Tag Archives: pumpkins on parade

Pumpkins on Parade a soggy but fun event

26 Oct

I want to start my Pumpkins on Parade follow-up today with a shout-out to all of the hardy Webster Recreation Center staff members who hung in there Saturday night despite the rather miserable weather.

A cold, steady rain began shortly after the parade started, which took many participants by surprise (only a few had thought to bring umbrellas) and sent families running to their cars as soon as they finished the trail. And almost certainly it kept many families away entirely, choosing not to venture outside their warm homes at all.

But those who did walk the trail enjoyed hundreds of creatively carved pumpkins and colorful lights illuminating the trail, lots of spooky ghost and alien decorations, an actual witch cackling and casting spells as she cooked up something vile in her cauldron, and a really cool “haunted” house. And at the end, Rec Center staffers gamely stood at their posts, handing out donuts, apples and cider, taking photos and helping kids go down the roll-y slide (the kids definitely didn’t seem to mind the weather). Kudos also to all of the families who were still arriving, with umbrellas, as I walked back to my car.

So the weather was stinky this year, and it definitely dampened the festivities, but it was still fun to see all the pumpkins. Nice job, Rec Center, and thank you for all your hard work. And I hope you enjoyed all the leftover donuts.

Here’s a gallery of photos from the event.

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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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(posted 10/25/2025)

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Pumpkins are parading this weekend. Don’t miss it

22 Oct

The Webster Recreation Center’s annual Pumpkins on Parade is this Saturday evening from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

less than two weeks away, and they need jack-o-lanterns! This is a super fun family event where participants stroll along the mile-long Chiyoda Trail behind the Rec Center, which is lined with hundreds of creatively carved, humorous, scary and downright weird jack-o-lanterns, and a lot of other very spooky elements. At the end of the path, there’s music, cider & donuts, a giant slide, mini hay maze, photo booth, games and a bonfire. And it’s ALL FREE and no registration is necessary.

This amazing event relies on community participation, because a LOT of pumpkins are necessary to make it really spectacular. Everyone is encouraged to carve some pumpkins to be added to the parade. Carved pumpkins can be dropped off at the Recreation Center on Friday, Oct. 24 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. and/or Saturday, Oct. 25 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

You can also join other Halloween-loving community members at a Pumpkin Carving Party on Friday, Oct. 24 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The Rec Center will provide the pumpkins and the tools — all you need to bring is your creativity. And all of your creations will make it to the Pumpkins on Parade path.

The pumpkin-carving event is free, but registration is required for this so they can set aside some pumpkins for you. Register for program #301208.

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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).

(posted 10/22/2025)

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It’s a busy fall at the Rec Center

13 Oct

Lots of fun stuff coming up at the Webster Recreation Center which you’ll want to put on your calendar, so let’s dig in:

BINGO Night to support Making Spirits Bright, Sunday Oct. 19 at 1 p.m.

I’m honored to join Mike Petzing from Shamrock Jack’s as a caller for this event which benefits one of my favorite nonprofit organizations, Making Spirits Bright. Proceeds will help purchase large wish-list items for families to make their holiday season spectacular.

Admission is $25 for adults and $15 for children, capped at $75 per family. Fun, snacks raffle and door prizes! Click here to read my previous blog for more information.

By the way, the Bills have a bye that week, so there’s no conflict!

Pumpkins on Parade, Saturday, Oct. 25 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Take the family along a mile-long path around the Rec Center, lined with illuminated jack-o-lanterns, ending with music, cider & donuts, a giant slide, mini hay maze, photo booth, games and a bonfire. The event is free and open to the public.No registration is necessary.

Everyone is encouraged to carve some pumpkins to be added to the parade. Carved pumpkins can be dropped off at the Recreation Center on Friday, Oct. 24 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. and/or Saturday, Oct. 25 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

You can also join other Halloween-loving community members at a Pumpkin Carving Party on Friday, Oct. 24 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The Rec Center will provide the pumpkins and the tools — all you need to bring is your creativity. And all of your creations will make it to the Pumpkins on Parade path. It’s free, but registration is required for this so they can set aside some pumpkins for you. Register for program #301208

Broadway-Themed Halloween Fitness Event, Sunday, Oct. 26 at 9 a.m.

This event is FREE and open to the public, and no registration is required. Costumes are definitely encouraged, so consider dressing as your favorite Broadway character.

Looking ahead

Mark your calendar now for an Afternoon with Santa on Saturday, Dec. 13 from 1 to 3 p.m. Enjoy music and dancing, cookies and activities. Come anytime during the event — you don’t have to be registered — and Santa will make sure to visit with everyone.

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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).

(posted 10/13/2025)

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New elements made this year’s Pumpkins on Parade even better

27 Oct

Kudos to the Webster Recreation Center for pulling off yet another successful Pumpkins on Parade festival, held Saturday night.

I’ve been attending this event every year since it began in 2020, and it gets better every year. I called it a “festival” above on purpose, because that’s really what it feels like when you emerge from the pumpkin path into the Rec Center’s big sports fields and see thousands of people playing games, enjoying the free snacks, and taking family photos.

What makes this event especially entertaining is how the Rec Center keeps changing it up, adding new elements every year. This year they got particularly creative. Ghostly displays were set up in several areas along the path. A real live witch, complete with a bubbling cauldron, swept back and forth through her witchy lair, cackling and berating anyone who dared to walk by (which was everyone). And the guys from the Parks Dept. came up with a really fun idea: they enclosed the pavilion at First Responders Park and turned it into a not-so-scary haunted house.

After leaving there, paraders followed the pumpkin path into the great fields, where even more fun awaited. There was a hay bale maze for the kids, a bonfire, pumpkin tic-tac-toe, a roller slide for the kids, bowling, family photo areas, and of course free cider, apples and donuts.

Recreation Director Katie Kovar estimated that between the path and displays, there were almost 800 jack-o’-lanterns this year, so thank you to everyone who carved one or more (and to the Rec Center staff members who carved hundreds of their own). The weather was perfect, bringing out thousands of adults and kids to enjoy this family event.

I’m already looking forward to next year to see what the Rec Center will cook up.

Click here to see my gallery of photos.

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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).

(posted 10/28/2024)

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The pumpkins are parading again

10 Oct

One of my favorite events of the entire Webster year, Pumpkins on Parade, is returning to the Webster Recreation Center on Saturday Oct. 26 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

This is a super fun and totally free family event where participants stroll along the mile-long Chiyoda Trail behind the Rec Center, which is lined with hundreds of creatively carved, humorous, scary and downright weird jack-o’-lanterns. At the end of the path, there’s free cider and donuts, a bonfire, a family photo area, and for the kids, a hay maze, roller slide and more. And it’s ALL FREE. (Here’s the Facebook event page for more information.) There’s also a shorter path for children and seniors.

The wide variety of designs will blow you away, and the kids will enjoy seeing characters they recognize (I’ve seen Super Mario and Roblox-themed pumpkins, for example). Click here for a photo gallery from last year.

There are some new surprises along the trail this year, too. There are lots of light-up elements, and MAYBE there will be a real witch at the witch’s station handing out candy. The Rec Center will neither confirm nor deny.

Just seeing all the jack-o’-lanterns is fun enough, but the after-hike activities which really make this event a great time for the whole family. There’s so much to do for kids of all ages — which this year included pumpkin tic-tac-toe, pumpkin checkers and pumpkin bowling — and did I mention free cider and donuts???

BUT the success of this event depends on community participation. The Webster Recreation Center needs several hundred carved pumpkins to make the walk amazing. Families, individuals and groups are encouraged to get creative and carve one, two or LOTS more pumpkins. Carved pumpkin drop off is Friday, Oct. 25 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 26 until 2 p.m.  For each carved pumpkin submitted, you’ll be entered to win a Halloween themed basket courtesy of Diamond Collision.

(And while you’re there, stop by the Webster PTSA Coat and Concert Apparel Drive, happening at the Rec Center on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.)

But 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. 26 at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr. There will be plenty of parking in the Xerox lots across from the Rec Center.

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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).

(posted 10/10/2024)

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Webster community mailbag

8 Oct

Time to pile up those leaves

The Webster Highway Department will begin their annual fall leaf collection in mid-October, depending on how many leaves have fallen and the weather. Crews will begin working in Zone 1 to Zone 5, and then back to Zone 1. (Click here to see the zone map.) Highway crews make several passes throughout the season.

Announcements will be made ahead of the final pass. After the final pass, any leaves will need to be taken care of by residents through their refuse collection company or another means. The best way to stay updated on the leaf collection season is to sign up for notifications from the Highway Dept. Use this link to do that.

Pumpkins on Parade is back

One of the best events of the autumn season, Pumpkins on Parade, returns to the Webster Recreation Center on Saturday, Oct. 26 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

I’ll be writing up a more detailed blog about this soon, but for those of you who have never experienced it, basically, that evening the Chiyoda Trail — which stretches for a mile around and behind the Rec Center — will be lined with brightly glowing jack-o’-lanterns. Visitors can walk along the trail and enjoy all the creativity and spookiness. Then afterwards, there’s free cider and donuts, and lots of family activities. It’s definitely one of my favorite events of the year.

The Webster Recreation Center is located at 1350 Chiyoda Drive. (By the way, they’re always looking for jack-o’-lanterns donations because they need a LOT of them. So get your carving knives out and get ready to get creative.)

What’s happening at the library?

Here’s your monthly run-down of all (OK, most) of the great events happening at the Webster Public Library. For more information about any and all of these, visit the library’s webpage or Facebook page.

  • Celebrate Diwali, Wed. Oct. 23, 7 to 8 p.m. :An evening of family fun celebrating the Hindu festival of Diwali, or festival of lights. Enjoy a casual reception with Indian food and music, and learn about the Diwali festival. Registration is requested.
  • Library Trick-or-Treat, Friday Oct. 25 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Bring the whole family and trick-or-treat through the entire library with a spooky maze at the end. No registration is necessary.
  • Bilingual Storytime, Saturday Oct. 12 from 11 a.m. to noon. Join special guest Ms. Mariposa for a reading of Sebi and the Land of Cha-Cha-Cha. All ages are welcome and no registration is required.
  • T(w)een Halloween Night, Wednesday Oct. 30, 6 to 7:30 p.m. A night of spooky fun, with activities, treats and more. Costumes are encouraged. For teens grades 4-12. Registration is required.
  • Rochester Theater Organ Society, Thursday Oct. 10, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The RTOS presents “Rochester’s Best-Kept Secret: Unveiling the Mighty Wurlitzer!” Registration is required.
  • Diamond Magnet Art for teens and tweens, Saturday Nov. 9, 1 to 2 p.m. Come make fun diamond art magnets in the teen room. All supplies will be provided. For grades 4 to 12. Registration is requested.
  • This month’s Donation Station is for Keeping Our Promise, a resettlement program for Afghan, Iraqi and Kurdish interpreters and support personnel. See the flyer below for their needs.
  • This month’s community exchange is SPOOKY STUFF. New or gently used costumes, Halloween/fall decor, etc. Drop off your unused stuff and find something new to you!

Women’s Club of Webster hosts Card/Game Party “Fun-Raiser”

The Women’s Club of Webster’s 2024 Card/Game Party will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 5 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Glendoveers, 2328 Old Browncroft Rd. Participants can join new friends and old to play cards — or any game — and enjoy danish, coffee and a delicious buffet lunch.

The event will feature door prizes raffle baskets, 50/25/25 raffles , and much more, so bring plenty of extra cash, because all proceeds benefit local charities and s cholarships. Bring your favorite card game, dominoes, Euchre, Scrabble or any other fun game you prefer. It’s a great way to meet people! (And don’t forget to vote before or after the games!)

Donation is $40, and reservations are required by Wednesday, October 30. Sorry, no walk-ins.

For reservations, send a check made payable to “WCW” and mail to Diane Miller, 428 Seneca Park Ave., Rochester, NY 14617.  Please include your name, phone number, email address and, if playing with friends, include their names.  For information, phone Diane at 585-230-6042.

Walk and Bike Webster event

If you’re a fan of getting around Webster on two feet or two wheels, or are interested in helping brainstorm ideas to improve walking and biking opportunities in Webster, then this meeting is for you.

On Monday Nov. 4, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. (time yet to be confirmed) there will be a Walk and Bike Webster event held in the Community Room at the Webster Public Library.

Right now the plan is to have Jesse Peers from Reconnect Webster show a short film, followed by a panel discussion including Webster Town Council member Ginny Nguyen and Matthew Isles of Walk/Bike Irondequoit. Nguyen will talk about how the Town of Webster is promoting safe walking and biking, and Isles will talk about what Walk/Bike Irondequoit is doing.

Free dinner for veterans

Veterans and active duty service personnel and their families are invited to Spry Middle School for a free dinner in their honor.

On Thursday, November 7 from 4 to 6:30 p.m., students will be serving up a pasta dinner in the Spry Middle School cafetorium, 119 South Avenue. Veterans and activity duty service personnel and their families living within the Webster Central School District boundaries are invited to enjoy a spaghetti dinner complete with salad, bread, and dessert. Take out is available as well. Either way, reservations are required by calling (585) 216-0093.

Crafters needed

This notice from Webster NY Hope:

Attention Webster crocheters! Webster Hope is in need of crafters to make dishcloths for their holiday collaborative program.

Their plan is to give away dish soap and a handmade reuseable dishcloth to each family along with holiday food. This project works best with cotton yarn as acrylic doesn’t absorb well. They’re trying to save on paper towels and give a handmade gift made with love.

Their goal is 150 cloths by mid-November. That sounds very do-able, knowing our Webster community.

Dishcloths can be dropped off at Webster Library or during Webster Hope open hours.

Check the image below for some helpful hints:

Webster Chamber offers health insurance enrollment assistance

Finally, this important notice from the Webster Chamber of Commerce:

Health insurance enrollment periods are starting in October and November, and the Webster Chamber of Commerce is available to help all New Yorkers with the process. 

The Medicare Insurance annual enrollment period is Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, and the Individual & NYS Marketplace Insurance period is Nov. 16 to Dec. 15. Plans change annually and your needs change annually, so it’s important to take a close look at your coverage every year. In particular, for 2025 there are significant changes in Medicare Advantage, including the discontinuance of plans. It’s important to take action before the December 7 deadline or you may lose Medicare Advantage Plan benefits. The Chamber can help. 

The Webster Chamber’s health insurance enrollment service has been a no-fee service since 1938, offering the choice of a virtual or an in-office appointment. Due to the many insurance changes for 2025, requests for appointments will increase, so call soon to reserve your time:  585-265-3851. Before your appointment, visit here to prepare.

Health insurance selection and enrollment is very detailed and complicated. See an enrollment service to assist you in this process. And pay attention to the deadlines noted above to avoid penalties.

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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).

(posted 10/8/2024)

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Two family fun Halloween events this Saturday

25 Oct

As we get closer to Halloween, I know that there are SO MANY events coming down the pike that you want to make sure your kids have a chance to check out. Make sure these two, happening this coming Saturday Oct. 28, are atop your list.

The first is the Village of Webster’s Trick-or-Treat Trail, an annual tradition in the village which draws thousands of kids and adults to walk through the streets and trick-or-treat dozens of village businesses.

The day begins with a costume contest at Village Hall from 11 to 11:30 a.m., followed by the Trail from 11:30 to 2:30. There’s a pet costume contest as well (a judge will be walking along Main St. keeping an eye out for contestants!). The Webster Museum will have special treats, the Webster Volunteer Fire Department will host their open house with displays, fire hats and equipment for the kids to explore, and there’ll be wagon rides behind Gazebo Park.

And don’t forget to take the short side trip down Lapham Park to visit the Webster Museum, where the folks there are cooking up some special events for the kids.

And of course, I’ll be out there with my camera trying to take as many photos of kids (and adults) in costume as possible, so watch for me. I especially love to see entire families dress up together. Moms and dads often have some of the most creative costumes.

Saturday evening, Pumpkins on Parade returns to the Webster Recreation Center from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

This is a super fun family event where participants stroll along the mile-long Chiyoda Trail behind the Rec Center, which is lined with hundreds of creatively carved, humorous, scary and downright weird jack-o-lanterns. At the end of the path, there’s free cider and donuts and a bonfire, a family photo area, and for the kids, a hay maze and roller slide. And it’s ALL FREE. (Here’s the Facebook event page for more information.)

To make this event the success it always is, the Rec Center needs a LOT of jack-o-lanterns. So grab some pumpkins today or tomorrow and get carving! You can drop off your finished creations on the trailer parked outside the Rec Center (1350 Chiyoda Dr.) on Friday Oct, 27 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. or Saturday Oct. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Multiple pumpkins are both welcomed and encouraged. Each pumpkin gets a raffle ticket for the chance to win a Fall Themed Raffle Basket (be sure to stop inside the Rec Center after dropping off your pumpkin to fill out a ticket!)

Once again, I’ll be there with my camera, so keep an eye out for me. And have FUN!

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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 “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 10/25/2023)

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Webster community mailbag

29 Sep

Let’s get right to it …..

Oklahoma!, presented by the Webster Theatre Guild, takes the stage this weekend.

Shows are scheduled for

  • Friday Sept. 29, 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday Sept. 30, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
  • Friday Oct. 6, 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday Oct. 7, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

All shows will be held at Webster Thomas High School, 800 Five Mile Line Rd. Tickets are $20, plus $2 transaction fee if ordered online), and are reserve seating. Tickets will also be available at the door. Click here for tickets.

Next, this very special event from Webster Comfort Care Home.

Community members are cordially invited to Their Light Shines, a Celebration of Remembrance on Tuesday evening Oct. 3, where you can light a luminaria in honor or memory of your loved one(s).

Luminarias can be purchased for $10 each and will benefit the Webster Comfort Care Home in its mission to provide no-cost, compassionate care to the terminally ill and their families.

The Celebration of Remembrance will be held at the Comfort Care Home, 700 Holt Rd., from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday Oct. 3. Rain date will be Oct. 5.

Our very own Webster Marching Band will host their 37th annual Autumn Fanfare field show and competition on Saturday October 7 at Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Rd.

Autumn Fanfare is always a spectacular evening of storytelling through music, marching, and even a little bit of acting. There are always huge set pieces involved to move the music-story forward. This is an awesome opportunity to see what our hometown marching bad has been up to, and be impressed by the incredible amount of hard work these kids put in every year to create a show that will blow you away.

Gates open at 5 p.m. and the show starts at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10, available at Herman’s Farm Market (741 Five Mile Line Rd.) and the Webster Recreation Center (1350 Chiyoda Dr.). They can also be purchased for $12 at the gate.

More to come about this.

Don’t forget about the Capital Improvement Project vote on Wednesday, Oct. 11

The Webster Central School District has proposed an $85 million capital improvement project that will impact all 11 schools with zero tax impact for district residents. The project will include renovations and improvements to all of the schools. The project will be voted on by the Webster CSD community on Wednesday, October 11, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Webster Schroeder High School’s gym, 875 Ridge Road.

To learn more about the project and the improvements to each school, click here. You can also sign up to receive periodic communications from the district regarding the project. For details, please visit the capital improvement project news story at www.websterschools.org.

The West Webster Fire Department will hold their annual Fire Prevention Open House on Sunday Oct. 15, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the fire station on Gravel Rd.

The afternoon will include firehouse tours, fire safety displays, equipment displays, live demos, refreshments and more.

There’s no charge, and the entire Webster community is invited. For more information, visit the WWFD Facebook page here.

While we’re on that subject, remember that the Webster Volunteer Fire Department always holds its open house during the village’s Trick of Treat Trail, this year scheduled for Saturday Oct. 28. Stay tuned for more information about that.

The next Friends of the Webster Public Library Book Sale is just around the corner, Oct. 18 through 21.

This is always a great opportunity to stock your home library. Hardcover books are just $1, and paperback books just 50 cents.

Members of the Friends of the Webster Public Library can visit Wednesday, Oct. 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. for a first look. Membership in the Friends of the Webster Public Library is required and can be purchased at the door.

The general public sale will be Thursday, Oct. 19 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday Oct. 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday Oct. 21 from 10 a.m. to noon. Friday and Saturday are BYOB Sale Days; bring your own bag, and fill it for just $5.

The sale will be held at the library, 980 Ridge Rd. Proceeds from the fall book sale directly benefit library programs, book collections and other special projects.

Our Penfield friends, Schutt’s Apple Mill on Plank Rd., have a couple of fun events planned for this fall.

On Tuesday Oct. 24 (one week before Halloween), Schutt’s will host their Trick-or-Treat at the Farm event from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. It’s a family-friendly night where you can walk through the orchard on a Trick-or-Treat Trail to find some fanciful jack-o-lanterns and sweet treats. Costumes and flashlights are encouraged.

This is a free event and no registration is required.

On Saturday Nov. 4, Schutt’s will host a Holiday Farm Market from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. from 9 a.m. This is a great opportunity to support 35 local businesses while shopping for personal and gift items.

For more information about both of these events and others, click here. Schutt’s Apple Mill is located at 1063 Plank Rd.

Pumpkins on Parade at the Webster Recreation Center is back, Saturday Oct. 28 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

This is a one-mile long trail lined with creatively and whimsically-carved jack-o-lanterns. Every year the Rec Center puts this on (this is the fourth annual), it’s been bigger and better, packed with post-trail treats, photo opportunities and more

I’ll be providing more details about this, but for now, start planning your pumpkin carving, because the Rec Center is going to need a LOT of jack-o-lanterns.

Finally, check the flyers below for details about lots of great upcoming programs at the Webster Public Library, including:

  • the Readers, Writers and Connections program for budding writers
  • Teen Library Club
  • National Hair Day storytime
  • Family Night
  • a movie matinee
  • a Halloween craft
  • line dancing for kids
  • a clay class for children and parents

The Webster Library is located at 980 Ridge Rd.

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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 “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 9/29/2023)

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Webster community mailbag

31 Aug

I always thought that the height of summer marked Webster’s busiest months. But looking at my page-long list of events coming up in the next several weeks tells me I was way wrong.

Most of these I’ve touched on in earlier blogs, so I’ll just remind you of them and give you links to follow in case you need more information. But let me start off with some detail about a race taking place in the village this Friday night, the First Responders 5K.

The race is scheduled for Friday Sept. 1 at 6:30 p.m. It will BEGIN AND END at the south side of Fireman’s Field on Sanford St., and take racers through east-side village neighborhoods. You can see the exact route in the map below.

Several roads on the east side of the village will be affected, and Rt. 250 between State Rd. and Main St. will be closed for a short time after the race begins to allow the runners through.

I always run this race, so I look forward to seeing you on the course. Cow bells, shouts of encouragement and high-fives are always appreciated. You can register up till noon Friday. Click here for more information.

The next meeting of Webster’s Visionaries Low-Vision Support Group is Wednesday, Sept. 6, from 10:30 to noon at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr.

The Visionaries is a support group for adults with low-to-no vision. Members of this support group share their interests and opportunities with others, encouraging those with visual impairment to get the most out of their lives.

The meeting is presented this month by Goodwill Vision (formerly ABVI), which offers services for those with low and no vision. For more information, contact Ed Wilkonski at 585-265-4167, or email wingstwofly@rochester.rr.com.

The Village of Webster will hold its annual Sept. 11 Memorial ceremony on Monday Sept. 11, beginning at 6 p.m. at Veteran’s Memorial Park on North Ave.

The Webster Village Band and the Chorus of the Genesee will both be performing. Community members are encouraged to attend.

The annual Webster Rocks ALS music festival returns Saturday, Sept. 9.

The festival is held to raise awareness for ALS in memory of Kacie Jones, a longtime employee of the Coach/Rubino’s, who passed away from ALS at 31 years old, less than two years after he was diagnosed. Proceeds will benefit organizations that fight to change the standard of case and empower people with ALS. (Visit www.healingals.org or www.teamgleason.org for more information.)

The festival will be held Saturday Sept. 9 at the Webster Firemen’s Field on Ridge Rd. Click here for more information.

That same day, Saturday Sept. 9, there’s another FREE concert taking place at Veteran’s Memorial Park on North Ave.

It’s the second annual RHB St. Jude Benefit Concert, featuring the Red Hot and Blue Band, Sarah De Vallière, The M-T-V Jam Band and The Tug Hill Band. Pub 235, Guida’s Pizza and Terry’s Tips And Beef will also be there with some great food.

More info on the flier.

Of course, that same weekend, the Webster Garlic Festival returns to the Webster Recreation Center on Sept. 9 and 10. I’ll be posting another longer blog about that again soon, but in the meantime, here’s the website for more information. Word is that more than 100 vendors have already signed up and more are trying to get in every day.

Two huge garage sales are happening the following weekend, Webster NY Hope’s annual sale, scheduled for Sept. 14 to 17 at 1450 Ridge Rd, AND the Webster Museum’s Barn and Vintage Sale on Sept. 14 thorough 16. These are always very big events, so make sure to make time to stop by both.

More to come about these soon.

Community members are invited to attend an official groundbreaking ceremony for the new Webster Highway Department facility at 1005 Picture Parkway on Thursday Sept. 14 at 2 p.m.

Webster Town Board members, Highway Department staff members and local dignitaries will hold a brief ceremony, followed by the groundbreaking. Click here for more information about plans for the new facility.

The Third Annual Webster Recreation Center Mud Run is returning on Saturday Sept. 23. This event is tons of wet, muddy, so-much-laughing fun for the entire family. I will definitely be there, and try to get even muddier than I did last year. (Check out the photo.) More about this later as well.

The Oktoberfest returns to Webster’s Fireman’s Field on Friday and Saturday Sept. 15 and 16.

The event runs from noon to 10:30 p.m. both days, and will feature live German music, German cuisine from Swan’s Market and Helmut’s Strudel of WNY, and beer and wine by Cobblestone on Main restaurant.

Tickets will be sold at the door. On Friday from noon to 3, they’ll cost only $5. After that, and at all other times, tickets will be $10. Children under 12 are free when accompanied by an adult.

Organizers are also looking for volunteers to help with the event. Visit the website for more information.

Reminder that the 4th annual Barry’s Irish Festival takes place Saturday Sept. 16 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at The Barry Patch Farm, 2668 Brick Schoolhouse Road, Hilton. Tickets are available at the pub for $15 (2 West Main St., Webster), and can be purchased online here. You can also get them on the day of the festival, when they’ll be $20. Kids 16 and under are free.

Visit the event’s Facebook page for more information, and if you have any questions, email Danny and Jessica at Barrysirishpub@gmail.com.

St. Martin Lutheran Church will hold a Drive Thru Chicken BBQ on Saturday, Sept. 23 at the church, 813 Bay Road, Webster. The event begins at 4:30 p.m. and will continue until all dinners are sold out.

Dinners will include a half chicken, salt potatoes, coleslaw, roll, butter and cookie, and will cost $15.

The event will be drive-through only and there will be no advance sales; first-come, first-served. Cars should enter the parking lot, follow the signs, and purchase dinners using exact payment of either cash or
check. Cars will then pick up boxed dinners.

Proceeds from the BBQ will support both St. Martin’s Little Free Pantry and Christmas Stocking Project, which reaches more than 500 local youth in Monroe and Wayne counties.

Looking forward to fall, the Webster Recreation Center’s annual Pumpkins on Parade has been scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 28 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. I literally bounced in my chair when I saw the notice, because I enjoy this event so much. Start thinking now about what kind of creative jack-o-lanterns you and your family can carve. Click here to see the Facebook event page for more details.

And of course, you can start your day earlier in the village at Village of Webster’s Trick-or-Treat Trail, scheduled for Saturday Oct. 28, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. More info here.

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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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(posted 8/31/2023)

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Pumpkin Parade a spooky success

30 Oct

For months now, every since the Webster Parks and Recreation folks started promoting this year’s Pumpkins on Parade, they promised that the third annual event would be better than ever before. Well, I stopped by for about an hour to check it out, and I have to say this:

They weren’t lying.

Pumpkins on Parade took place at the Webster Recreation Center on Saturday night from 7 to 8:30 p.m. If you missed the festivities, you missed one of the most enjoyable events of Webster’s Halloween season. About 700 creatively carved, illuminated jack-o-lanterns were placed along the entire one-mile long Chiyoda Trail that wraps around the back of the Rec Center, and a shorter path set up especially for toddlers and seniors. Several places on the main trail were also illuminated with strings of multi-colored lights, and a number of spooky ghosts hung from the trees.

The trails themselves weren’t too different from previous years; the wide variety of jack-o-lanterns was delightful and in several places stopped a lot of people in their tracks. It was fun listening to the little kids “oooh” and “ahhh” at every new design and point out cats or spiders, or characters they recognized from their favorite shows.

But it was the slew of new activities at the end of the trail that really made this year’s Pumpkins on Parade the best ever. In addition to the free cider and donuts for everyone (offered every year), the Rec Center folks added a whole bunch of new family activities: a hay bale maze for the little kids, a rolly-slide, a dedicated children’s activities tent, a “photo booth” and a huge bonfire.

It was an extremely well-run event, to boot. Plans for parking the hundreds of cars were clearly well thought out in advance, and took good advantage of the two parking lots across Chiyoda Drive from the Rec Center (complete with life-sized traffic cones directing cars). Upbeat music got kids and adults dancing as they walked up the long driveway, even before they reached the path’s entrance. The post-walk activities were spaced all across the big fields behind the Rec Center, leaving plenty of room for kids to run around and chase each other. There were a few thousand people milling around among the activities, but it never felt crowded or annoying.

It was basically a big Halloween-themed festival that had something for everyone to do — moms, dads, kids and grandparents alike.

Thank you to the Webster Recreation Department for a wonderful event. But thanks also to the Webster community. It’s only with your amazing support that this event could happen.

Parks and Recreation Commissioner Chris Bilow called participation from the community “unbelievable.” He was particularly amazed by how many people actually purchased their own pumpkins, even though the Rec Center offered to provide them. Six businesses stepped forward to carve, and Spry Middle School alone carved 70 pumpkins.

As I left the event, I told Bilow that there was only one thing wrong with this year’s Pumpkins on Parade: it was so awesome, there’s really no way they can make it better next year. He looked at me with a little grin and replied, “Oh, I got a few more ideas up my sleeve.”

Guess we’re going to have to wait until next year to find out what they are.

Click here for a full gallery of photos from the evening.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

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(posted 10/30/2022)

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