Plans continue to come together — and get more exciting — for some great family events in Webster Village the last week in July.
The latest addition to a whole week of activities is a “Christmas in July” Summer Parade of (at least) EMS vehicles on Thursday July 29 beginning ar 7 p.m. I’m sensing the organizers are looking to plan something a little like the huge Fireman’s Parade, but on a much smaller scale.
Community members are encouraged to dress up in their best holiday attire. That means get up into the attic and dig out all your Santa hats, antlers, Christmas lights and even ugly sweaters.
True to the “Christmas in July” theme, there will also be caroling and Christmas cookie decorating at the gazebo. More details as they come will be posted to this Facebook event page.
Then, on Friday July 30, West Main Street will be closed for an evening of family games and entertainment…and beer.
The village’s first-ever Family Games Night and Beer Garden will feature sidewalk chalk art for the kids (and adults), giant street games like Jenga and Connect Four, and a free yoga class. The Coach Sports Bar will be serving up beer and wine and Webster Hots will offer dinner options.
Live acoustic music is also on tap from 6:30 to 8 p.m. featuring Steve Bartolotta.
Earlier in the week, don’t forget that Elf (yes the Christmas movie!) will be the featured attraction at Movie Night in Gazebo Park, Tuesday July 27 beginning at 8 p.m.
You can also stay on top of Village of Webster events by regularly checking the Webster BID website.
A couple of reminders this morning about upcoming events, plus a few new events for your consideration.
This Friday July 9, the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, at the corner of Webster Rd. (Rt. 250) and State Rd., will host a drive-through Taco Dinner, beginning at 4 p.m. and ending when they’re sold out.
Customers will have a choice of beef and chicken Birria style street tacos along with rice and black bean sides. The meals, priced at $12 for the first one and $11 for each additional meal ordered at the same time, are prepared by Tacodero, of Rochester. Its owner and chef, Cordero Rivera, has worked as a private chef cooking for hip-hop artists and NBA players in NYC before moving to Rochester.
Orders can be placed when you drive into the event. Proceeds will support the church’s outreach efforts in the Webster community and the greater Rochester area.
The Friends of the Public Library have added more dates for their Pop-Up Book Sales.
Four more sales have been scheduled for Thursday July 15, Saturday July 31, Thursday August 12 and Saturday August 28. They’ll be held in the Webster Public Library parking lot from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., weather permitting. (Cancellations will be posted on the library’s website and Facebook page or you can call the library at 585-872-7075.)
Prices will be $1 for hardcover, 2/$1 for paperback. On August 28, the last sale day, bring your own bag and fill it to the brim for just $3 (or two bags for $5).
By the way, remember that the library is holding Outdoor Storytimes at Harmony Park every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m. No registration is necessary. The park is located just off Phillips Rd. on 10 Foster Drive. For more information, check out the library calendar here.
This tidbit also from the library: “Binge Bags.”
If you’re in the mood to take a break and binge on four or five movies — all with the same theme (like Star Wars or the best of Stephen King) — you can check out a “Binge Bag” at the library. It will be your own personal movie marathon. (Don’t forget the popcorn.)
The Webster Recreation Center’s next Family Fun Day will be on Saturday July 17.
The Summer Splash Family Fun Water Day will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. at the First Responders Splash Park, located on Chiyoda Drive adjacent to the Webster Recreation Center. Make sure to wear your swimsuits, bring a towel and some cash because there will be food trucks.
No registration is required, and the event is free for all ages.
And while you’re near the Rec Center, make sure to grab your copy of the new “Find a Way to Play” playgrounds passport. This is a new program from the Webster Parks and Recreation Department which encourages families to get outside and explore all of the great play areas we have here in Webster.
The 10-page passbook highlights many places right here in town where children and adults can be active and have fun. It encourages everyone to visit different facilities and discover each one’s unique amenities. The booklet provides a brief description of not just playgrounds, but two spray parks, the skate park and more.
You can read more about the program in this blog I wrote a few weeks ago.
There’s a very special event coming up later this month which I’ll write more about at a later date. But it’s something I think you’ll want to get on your calendar right now, especially if you’re not familiar with Rochester Challenger Miracle Field.
Miracle Field is located on Ridge Road behind Town Hall. This beautiful facility was specifically designed for individuals with physical and/or cognitive challenges and is fully wheelchair accessible. It offers those with developmental, physical or intellectual disabilities a barrier-free, safe, accessible place to experience the health benefits and joy of play through baseball, other team sports, and adaptive recreational equipment.
On Saturday July 24, Miracle Field will host their “Heroes Helping Heroes” day, a tribute to the Challenger athletes and the men and women who keep them safe.
From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. first responders will be playing ball games alongside the Challenger players. You can watch the games, cheer on these amazing athletes, then stay to visit with law enforcement representatives, first responders and mounted police officers. Plus there’ll be carnival games, food trucks, a dunk tank and a visit from Spikes, the Red Wings mascot. It should be a great morning of family fun.
Also coming up later this month, a brand new event from the Webster BID, those folks who bring you White Christmas in the Village, Trick or Treat Trail, Wine Walks and more.
It’s being called the Family Games Night & Beer Garden, scheduled for Friday July 30 from 6 to 9 p.m. on West Main Street in the village.
The BID website promises sidewalk chalk art, Giant Jenga, Giant Connect Four, Cornhole and a free yoga class. Beer and wine will be served up by the Coach Sports Bar and food from Webster Hots (including a kids’ menu). Live acoustic music will be provided by Steve Bartolotta from 6:30 to 8:00.
Details are still being hammered out, so stay tuned. You can also check the BID website for updates.
Another crafty shop is coming to the Village of Webster.
The Village HandWorks will be opening in just a few weeks at 19 East Main St., right next door to the Village Quilt Shoppe. As the name implies, the new shop will feature original hand-crafted goods, and offer a place for crafters to practice their skills, take a class or two, or just gather to sit, stitch and share their projects.
The Village HandWorks is owned by Webster resident Jenn Ratcliffe, an experienced spinner and weaver herself. She envisions her new place as a “unique yarn shop/learning center,” a welcoming environment for crafters of all skill levels who love making things with fabric and paper. She and her talented friends will be offering classes in spinning, weaving, fiber arts, knitting, crocheting, sewing, embroidery, crewel work, print making, book arts, dyeing and more.
There’ll be a big leather couch in one corner where people can sit and stitch, get help with their projects, and read research books from her library. And this is fun: she’ll be setting up her spinning wheel and loom right in the front window so passers-by can watch her work.
Jenn is clearly passionate about her craft and super excited to be part of the Village of Webster community.
It makes me feel good to be part of the revitalization of the village. COVID is still here, but it’s a little less scary and people are starting to get out more. Being in this retail space allows me to share my skills and ability, and also brings life to this space and hopefully to the village.
And being right next door to the Village Quilt Shoppe? Some might consider that direct competition, but Jenn considers it a great opportunity for collaboration.
I don’t quilt, and there will be no quilting (here) because that’s their expertise. We’re looking forward to working as a team to create classes together. Maybe while mom’s next door taking a quilting class, her children can be here taking a different kind of class.
For now, Jenn and her husband Tim are deep into cleaning and renovating the long-vacant storefront. But they hope to have a soft opening by July 17 followed by a grand opening the following week. Stay tuned for more details about both. Their website is still under construction, but what they have so far you can see here.
The Webster Museum is opening again! The Webster Museum is opening again!
After a long hiatus thanks to the pandemic, the Webster Museum will be opening its doors to the public again in August, on Saturday, Aug. 21 and Saturday Aug. 28, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. both days.
Regular museum hours will resume in September, when the museum will be open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 2 to 4:30 p.m.
The opening exhibit will feature the paintings of artist Ward Mann, who lived, worked and painted in Webster from 1961 until his death in 2005. His family has generously provided many of Ward’s paintings for this exhibit, memorabilia from his studios in Webster and in Rocky Neck, MA and slide shows of many of his other works.
Visit the Webster Museum website to find out more about this exhibit and some fascinating Webster history (I especially enjoy the blog).
The Webster Museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the village.
Just a quick post today to thank the young people who chalked these messages last week on the sidewalk in front of their Park Ave. house.
They appeared, not coincidentally, on the afternoon of the last day of school, and they made me smile. ‘Cause it was the last day of school for me too. 🙂
Just outside the east edge of the village, next to the gas station at the corner of Phillips Rd. and Ridge, sits a little house. If you’ve ever had the occasion to walk, ride or drive by, I’m sure you’ve noticed it, because it’s surrounded by some of the most beautiful gardens in Webster.
I do pass by the house regularly, and have long admired the gardens. They always make me pause, especially when I see something new. I’ve often stopped to literally smell the roses (or lilacs, depending on the time of year). I would occasionally see the homeowners outside watering or weeding or planting, and wave a friendly hello. Finally, a few weeks ago when I saw the Mrs. outside again, I stopped and introduced myself as her gardens’ biggest fan. Her name is Maria; she was kind enough to give me the full garden tour and agreed to let me write about her, her husband Pedro, and their amazing gardens.
Maria and Pedro Blanco have been Webster residents since 1980, when they moved from their home in the city (which didn’t have much in the way of gardens). When they purchased their Phillips Rd. home, evergreen bushes stretched all across the front of the house.
It didn’t take before they’d removed those bushes, and little by little, Maria started to create her garden paradise. She’d tend to the gardens after work every day, and early in the mornings. Then of course, after retirement she could really start focusing on what has become her lifelong hobby.
Through the years, those front gardens expanded to the back yard and both side yards, plus two dozen hanging baskets and more potted annuals than I could count. She has so many different varieties of annuals and perennials, shrubs and vines that she has trouble remembering what they’re all called.
The ones that she could remember included: lilacs, Rose of Sharon, Stella D’oro, guara, daisies, daylilies, roses, sweet Williams, maelstrom, clematis, canna lily, brown-eyed susan, black-eyed susan, buttercup, phlox, hibiscus, hydrangae, and miniature morning glory. Everywhere you look there’s something blooming or about to bloom. Fanciful flower pots and decorations, many crafted by her very artistic daughter Glenda, make the entire scene even more beautiful.
Maria in her back-yard oaisis
In the backyard, hidden from view, Maria and Pedro have created their own little peaceful oasis: a small canopied patio which insulates them from the busy and noisy roadways that surround them. Pedro’s contribution to the gardens is there, too: a small vegetable patch with tomatoes, peppers and lettuce.
I’m not the first to bring attention to Maria’s gardens, by the way, and I might not actually be their biggest fan. She said that others have stopped on their runs and walks, or slowed in their cars to admire them. And in 2019 she even won an award from a local garden club.
Maria’s passion has remained strong through the years. Weather permitting, she’s out working on her gardens “all my free time,” she said.
“Sometimes I don’t go inside my home for hours.” After she’s done all the watering and weeding and transplanting that needs to be done, “I sit out under the canopy and start admiring my job. Then I get up to change something.” She doesn’t even like to leave home for any length of time because, “No one can take care like you do. When I come back, everything is a mess.”
“The plants are my babies.”
So next time you’re heading south into the village via Phillips Rd., take a look to the west just before you hit the intersection with Ridge. It’s a beautiful, floral-ific welcome to our little town.
A few of the items in today’s mailbag are reminders about events happening this weekend. But first, a note that the Joe Obbie Farmers’ Market is officially open for business for the summer.
This early in the season, you’ll mostly find specialty items like syrups and honey, flowers and crafts. There were a couple of fresh produce stalls last weekend — opening weekend — with some beautiful strawberries. But the number of vendors and selection will expand every week, so make sure to check back regularly. And there was a food truck as well, which organizers have said will be a regular feature.
The market is located in Webster Towne Center plaza, in front of Old Navy and near the gazebo. It’s open every Saturday through November from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
St. Martin Lutheran Church, 813 Bay Rd., will hold a huge garage sale this coming Thursday, Friday and Saturday (June 17-19). Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. All proceeds will benefit the church’s local missions and neighbors in need.
The Webster Thomas Players will present their spring musical, Cabaret live and in person this year at the Penfield Amphitheater, 3100 Atlantic Ave., in three shows June 17 to 19.
The production will be PG-13, but the subject matter is most appropriate for mature audiences, addressing issues around anti-Semitism and political fanaticism. Audiences will recognize many legendary musical numbers including “Willkommen,” “Don’t Tell Mama,” “Maybe this Time,” “Money,” and of course, “Cabaret.”
Cabaret will be presented in three shows:
● Thursday, June 17, 7:30 p.m. ● Friday, June 18, 7:30 p.m. ● Saturday, June 19, 7:30 p.m.
The rain date for all shows will be Sunday, June 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Reserved seating tickets are available for $12 in advance, and can be purchased online here. On the day of the show, reserve tickets will be $15 (if available). General admission “bring your own” lawn chair ($10) or blanket ($25) options are also available. You can see more details about these options on the website (websterthomasplayers.com).
It’s Sidewalk Sale Weekend in the Village of Webster.
Five village shops will be setting up some tables outside their stores this Friday and Saturday and offering some great bargains both outside and in.
So take a stroll downtown this Friday and Saturday and meet some of our very friendly small business owners.
Webster doesn’t have an Independence Day parade, but you don’t have to go very far to enjoy one.
Penfield’s Independence Day Parade will be held Saturday July 3, beginning at 10 a.m. It steps off at Penfield High School, proceeds south on Five Mile Line Road to Route 441, east on Route 441 to Baird Rd., and north on Baird Rd. to end at the Penfield Community Center.
The town is dedicating the parade to all the people who helped the town’s resisdents make it through a very difficult 2020, and who may still be helping them cope. Help came in many forms during the pandemic: physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, financial and more.
Penfield residents who wish to contribute a name, or names, to the banner may submit them on the Town of Penfield website at www.penfield.org. Names may also be submitted via phone at (585) 340-8655, option 0. The audience at Penfield’s Independence Day will also have the opportunity to add their heroes’ names to the banner as it is walked through the parade.
The banner will be displayed in a prominent location after the Independence Day festivities, so the heroes can be recognized beyond the holiday.
Here’s this month’s Webster Museum History Bit:
Now and Then: Webster Baseball
Today’s baseball in Webster differs from the early days in so many ways.
Ball fields are all over town now. There are school fields and town fields and park field and fields owned by philanthropic organizations and pick-up games in empty spaces. There are many varieties of bats, balls, mitts, caps, helmets, uniforms and protective equipment, many of them tossed on grassy fields while players wait their turns.
Nineteenth century Webster baseball teams were loosely organized, equipped with one homemade bat and one hard rubber ball (that’s it!) and used the underhand swift pitch. Games were played on borrowed private property for at least ten years before the first organized high school game was played in 1888. Since then, Webster has fielded many excellent school teams and a number of players who went on to careers in professional baseball.
In the 1890s local businessmen organized teams and rented land now bounded by Lapham Park, Park Ave., Dunning Ave. and Elm Street. They fenced it and added a grandstand and ticket office. Uniformed and equipped, the teams from the town and from Nine Mile Point played teams from Rochester, Brockport, Parma and Penfield.
I love living in the Village of Webster. The people are friendly, the streets are extremely walkable, there are parks within walking distance, and great restaurants and pubs just around the corner. We live on a street, but feel like we are part of a neighborhood.
Saturday (June 12) was a great example of what’s to love about Webster. For starters, that afternoon our Park Ave. neighbor Doug Pucci hosted his second annual Village Block Party, featuring two food trucks and a free concert by his Red Hot and Blue Band, playing from Pucci’s spacious porch.
Everyone in the village was invited, and more than 100 answered the call. Adults spread their quad chairs across the lawn and closed-off street and listened to the music, or stood in small groups visiting with neighbors. Children chalked in the street, played with bubbles and danced in the grass.
It was the perfect opportunity for long-time neighbors to reconnect after a long pandemic. It was also a chance for new residents to meet their new neighbors and start to to know the feeling that they are part of the village community.
It was the quintessential village experience.
The lemonade sales force: Emilio Martinez, Owen Knapp and Will Brunswick
The home office
Earlier in the day, I was riding my bike and happened upon a woman setting up chairs and a table in the lawn of the apartment complex near my house. She was taping some kind of sign onto the table. Curious (and being who I am), I stopped to find out what was going on.
Her name was Jennifer Martinez, and she explained that she was setting up the table for her son and his friends, who were going to hold a Free Lemonade stand later that afternoon.
Apparently every year since her son Emilio was very young, Jennifer’s mother Gail had held a garage sale. And every year during that sale, Emilio would set up a lemonade stand. This year, Gail wasn’t able to hold her sale, so Jennifer suggested that Emilio simply set up his stand outside their home instead.
In years past, Emilio had charged for his lemonade. But not this year. When I asked Jennifer about that, she said that the idea to hand out the lemonade for free was “just to be kind.” Then, after giving it a bit of thought, she added, “It’s nice to be among people again.”
Emilio and his fellow business owners Will Brunswick and Owen Knapp, all 7th-grade friends at Spry Middle School, were enthusiastic lemonade hawkers, even though they weren’t earning any cold, hard cash. They stood out on the sidewalk yelling “free lemonade!” to all the cars driving by on busy South Ave, and any time a biker, walker or runner got within 50 yards of the table, one of them (usually Owen, wearing a flag cape), would chase them down “selling” their wares at full volume.
At first the salesmen were only getting a lot of honks and waves from passing cars. But while I was there (getting my free lemonade), they were able to wave down a passing FedEx delivery truck, whose driver gratefully accepted the refreshment. And if yelling to someone didn’t work, they would take the lemonade to their customers, at one point skittering across South Ave., two-fisting cups of lemonade, to deliver them to people who were setting up for the block party.
The highlight of the day was probably when the boys were able to attract the attention of a passing police car. The officer didn’t stop, but she did come back a few minutes later and invited another colleague to join her. So at one point two Webster police officers were standing at the table enjoying some lemonade.
The kids even earned a little money after all. Some patrons couldn’t resist throwing a dollar on the table, and one family brought them some fresh-picked strawberries.
A friendly neighbor who didn’t mind at all a random stranger stopping to chat. Free lemonade and kids having fun doing something other than sitting in front of a screen. Just two more things I love about village life.
Two of the boys’ favorite customers
Jennifer handing out a free lemonade
Owen, Emilio, Jennifer and Will with Jennifer’s parents Gail and Rich
If you live in or near the village, you may remember the Village Block Party held back in September on Park Ave. The event was hosted by The Red Hot and Blue Band, who set up on the porch of RHB band member Doug Pucci, who lives at the corner of Park Ave. and South Ave.
The band played for three straight hours, while community members sat around and listened (socially distanced of course), and children danced and made chalk drawings in the middle of the closed-off street. It was a much-needed and greatly appreciated respite from the depths of the pandemic.
Well, the Village Block Party is back again this year, and it’s going to be even better.
On Saturday June 12, Webster community members are all invited to come together to enjoy the rockin’ sounds of the Red Hot and Blue Band, beginning at 3 p.m. And bring some cash, too, because this time the party will feature two food trucks, Terry’s Tips and Beef and Netsins Ice Cream.
Aside from the food trucks, there’s no charge for this event. Just bring your quad chairs and join your neighbors for an afternoon of good music and good food. It all happens on Park Ave. between South Ave. (Rt. 250) and Lapham Park.
This week’s Friends of the Webster Public Library Pop-up Book Sale has become a Bring-Your-Own-Bag Book Sale!
On Thursday June 10 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., bring your bag to the library and fill it with gently used books for just $4. It’s an inexpensive way to stock your personal library for a summer-full of great reading for you and your family.
The sale will be held in the Webster Publc Library parking lot, at the rear of Webster Plaza, 980 Ridge Rd. All monies raised will go to support library initiatives.
Don’t forget about this weekend’s WebsterSummer Celebration, returning on Saturday June 12 to the Webster Recreation Center.
From 5 to 10 p.m., the whole family is invited to come out for dinner and snacks from some great food trucks (including Wraps on Wheels, Nancy’s Fried Dough, Effortlessly Healthy, Bay Vista Taqueria and Seabreeze Catering and Hot Sauce), while enjoying some great live music.
Festivities will conclude at 9:45 with a fireworks display. For more information, especially about parking for the fireworks, please visit the Webster Parks and Recreation webpage.
This Saturday also maks the opening of the Joe Obbie Farmers’ Market.
This blurb from the market’s Facebook page seems to indicate that exciting changes are in store:
Things are lining up for what we believe to be one of our biggest and best market years ever. We are happy to announce that the market has grown with new vendors being added. We are pleased to see many old faces return as well. And also very pleased to announce the addition of a food truck and a possible lemonade truck.
The market is located in Webster Towne Center plaza, in front of Old Navy and near the gazebo. It’s open every Saturday through November from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Several Village of Webster shops will be holding a sidewalk sale next week on Friday June 18 and Saturday June 19. Take a stroll through the village, pick up some bargains and visit with with some of our very friendly small business owners.
The shops that will be participating in the sidewalk sale include Lala of Webster, Nest Things, The North Bee, Yesterday’s Muse Books, and the Village Quilt Shoppe.
In anticipation of some beautiful summer weather and an influx of downtown visitors, the Village of Webster’s Main Street is looking spiffy.
Up and down the street, flower beds have been planted with hundreds of annuals which already look nice, but will be spectacular once they’ve had a chance to grow.
Things are looking especially flower-ful in front of Village Hall, where Village Clerk Heather Halstead has been coordinating several planting projects, the results of which can be seen in these photos she’s provided. Before long, some luxuriant light-pole hanging baskets will be added to the display, so the entire village will be bursting with color.
I think the effect is charming.
That charm continues into the evening as well. I love that the trees up and down Main Street still sparkle after dark. This might be the first year the Village chose not to remove the white twinkly lights after winter (I can’t remember). In any case, I love them and they give our village a very welcoming, small-town feel.
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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