Clemons in the new Bruce Springsteen movie. I also wrote another more personal piece about my running buddies and two races we did together that month.
In November, I caught up with Fritz Sierk, owner of The Coach, for an update on his repairs and renovations. It proved to be my best-read blog of the year. I also gave everyone a behind-the-scenes look at one of my favorite local organizations, the Friends of Webster Trails, when I tagged along to watch the installation of a trail counter. And I visited those crazy Holt Rd. skeletons again, who for the holiday season had been transformed into the Rockettes.
Finally, in December I posted my annual gallery of photos from the Village of Webster’s Winter Wonderland and Parade of Lights festivities. People love these galleries and it makes me feel good that I’m able to share events like this with people who can’t attend, especially those who now live out of state. And just a few weeks ago I wrote what might be my favorite blog of the entire year, about when a representative from Toter/Wastequip came to town and presented Pierson Farina with his very own “Returns For a Reason” toter, making his biggest Christmas wish come true.
Whew. If you’re still with me, thank you for reading this far. I hope you found it interesting to revisit some of this year’s blogs. And remember that if you ever think of something or see something that might make for an interesting blog, PLEASE drop me an email. As I said, the best blog ideas come from my readers.
Thanks again for reading, and all of your likes, comments and messages. Please have a safe and happy new year.
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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).
There’s still time to vote for your favorite mini-Christmas Tree at theWebster Museum’sFestival of Trees.
Nineteen beautifully decorated trees have been set up around the museum, decorated by local non-profit agencies. Community members are invited to examine them all and vote for their favorite one. Votes will be accepted through the end of December. You can stop by the museum on Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday from 2 to 4:30 to see them in person, or vote for your favorite online at the museum’s website.
Also, beginning Jan. 13, the museum will introduce their 2026 Quilt Exhibit, called “Stitched Stories: A Celebration of Vintage Quilts.” It will be on display in both the museum AND the Webster Public Library.
Start off the new year with a hike!
For the first time ever, Friends of Webster Trails will be hosting a free, guided First Day Hike at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 1 at Whiting Rd. Nature Preserve.
This family-friendly hike will be about an hour over easy or moderate terrain. Dress in layers and have traction devices for your feet if necessary. Well-behaved, leashed dogs are welcome.
Please register online for this event so they have an idea of how many to expect.
Friends of Webster Trails is a volunteer organization dedicated to maintaining the public trails throughout Webster, including the Hojack Trail which runs through the village.
Village of Webster Christmas Tree Recycling
Curbside collection of Christmas trees will take place during the Village’s monthly brush pick up, the week of Jan. 5. Remember:
Live trees only, no artificial trees
Remove ornaments and lights
Do NOT put tree in a bag or cover with plastic
Place tree at curb by Sunday, January 4
News from Webster Comfort Care
Webster Comfort Care Home will be selling Kittelberger12 Months of Flowers Cards from Jan. 5 through Jan. 26.
Cost is $50 and entitles the bearer to one fresh new bouquet of flowers every month for 12 months. For more information, click here. Payment accepted by cash, check or credit card. Cards can be picked up at Webster Comfort Care Home, 700 Holt Rd., from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Women’s Club announces January meeting
The Women’s Club of Webster will host their monthly general meeting and luncheon on Thursday, Jan. 22, at Nucci’s Restaurant, 807 Ridge Rd., Webster. The gathering begins with social time at 11:15, a business meeting at noon and lunch at 12:30, followed by a speaker. This month, the Women’s Club welcomes Margery Morgan from Webster Hope, a nonprofit organization which helps Webster residents in need of assistance by providing food, clothing and emergency financial support.
Cost of the luncheon is $23, and will feature a buffet with chicken parmigiana, pork loin, greens and beans, oven-roasted potatoes, penne with sauce, and salad. Cost is $23. Please send your check made out to the Women’s Club of Webster by Jan. 15 to Carolyn Rittenhouse, 405 County Line Road, Ontario, 14519. If you think your check might be late, please call Carolyn at 585-265-1303.
Elsa von Blumen: Famous Rochestarian and Female Bicyclist — Thursday, Jan. 15, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Learn about Elsa, a famous Rochestarian in the 1800s. Registration is required.
Salaff String Quartet Concert — Thursday, Jan. 22, 4 to 5 p.m. Enjoy a variety of music from classic to folk, performed on string instruments. Registration is required.
For Teens and Tweens:
Make it Monday: Snowy Pine Cone Trees — Monday, Jan. 12, 6 to 7 p.m. Teens (grades 4 and up) and adults are welcome to attend this monthly craft night. All supplies will be provided. Registration is required.
T(w)een Library Club — Wednesday, Jan. 28, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. For grades 4 and up. Do you like books, games, crafts, sharing your ideas, or just hanging out with your friends? This group is for you. Registration is required.
For the little ones:
Rubber Ducky Storytime — Tuesday Jan. 13, 10 to 10:30 a.m. Celebrate National Rubber Ducky Day with stories, songs and rhymes about ducks, plus an activity and simple craft. All ages are welcome.
Preschool Puzzle Morning –Tuesday, Jan. 27, 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by the storytime room to try an assortment of toddler-friendly puzzles.
And this stuff:
The Webster Library’s annual Webster-Area Preschool Fair will be held on Saturday, Jan. 10 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Meet representatives from many area preschools to learn about their programs, More to come about this.
Zaurac’s Space Music Show — Saturday, Jan. 17 from 1 to 3 p.m. Zaurac (also known as Steve Fentress), will perform a live celestial-themed keyboard concert complete with cosmic-themed songs and imagery. For all ages. Registration is required.
The January Community Exchange is cookbooks. Bring in some you don’t use anymore, and pick up some new-to-you ones.
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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).
For this Christmas Day 2025, I offer a reminder of what Christmas was like — or rather, NOT like — in the 1840s, courtesy of the Webster Museum. I pulled this piece directly from the Museum’s most recent Penny Farthing newsletter, just one of many fascinating historical nuggets included in this month’s edition. (More info at the end of the blog about how you can sign up for this informative publication.)
The article made a very interesting comparison between what the Christmas season was like back in the mild-19th century and what it’s like now. Specifically, here’s a list of things that are completely normal today, but would have been utterly impossible, unimaginable, or simply didn’t exist in an 1840s Christmas:
Decorations and the tree itself
Electric Christmas lights / fairy lights (first strung in 1882, not common in homes until 1900s–1920s)
Artificial Christmas trees (widespread only after 1930s plastic, 1960s aluminum, 1990s+ PVC)
Tinsel (invented 1870s in Germany, not common until 20th century)
Tree ornaments made of blown glass (mass-produced only from 1860s–1870s onward)
LED projector lights, inflatable lawn Santas, laser light shows
Putting up outdoor Christmas lights in November and leaving them until February
Gifts and wrapping
Wrapping paper with Santa/print designs (mass-produced only from ~1910s)
Stick-on gift tags, Scotch tape (1930), gift bags
Any toy with batteries, screens, or plastic, or electronics
LEGO, Barbie, video games, drones, smartphones, AirPods, etc.
Gift cards, Amazon vouchers
Santa Claus as we know him
Red suit with white fur trim (solidified by Coca-Cola ads 1931; before that he wore green, brown, blue, or bishop’s robes)
“Santa lives at the North Pole” (only fixed in the 1860s–1880s)
Flying reindeer named Dasher, Dancer, Prancer… (named in 1823 poem, but not universal until much later)
Leaving cookies and milk for Santa (an American 1930s tradition)
Food and drink
Candy canes (peppermint striped hook shape only from ~1880s–1900s)
Chocolate in Christmas stockings (milk chocolate bars only after 1875)
Cranberry sauce in a can with ridges
“Advent calendar” with chocolate (invented 1958)
Cards and greetings
Commercial Christmas cards (first one printed 1843 in London, By 1849 still a novelty.)
“Merry Christmas” was only just starting to replace “Happy Christmas” in the 1840s.
Media, music and entertainment
Jingle Bells (1857)
Silent Night in English (widespread only after 1860s)
White Christmas, All I Want for Christmas is You, Last Christmas, etc.
Any Christmas song played on radio, Spotify, or shop speakers 24/7
Watching It’s a Wonderful Life, Elf, Home Alone, Die Hard, or The Grinch on TV
Hallmark Christmas movies
A typical Christmas Day in the 1840s consisted of:
Church in the morning
A slightly-better-than-usual dinner (goose or beef instead of salt pork, maybe a small plum pudding if you could afford suet and raisins)
Parlor games, a new pair of socks or a handkerchief as the big present
Perhaps a single candle in the window
If you’d like to read more interesting historical tidbits like this, sign up to get the Penny Farthing delivered to your mailbox every few months. Each issue is packed with historical photos and stories, event notices, and information about the museum. If you’d like to be added to the distribution list, email WebsterMuseum@gmail.com.
Happy Christmas everyone. I hope you’re surrounded by friends and loved ones this holiday season and enjoy your own old-fashioned or newfangled traditions.
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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).
What do a pig ringer, a bull leader, a hog scraper, a hitching weight and a goose collar all have in common? Well, if you were a Webster farmer back in the 1800s, these items were all helpful tools of your trade. And while you’re not likely to find any of these gadgets on a farm these days, you can see them all at the Webster Museum.
Our “Meet the Webster Museum” tour makes our last stop in this month’s History Bit, ending on the right-hand side of the building as you enter the museum, where these farming implements are part of an eclectic collection of 19th-century tools and labor-saving appliances that offer a glimpse into life in early Webster.
Our tour began last January, and so far, we’ve strolled down the Village of Webster’s Main Street, revisiting Witmer’s Variety Storeand theCandy Kitchen; stopped into Mayor Hawley’s office and a recreated pharmacy; paused to remember Webster’s many service stations and dairies; and peeked into an early parlor, bedroom and kitchen. Here at our last stop, near the farming tools and other everyday necessities, visitors can also see presentations about two of Webster’s earliest and most profitable industries: apple drying and basket making.
All of these displays, however, really just scratch the surface of the impressive variety of exhibits at the Webster Museum that illuminate our town’s early history, as well as the extensive resources available for anyone interested in researching their family or home.
For example, these include:
three different kids of early washing machines on the “back porch,” including one that looks and operates a lot like a butter churn;
evidence that mammoths passed through here (and left a molar) and that Native Americans hunted and fished here;
an authentically recreated one-room schoolhouse, complete with double desks, a schoolmaster’s desk, a collection of early textbooks, and early teaching aids;
typewriters and rotary phones (yes, they’re historical artifacts now!);
an exhibit highlighting our local military veterans;
a toy room filled with dolls, trucks and trains;
the “barn” (the museum’s front porch) with farming tools, a display about the “Blue Line” trolley that once rolled through Webster, and Holly the Horse pulling a one-horse sleigh.
And tucked way in the back is a research library devoted to cataloging Webster’s history, with an extensive archive of books, photos, maps, documents, and more. Community members are welcome to use it to explore their own heritage.
The Webster Museum is a true community gem, devoted to preserving and celebrating our town’s rich history. If you’ve never visited, make it a new-year goal to stop in. And if you have been there before, come back to see what’s new; the seasonal exhibits are always changing. At the very least, take a spin through the Webster Museum website; it’s filled with terrific stories and insights into our town’s past.
The Webster Museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster. It’s open every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2 to 4:30 p.m.
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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 hope you were able to attend the Village of Webster’s Winter Wonderland celebration and Parade of Lights on Saturday. It was grey, but not TOO cold, and the village was beautiful. It was a great kick-off to a holiday season in Webster that’s packed with lots more special events.
Here’s a quick look at what’s in store for these last few weeks before Christmas. (And by the way, there are only the ones I know about. If you have anything else you’d like me to put in my blog, let me know.)
The Women’s Club of Webster‘s very popular annual Holiday Cookie Sale is scheduled this year for Saturday, Dec. 13 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Webster Public Library, 980 Ridge Rd. Cost for cookies is $10 per pound (cash only!). They usually sell out very quickly, so get there early. Proceeds from the sale, which is eagerly awaited by area cookie lovers, will benefit the club’s scholarship funds as well as many other programs in the Webster community.
Help the Webster Arboretum decorate their Christmas tree on Tuesday, Dec. 9, from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m.
The tree has been installed in the large gazebo behind the Curry building. Now the community is being asked to gather and decorate it! Work with your family to create ornaments, then stop by and place them on the tree. (Please no food or seed decorations.) The Arboretum is located at 1700 Schlegel Rd.
And remember to get your copy of the Arboretum’s 2026 calendar, which they’re introducing for the first time this year. It features stunning photos of the Arboretum throughout the seasons. All proceeds will go directly to maintain the Webster Arboretum. They’re available for $24, and can be purchased online on the Arboretum’s website and atLala of Websterin the village.
The Webster Village Band, directed by Andy Kittelson, will be performing their annual Holiday Concert on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. at Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Rd. This year’s program includes favorites such as “Mary, Did You Know,” “The Polar Express,” and “The Eighth Candle.” Per tradition, the band will also perform “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” narrated by Barbara Midura.
The concert is free and no reservations are needed. Refreshments will be served after the concert.
The Webster Recreation Center will host their annual Afternoon with Santa on Saturday, Dec. 13 from 1 to 3 p.m. It features pictures with Santa, music, dancing and cookies. The event is free, everyone is welcome and no registration is required.
And don’t forget that the kids can drop off their letters to Santa at the Rec Center between Dec. 10 and Dec. 19. Santa will personally answer each one, and the kids can pick up their responses between Dec. 22 and 24.
The Webster Recreation Center is located at 1350 Chiyoda Drive, just off of Phillips Rd.
The Chorus of the Genesee will hold this year’s Soup and Caroling Night on Tuesday Dec. 23, beginning at 7 p.m. Carolers will start at the Harmony House and walk through the village, stopping to sing at several homes and businesses, then return to the Harmony House for a delicious variety of soups. The bar will be open (cash only, please) for those who want something a little stronger.
No registration is necessary. Just show up and bring your singing voice. Santa hats and sleigh bells are encouraged.
The Webster Public Library’sHoliday Book Sale continues through Dec. 27, located in front of the lobby book store. It features an assortment of used books, videos, music CDs, audio books and jigsaw puzzles all with seasonal holiday themes, while supplies last.
Also at the library, enjoy a travelogue all about the Von Trapp Family Christmas on Tuesday, Dec. 16 from 6 to 7 p.m. Did you know that the real von Trapp family (immortalized in the movie The Sound of Music) moved from Austria to Vermont? George and Carol Vorhauer took a motor coach tour to the von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort and will share what they learned about the von Trapp family and their 2,600-acre property in Stowe, Vermont. Holiday refreshments will be served.
The Webster Museum‘s Festival of Trees is still going on. Twenty miniature Christmas trees have been placed throughout the museum, which various Webster businesses and non-profit organizations have decorated. Community members are invited to stroll through the museum, examine all of the beautifully decorated trees, and vote for their favorite one.
The Festival of Trees runs through the end of the year, and is a highlight of the museum’s Christmas-time celebrations. The museum is also selling Kittelberger Flower Cards again this year, good for 12 months of flowers from Kittelberger Florist. They’ll be available through Dec. 12.
The museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the village and is open every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2 to 4:30 p.m.
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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).
Y’all probably already know about — and are looking forward to — the Village of Webster’s Winter Wonderland festivities, scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 6.
For those of you not yet familiar with this annual celebration, this is an afternoon and evening packed with holiday fun, including carriage rides, crafts for the kids, cookie decorating, live music, story time, and a visit with Santa, culminating with the always spectacular Parade of Lights down Main Street. The Village’s Business Improvement District, who organize the festival, has some new things up their sleeves for this year, and I’ll be detailing them in another blog shortly.
But today I want to highlight two organizations who always participate in this event, but since they’re not located right in the middle of things, sometimes don’t get a lot of community traffic.
The first is the Webster Museum, which always does Winter Wonderland up big.
Beginning at 4 p.m., the museum will have live music and a sing-along featuring The Goodwin Family, followed by The Saxophone Therapy Project at 5 p.m.
The Festival of Trees officially opens that Saturday as well. Nineteen beautifully decorated miniature Christmas trees have been placed throughout the museum, and community members are encouraged to see them all and vote for your favorite. They’ll be on display through Dec. 31, but if you can’t make it to the museum before then, you can also vote online at the museum’s website. (That link will be posted soon!)
The spectacular Burkardt Family Crèche will be on display for the month of December. Handcrafted in Germany between WWI and WWII, it was shipped to the Burkardt family in Webster at the end of the war. You can read more about it in this blog I wrote about it two years ago.
The museum’s popular holiday raffle returns this year, featuring featuring gifts and vouchers from generous local businesses. Tickets will be available at the museum through Dec. 6. They’re 3 for $5 and winners do not need to be present
Finally, the museum is participating in Kittelberger Florist’s 12 Months of Flowers program this holiday season. Purchase a “12 Months of Flowers” card for $50, cash or check only, at the museum through Dec 6 and receive one bouquet of flowers, each month, for 12 consecutive months. Bouquets are valued at $15 and must be picked up at Kittelberger Florist, 263 North Ave, Webster.
The Webster Museum is located at 18 Lapham Park (just steps off of East Main St.). They’ll be open from 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday Dec. 6.
The second featured organization today is the Chorus of the Genesee, who make their home at the Harmony House, 58 East Main St. in the village. During Winter Wonderland the Harmony House will be hosting a craft fair from 2 to 8 p.m. in the main room, just steps off of Main St. During the event, the Chorus will pop up occasionally to entertain the crowds with Christmas carols. Plus, watch for an ensemble of carolers from Webster’s own award-winning Rochester Rhapsody Chorus, who’ll be strolling through the village, popping in and out of businesses and stopping along the street from 4 to 5 p.m.
BY THE WAY,
If you’re a fan of signing Christmas carols and eating soup, the Chorus of the Genesee would like to invite you to their annual Soup and Caroling night on Tuesday Dec. 23 beginning at 7 p.m. The carolers will start at the Harmony House and walk through the village, caroling at select houses and businesses, then return to the Harmony House for a delicious variety of soups. There’ll be free hot chocolate and an open bar for those who want something a little stronger.
No registration is necessary. Just show up and bring your singing voice. Santa hats and sleigh bells are more than welcome.
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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).
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, but the folks at the Webster Museum have their sights squarely on the Christmas season.
In a little less than two weeks, representatives from almost 20 Webster businesses and non-profit organizations will be descending on the museum to decorate their miniature Christmas trees, set up all around the museum as part of this year’s Festival of Trees. During the festival, community members are invited to stroll through the museum, examine all of the beautifully decorated trees, and vote for their favorite one.
The first day you can check out the trees will be Saturday, Dec. 6, not coincidentally the same day as the Village of Webster’s Winter Wonderland celebration. The museum will be open from 2 to 6 p.m. that afternoon, with live music and a sing-along with the Goodwin family at 4 p.m. and the Saxophone Therapy Project at 5 p.m.
Stay tuned for a more detailed blog about Winter Wonderland in a few days.
The Festival of Trees runs through the end of the year, and is a highlight of the museum’s Christmas-time celebrations. The ever-popular holiday raffle returns this year as well, featuring gifts and vouchers donated by our very generous local merchants. PLUS, the museum will also be selling Kittelberger Flower Cards again this year, good for 12 months of flowers from Kittelberger Florist. Tickets will be available at the museum Nov. 24 through Dec. 12.
The Webster Museumis located at 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster. They’re open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Call 585-265-3308 for more 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).
In today’s History Bit, we take a look at an uncomfortable, but necessary, facet of daily life for every Webster family in the days before plumbing and running water: outhouses.
Sometimes referred to as “the necessary,” outhouses weren’t too difficult to create; just dig a hole, build a little building over it and once in a while dump some chemicals in it or some dirt to cover it up. When it got full — which for a large family might have been once a year — making a new one was simply a matter of digging a new hole and moving the building.
Most outhouses actually sported more than one sit-spot, although both seats led to the same hole in the ground. They were also usually placed a distance away from the house, but not too far, balancing the issues of convenience and smell.
The Historic Properties Committee of the Webster Museum and Historical Society are trying to locate and photograph outhouses in our area which have stood the test of time. They’ve managed to track down several already, including one at the Dayton’s Corners School, another on Lake Rd. and one on Holt Rd. There are even a few rather unusual ones, including a round one on Maple Dr. and one on Hard Rd. that’s attached directly to the house. (Not quite indoor plumbing, but an improvement over the traditional design.)
If it was rainy or cold, of course, no one really wanted to brave the weather to use the outhouse. That’s when chamber pots came in handy. These were basically portable toilets, typically kept in the bedroom for use at night. Sometimes they were set into small chairs, but more often than not they were simple pots, made out of ceramic or metal, with a handle and lid. In the mornings, it was the children’s job to carry the pots to the outhouse and empty them.
If you have an outhouse in your back yard, or know someone who does, please let the Webster Museum know about it. Give them a call at 585-265-3308. The Webster Museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the village, and is open every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. There’s no admission charge.
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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).
This is kind of a catch-up blog today with a few events that are coming up fast (or happening right now) which I neglected to mention in my recent mailbag.
The first is a happy occasion for Lala of Webster at 38 East Main St. in the Village of Webster. This adorable gift shop is celebrating its 7th anniversary this week, and owner Lisa Schlonski has an extra special deal cooked up for the occasion.
All this week (through Saturday) she’s giving away a FREE piece of Katie Loxton bling (worth $22 or more) when you spend at least $25. Also, when you make a purchase this week you’ll be entered to win one of several surprise giveaway bags.
So pop in this week, start your Christmas shopping, get some bling for yourself, and wish Lisa congratulations on her anniversary. In today’s business climate, seven years is commendable.
In honor of Veterans Day this week, this Saturday Nov. 15, the Webster Museum will present a talk by Tom Pellett, focused on the Civil War, called “Honoring Veterans.”
As you know, the War between the States, which began in 1863, could have separated the North and South. President Abraham Lincoln had a different idea and in his famous two-minute-long Gettysburg Address, which he presented at the dedication of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg, he shared those thoughts.
Tom has extensive knowledge about Webster veterans who fought in the Civil War. He’ll tell stories about some of those veterans, who went off to fight for the ideal that all men are created equal.
The presentation will take place at the Webster Museum, 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster, on Saturday, Nov. 15 beginning at 2 p.m. Refreshments will be served and the museum is handicap-accessible. For more information, visit the museum’s website at webstermuseum.org.
There’s no cost and registration is not necessary.
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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
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