Tag Archives: Webster Recreation Center

The Parade of Pumpkins keeps getting better

25 Oct

Kudos to the hard-working folks at the Webster Recreation Center for hosting another amazing Pumpkins on Parade Saturday night.

If you missed it, you’re clearly among the few in our town who did. I stopped by early for about an hour, and when I left at around 7:45 (only 45 minutes after the “official” start of the event), the line of kids, moms, dads, and grandparents stretched halfway down the Rec Center’s long driveway. I’ve been covering the parade since it began in 2020, and in all those years I can’t recall ever seeing it that busy.

It helped a lot that the weather was amazing — not too cold, not windy, and definitely not raining, like it was last year. It was nothing short of miserable last year. (I suspect that many of the families who were there last night were making up for staying home last year.) A recent Recreation Center Facebook post reported that attendance was close to 5,000 people. It also said that there were about 800 jack-o-lanterns this year — 400 created by community members and another 400 from Rec Center staff members — which was definitely a record.

That huge crowd enjoyed not only good weather, but a greatly expanded series of decorations and lights and scary stuff standing and hanging along the trail … in addition, of course, to the 800 creative jack-o-lanterns that lined the trail and led the way.

There were inflatable ghosts and witches, lots of sheet-draped ghosts hanging in the trees, colorful paper lanterns, twinkly lights along the bridge railings and a photo-opp area. But my favorite new attraction was the extensive, brightly illuminated woodland scene tucked back off the trail (check the photo gallery to see what I mean).

And of course, at the end of the trail (after you walked through the haunted house), Rec Center staff and volunteers were handing out donuts, apples and cider, and families enjoyed games, a hay-bale maze, rolly slide, another photo opp area, and more. There were even vendors. I was especially delighted, by the way, to see all of the families — including moms and dads — who dressed in constume for the occasion.

As usual, I took lots of photos, especially of my favorite jack-o-lanterns. If you’d like to see the whole Facebook gallery, click here. And if you don’t have Facebook, click here.

Well done, Rec Center. Well done.

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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 10/25/2026)

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Webster community mailbag

20 Oct

As the leaves are just beginning to fall with conviction, both the Town and Village of Webster are ramping up their leaf pick-up schedules.

Here’s the information in a nutshell for the town, taken from the Town of Webster website:

Leaf pick-up began last Friday, with limited crews on the west side of town (Zone 1). It will proceed through five zones (in numerical order) toward southeastern Webster and the county line. How quickly they get through all the zones will depend on the weather conditions and how many leaves have fallen. Subsequent rounds will be completed as necessary.

The town hasn’t yet published a date when they expect to complete the collection. You can check the Town website for updates. You can also check the map to see which zone you’re in.

The Village of Webster leaf collection is also underway. Crews will take regular passes through the village until the beginning of December, or until the first heavy snowfall, whichever comes first.

For both the town and village collections, please remember:

  • Place leaves at the edge of your lawn
  • Please do not place leaves in the roadway, gutters, or drainage ditches
  • Do not bag the leaves
  • Do not place brush, rocks, wood, plastic, or other foreign material with your leaves

Books and flowers

A reminder that the Friends of the Webster Public Library will host their next Book Sale from Oct. 21 through 24.

The sale begins on Wednesday, Oct. 21 from 4 to 7 p.m., open to members of the Friends. A Vintage Book Sale will also be held at this time for the general public. The sale opens up to everyone on Thursday Oct. 22 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday Oct. 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday Oct. 24 from 10 a.m. to noon. On Friday and Saturday you can fill a bag with books for just $5.

Plus, the Friends will also be selling Kittelberger’s Bouquet Cards, from Oct. 21 through Nov. 3. 

Drug Take-Back Event

Webster Health and Education Network (WHEN) will host a DEA National Drug Take-Back event on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Webster Town Court, 1002 Ridge Rd. This will be a drive-through event so you don’t even have to get out of your car. Registration is not required, but if you register you’ll get a reminder via email about the event. You can register and get more details here.

The event is being held in partnership with the Town of Webster and the Webster Police Department. Its goal is to help residents prevent the misuse of potentially dangerous unused, unwanted, or expired prescription and over-the-counter medications by safely disposing of them.

WHEN is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization serving Webster families for 30 years. Research shows that the longer a young person waits before trying drugs or alcohol, the less likely they are to become addicted later in life. WHEN works to delay, decrease, and prevent substance use by underage youth.

From the Webster Recreation Center

There’s always so many great events going on at the Webster Recreation Center (including this weekend’s Pumpkins on Parade) that I really can’t easily mention them all, but here are a few highlights in the next few weeks:

The first is a visit by CarFit on Monday, Oct. 26. CarFit is a free educational program developed by the American Society on Aging, in collaboration with AARP and the American Occupational Therapy Association.

Trained volunteers will be on site to offer older adults the opportunity to check how well their personal vehicles “fit” them and provide guidelines to enhance their safety as drivers. It takes about 20 minutes and looks at things like adjustments to your car’s mirrors, steering wheels, seats, etc., to maximize safety.

The event will be held from 12:30 to 3 p.m. in the smaller parking lot adjacent to the Rec Center, 1350 Chiyoda Drive. There’s no charge and no appointment is necessary. Just drop in.

Craft show to benefit WSPS

The Webster Association of Senior Program Supporters (WSPS) is hosting an indoor craft sale on Saturday Nov. 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr. They’re expecting more LOTS OF vendors, so make sure to add this one to your holiday shopping calendar.

WSPS is a group of volunteers who provide transportation for retirees and disabled residents who live within the Webster School District. They help residents get to and from medical and dental appointments, and provide rides to pharmacies, banks, barbers, hairdressers and tax preparation services. Let’s all stop by and support their efforts.

And this looks like fun.

On Friday, Nov. 13, everyone is a suspect when the Rec Center hosts a Murder Mystery Dinner Party, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

$30 per person includes a chicken parmesan dinner and interactive murder mystery “mayhem.” Click here to register for this 55+ activity.

… and stuff from the museum

The Webster Museum is pleased to again offer 12 Months of Flowers cards from Kittelberger Florist!  Purchase a “12 Months of Flowers” card at the museum for $50 between November 23 and December 12, and receive one bouquet, each month, for 12 consecutive months.

Bouquets must be picked up each month at Kittelberger Florist, 263 North Ave, Webster. Kittelberger cards can be purchased from any museum volunteer, or during museum open hours: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 2 to 4:30 p.m. and during the Village of Webster Winter Wonderland celebration on Saturday, December 5 from 2 to 6 p.m. Payment is by cash or check only; checks must be made payable to Webster Museum.

Speaking of the museum, they’re starting to plan for this year’s Tree Festival, also held in conjunction with Winter Wonderland festivities on Dec. 5.

Museum volunteers are currently taking sign ups to decorate one of their 20 miniature Christmas trees, which are distributed throughout the museum for the holiday season. You can sign up as a community organization, a school group, a family or just yourself. Trees and lights are provided. Creativity and ornaments are up to you.

Visitors to the museum will be voting on their favorites, and prizes will be awarded. The museum is also looking for musical groups to perform during the festival. If you’d like to decorate a tree or volunteer your musical talents for this much anticipated event at the Webster Museum please call Gwen Hoffman @ 585-738-6221.

Still speaking of the Museum…

On Saturday, Nov. 7, elementary school-aged children are invited to hear a story and learn a bit of history from Mrs. Nesbitt, a retired elementary school teacher. Mrs. Nesbitt will lead a discussion about the historic one-room school house located at the back of the museum, and teach children about communication methods over the years, including the telephone.

The event happens on Saturday, Nov. 7 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the museum, 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster. Parents must remain in the museum during the activities.

Women’s Club announces November meeting

Kathy Miller from Seniors Helping Seniors will be the featured speaker at the next meeting of the Women’s Club of Webster, scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 19 at Proietti’s Restaurant, 980 Ridge Rd., Webster. Kathy will speak about how her agency provides non-medical care to seniors by employing active seniors to assist others with daily tasks, companionship and transportation.

Social time begins at 11:15 a.m., followed by a business meeting at noon, lunch at 12:30 p.m. and Kathy’s presentation at 1 p.m. Lunch will feature a variety of pizzas, salad, beverages and dessert. Cost is $22. Please mail your check by Nov. 5, made out to the Women’s Club of Webster, to Kim Tauriello, 303 Phillips Rd., Webster, 14580.

New members are always welcome, and warm camaraderie is included at no 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).

(posted 10/20/2026)

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The pumpkins are parading again

17 Oct

One of my favorite events of the entire Webster year, Pumpkins on Parade, is returning to the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr., on Saturday Oct. 24 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, lawn games, a family photo area, and for the kids, a hay maze, roller slide and more. And it’s ALL FREE. There’s also a shorter path for children and seniors.

The wide variety of designs will blow you away. There are lots of ghosts and witches, bats and spiders, but the kids will also 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 always lots of special light up elements, and in previous years there’s been a (not-so-scary) haunted house and a witch at her cauldron. It’s all just super cool. In short, this is a great FREE activity for kids of all ages. And did I mention free cider and donuts??? With any luck, the weather will be a bit better this year — you may remember that last year was rather windy, rainy and stinky.

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BUT the success of this event depends on community participation. The Webster Recreation Center needs several hundred carved pumpkins to make the walk amazing, an there are two ways you can help with that.

The first is by being part of a Family Carving Night on Friday, Oct. 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Rec Center. Bring the whole family and carve a pumpkin for the display. All supplies, plus pizza and water, will be provided. Cost is $5 per person, and registration is required. Click here and enter program #3012208-A to secure your spot.

If you don’t want to join that fun time, you can make some jack-o-lanterns at home, then drop them off at the Rec Center Friday, Oct. 23 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. or Saturday, Oct. 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Every submitted carved pumpkin will earn an entry into a drawing for a Halloween-themed basket from Diamond Collision. Then make sure to come back Saturday night for the parade and look for your creations!

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. 24 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 10/17/2026)

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Webster community mailbag

7 Oct

Got a packed mailbag today; Webster’s a busy place in the autumn.

Halloween fun for your doggy friends

Woofs Canine Club and Indoor Dog Park is sponsoring a Halloween Fun Run on Monday, Oct. 12 at Charles Sexton (North Ponds) Park to benefit local pet rescues.

For just $10 you’ll enjoy a dance party, kids’ activities, a dog costume parade, adoption event, raffles, and a one-mile community fun run.

It all happens on Monday Oct. 12 from 2 to 6 p.m. Check the flier for details. Register early for just $10, because the price goes up to $15 on the day of the event.

More community office hours

Join Town Supervisor Scialdone and other Webster representatives to talk about the local issues that matter most to you. The next scheduled Community Office Hours are Wednesday, Oct. 14 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Webster Town Board Room, 1002 Ridge Rd.; and Monday, Oct. 26 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Town Board Room.

If you can’t make it to this one, no sweat; they’re scheduled regularly. Note that there is no formal presentation at these events. It’s just your chance to hang out with the Supervisor, ask your questions and present your concerns. You don’t have to register; just show up.

Chamber events

The Webster Chamber of Commerce’s next Eat, Drink, & Connect event is Wednesday, October 14, hosted by Howard Hanna – Webster (1930 Empire Boulevard, Suite 200). Registration is required.

Also, the Chamber is collecting hats, mittens, scarves, gloves, and socks for Webster HOPE. You can drop items at the Chamber office (1110 Crrosspointe Lane, Suite C, Webster), or order them on Amazon and have them shipped directly to the Chamber. Just search for “bulk” hats and mittens and “bulk” socks.

Women’s Club announces October meeting

The next meeting of the Women’s Club of Webster will be held Thursday, Oct. 15 at Bill Gray’s Restaurant, 964 Ridge Rd.

Tracy Dennis, Benefits Counselor for the Webster Community Chest, will be the featured speaker. Tracy will talk about the Community Chest’s mission and activities that address the needs of our Webster neighbors experiencing emergencies and food insecurity. 

Social time begins at 11:15 a.m., followed by a business meeting at noon, lunch at 12:30 p.m. and Tracy’s presentation at 1 p.m.  Attendees can choose one of two lunch options, a cheeseburger or grilled chicken sandwich. Side dishes will include tater tots, macaroni salad, coffee, soda and dessert. Cost is $20. Please mail your check by Oct. 8, made out to the Women’s Club of Webster, to Mary Malone, 606 Galbro Circle, Webster, 14580. 

New members are always welcome.

What’s happening at the library?

Lots of stuff happening at the Webster Public Library in October, of course.

For starters, their annual Trick or Treat Event will be Friday, Oct. 16 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Families are welcome, and costumes are encouraged. No registration is required.

Here are some other highlights this month

  • Drop-in LEGO fun for kids and families, Friday Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All ages are welcome and no registration is required.
  • Halloween Dance on Friday Oct. 30 from 10 to 11 a.m. All ages are welcome and no registration is required.
  • The Make-it Monday craft night is Oct. 19 from 6 to 7 p.m. This month’s craft is a fall button and puzzle piece art. For grades 4-12 and adults. Registration is required.
  • For adults: Un po’ di storia: Rochester’s Italian American Community in Historical Perspective. Tuesday, Oct. 27 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Registration is required.
  • T(w)een Halloween Night, Wednesday Oct. 28, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Activities, treats and more. Consumes are encouraged. For grades 4-12. Registration is required.
  • This month’s Community Exchange is purses and wallets.
  • The October Donation Station will be accepting non-perishable food items for the library’s Free Food Pantry.

Next book sale at the library

The Friends of the Webster Public Library will host their next Book Sale from Oct. 21 through 24.

The sale begins on Wednesday, Oct. 21 from 4 to 7 p.m., open to members of the Friends. A Vintage Book Sale will also be held at this time for the general public.

The sale opens up to everyone on Thursday Oct. 22 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday Oct. 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday Oct. 24 from 10 a.m. to noon. On Friday and Saturday you can fill a bag with books for just $5.

Plus, the ever-popular Kittelberger’s Bouquet Cards will be sold at the library from Oct. 21 through Nov. 3

The pumpkins are back

I’ll be posting a longer blog about this later, but mark your calendars now for the Webster Recreation Center’s annual Pumpkins on Parade, Saturday Oct. 24 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Stroll along the Chiyoda Trail behind the Rec Center through hundreds of illuminated jack-o-lanterns, then finish off your evening with cider and donuts, a hay bale maze, lawn games and more.

And if you REALLY enjoy making jack-o-lanterns, sign up for the Rec Center’s Family Carving Night on Friday, Oct. 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. Registration is only $5 per person, and all carving supplies, pizza and water will be included in the registration.

Clean out your medicine cabinets

Webster Health and Education Network, together with the Town of Webster and the Webster Police Department will host a DEA National Drug Take Back event on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Webster Town Court, 1002 Ridge Rd. (behind Town Hall; look for the blue roof). Clear out your medicine cabinet to help to keep Webster safe. This will be a drive-through event so you don’t even have to get out of your car! 

This is your chance to safely dispose of unused, expired or unwanted medications. Registration is not required, but if you register you’ll get a reminder via email about the event. You can register and get more details here.​

The verrrrrrry popular Village of Webster Trick or Treat Trail will be held ON HALLOWEEN DAY this year, Saturday Oct. 31.

I’ll provide some more details about this soon, but here are the highlights:

  • Costume Contest from 11 a.m. to noon
  • Trick-or-Treat Trail, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Museum Scavenger Hunt and candy-corn-guessing contest
  • Webster Volunteer Fire Dept. open house

Museum Tree Festival

The Webster Museum is starting to plan for this year’s Tree Festival, held in conjunction with the Village of Webster’s Winter Wonderland festivities on Dec. 5.

The Webster Museum is currently taking sign ups to decorate one of their 20 miniature Christmas trees, which are distributed throughout the museum. You can sign up as a community organization, a school group, a family or just yourself. Trees and lights are provided. Creativity and ornaments are up to you.

Visitors to the museum will be voting on their favorites and prizes will be awarded. The museum is also looking for musical groups to perform during the festival. If you’d like to decorate a tree or volunteer your musical talents for this much anticipated event at the Webster Museum please call Gwen Hoffman @ 585-738-6221.

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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 10/7/2026)

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Another delightfully muddy Mud Run

22 Sep
Before the run …
… and after (photo courtesy J. Verna)

I have to say, I was NOT planning to write a follow-up blog to last Saturday’s super incredibly fun Mud Run at the Webster Recreation Center. But then my email and texts started filling up with photos from the event, and as I went through them I knew I needed to share them with you all.

The Mud Run — if you’re still not familiar with it — is an annual half-mile (or so) fun run/walk around the trails in back of the Webster Recreation Center, where participants splash through water, crawl through mud, maneuver through a string maze, clamber over hay bales, hop through tires, and manage a few other obstacles before being engulfed by a huge pile of suds, then sprayed off by the Webster Volunteer Fire Department. The goal for almost everyone, especially the kids, is to get as muddy as possible.

It’s exactly as much fun as it sounds. And (BONUS!) at the end, the Rec Center was handing out fried cakes, apples and t-shirts.

I “ran” the run with my friends Kevin and Denise, but also saw a lot of other friends and neighbors there, including Webster Town Supervisor Alex Scialdone, who gamely muddied himself as well. Denise kept her phone with her through the entire course, which I thought was extremely brave. She took most of the photos you’ll see here, unless otherwise noted.

And of course I wore a tutu.

  • The necessary fire dept. spray-down

This was an incredible family event, and I highly recommend you put it on your calendar for next year. It’s usually scheduled for the third Saturday in September.

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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 9/22/2026)

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A sneak peek at this weekend’s Mud Run

16 Sep

Most of the hay bales are in place, the pits are ready to be muddied, and the excitement is building for this year’s Mud Run, hosted annually by the Webster Recreation Center.

The Mud Run is a a non-competitive, un-timed, less-than-a-mile run/walk through the Recreation Center’s fields and trails. Some of the run will be through water and mud, and there will be some challenging obstacles. (There are ways to get around the mud and obstacles, but what fun is there in THAT?)

My buddy Kevin and I walked the course after our workout on Wednesday morning to see how preparations were going. And since Kevin has done the run the last two years (when I couldn’t), I wanted his help reminding me of some logistics. (He also kindly demonstrated a few of the elements so I could take some photos for the blog.)

Most of the obstacles are the same as I remember from three years ago, when I last participated — there are some climbing things, crawling pits (notably through mud), running-through things. But I’m told that this year the trail has been extended a bit at the end, with more mud and a few more obstacles (don’t worry, it’s still no more than .75-miles long).

Also new since my last time are the inflatables for the kids (there should be at least one there) AND lots and lots of colored foam to run through and play in at the end of the course. And as always, the Webster fire departments will be there to spray you down if you want. (I recommend it for the sake of your car seats. Just bring a few towels.) Plus, remember there’ll be fried cakes and apples at the end of the run, and some vendor and informational tables for you to check out.

What’s really neat about this event is that kids and their adults can do it together. As you can imagine, the kids just love to see their parents (and grandparents, come on!) get down and muddy. I can personally attest that it is tons of fun. (That’s me in the photo, taken by my friend Patty.)

The fun all happens this Saturday morning Sept 19 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr. (off of Phillips). Cost is $5 per person, and the Rec Center would love it if you could register ahead of time so they have an approximate count for the donuts and apples (click here — program 301202-A). But you can show up anytime between 10 and 11:30. You might want to give yourself time to run it twice. It’s that much fun.

And don’t worry if it’s raining. You’re gonna get wet anyway.

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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 9/16/2026)

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Helping young people discover the joy of writing

13 Sep

I just signed up — again — for a fun program offered through the Webster Recreation Center. Unlike most of the programs you’ll find there, it doesn’t involve a whole lot of (well any) physical exertion, but does help some very special young people exercise their minds and practice their writing skills.

It’s the Recreation Center’s annual Pen Pal Program, which invites Webster 55+ folks to become pen pals with Autumn Lane (Greece Elementary School) second graders.

Remember back to the days when we would write letters instead of emails? And, as kids, how excited we got when a letter addressed to us would show up in the mailbox? The Pen-Pal Program provides that thrill for almost two dozen young people.

Here’s how it works:

  • Community members who are interested in participating first sign up through the Webster Recreation Center. Call 585-872-7103 (ext.0) to register.
  • Each participant will be assigned a second-grade student, to whom you’ll write a letter each month (give or take a week or two). The first letters from the students should arrive by the end of September. That’s when you find out who your special pen pal is.
  • Throughout the next several months, you can expect five or six more letters. In the past, my pen pal has written about things like her favorite part of school, her favorite sports, favorite colors and that she DOESN’T like to read. Once I found out about her family’s toothless dog.
  • In May, we all take a trip to Autumn Lane Elementary to meet our second-grade pen pals in person. We have a nice chat, they serve us cookies and juice, and sing songs.
  • We already have a nice cadre of adult pen pals who sign up for the program every year, but I know that the Rec Center would like to have even more adult friends! Remember, you must be committed to this program for an entire year … but it’s really easy and fun.
  • There’s no cost, just your commitment to help some students fall in love with writing.

So please consider joining; you won’t regret it.

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(posted 9/13/2026)

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)

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Don’t miss the Garlic Fest

12 Sep

I spent a little time at the Webster Garlic Fest at the Webster Recreation Center this morning, which was packed with vendors and garlic-loving crowds. As always, I was amazed by the wide selection of crafts and food items, not to mention more varieties of garlic than I ever knew existed.

I was fortunate to be there to see the Garlic King and Queen open the ceremonies, assisted by Webster Town Supervisor Alex Scialdone, and I personally met Count Snackula, the Garlic Fest’s very own garlic-loving vampire.

I couldn’t stay very long, which meant I didn’t have a chance to drop the supervisor into the dunk tank, and I didn’t try out the duck pond game. But I did wander around to check out all the booths and took lots of photos. Some of them are here, but I’ve posted a lot more to a Facebook gallery here. And if you don’t have access to Facebook, you’ll also find them on a Google gallery here.

The Webster Garlic Fest continues Saturday Sept. 12 through 5 p.m., and Sunday Sept. 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s being held at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr. Parking is across the street in the former Xerox parking lot, where free shuttles will be transporting guests back and forth.

Single-day tickets are only $5, and children under 12 are free. Tickets will be available at the door, or if you buy them online ahead of time, you can sail right through the ticket lines.

Proceeds from the Webster Garlic Fest benefit

  • Wreaths Across America: Honoring and remembering veterans resting in local cemeteries on National Wreaths Across America Day, December 19, 2026.
  • Blue Star Mothers ROC NY8 (military families): Building Care Packages for locally deployed service members and helping military families in our area.
  • Gold Star Mothers Rochester (mothers who have lost a child, spouse, sibling, or parent in active duty): Helping community veterans-in-need with meals, resources, and year-round support.

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(posted 9/12/2026)

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).

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Can you help? The Senior Singers need a new director

5 Sep

I’ve written several times about the Senior Singers, an enthusiastic group of older adults who meet once a week at the Webster Recreation Center to sing, socialize and perform community concerts.

For the past many years, this fabulous vocal group has been led by Sylvia Vazzana, who recently decided to retire from that volunteer position. So the Recreation Center is hoping there’s someone out there who’d be interested in taking over.

The commitment is not huge. Right now the group meets every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to noon at the Rec Center. Four times a year they perform a community concert/sing-a-long, featuring Broadway tunes, old standards, and Christmas carols for the holidays. There are currently about 20 to 25 members in the group, and they’re supported by a wonderful accompanist. They have lots of fun, and they love sharing their music with the community. As one member said, “We old folk love to sing!”

The Rec Center would like to find someone as soon as possible to fill the role, especially since the next season is scheduled to start Sept. 15. They’d be happy to work with the new director if the current time and day are a challenge. So if you have any experience leading a chorus, or know someone who’d like more information about this rewarding volunteer opportunity, please email Daphne Geoca, the Recreation Center’s 55+ Coordinator, at dgeoca@ci.webster.ny.us.

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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 9/5/2026)

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Rec Center exhibit commemorates 9/11

2 Sep

This year marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11. In remembrance of that awful day, a very moving exhibit will be visiting the Webster Recreation Center this Friday, Sept. 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

It’s called “America United: The Days After 9/11.” The traveling exhibit was created around portions of two heat-twisted steel beams from the wreckage of the Twin Towers that traveled from New City to Oak Lawn, IL in 2010. The Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn created the exhibit with help from the Genesis Therapy Center.

Community members are invited to stop by the Recreation Center anytime between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to view the exhibit. There’s no admission charge.

The Webster Recreation Center is located at 1350 Chiyoda Dr., just off of Phillips 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 “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 9/2/2026)

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