Locally grown food gets new attention

Written for The Villager

   With a cup of initiative, a dollop of ingenuity and a few pinches of helpful friends, you have the recipe for Elizabeth Bares new countywide initiative to create “Edible Grace.”

   “Edible Grace has the intention of putting fresh, locally grown vegetables and local pasture raised meats into food pantries. Edible Grace would also like to organize cooking classes for food pantry customers as well at the community at large,” said Bares, founder of Edible Grace and co-founder for the Corn Moon Dinner.

Lucille Ball’s birthday bash

Written for The Villager

   For Lucille Ball fans everywhere, this is the right celebration for you. Friday and Saturday, August 6 and 7 is the time to relive and celebrate Lucy, and even Desi’s life.

   Although the celebration is smaller this year, said Sharon Bergstron, the assistant to the executive director, the Lucy-Desi Center still expects a lot of people to come and celebrate Ball’s life. “We hopefully will have just as many people as the other year come.” 

A Family Weekend: Americana Folk Art and Music Fair July 17 and 18

Written for The Villager

   Looking for family fun? Look no further than Ellicottville’s own Main Square and Holiday Valley.

   On Saturday July 17, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. art will fill the area around the town gazebo, as well as demonstrations of many different artistic mediums. Some demonstrations will be about weaving, glass blowing, wood carving, using a saw mill, cooking with shiitake mushrooms, as well as other demonstrations.

Art in nature to be shown at Jamestown Audubon Society

Written for The Villager

   For the third year, the Jamestown Audubon Society is showcasing art in nature for all to see.  July 18 and 19 on the Audubon grounds, people will be able to take in nature’s beauty for only a $5 admission fee.  All proceeds go to the Jamestown Audubon Society.  The art show will be open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

   The art show will feature some of the more usual artistries including, painters, photographers, wood carvers, ceramic artists, print makers and jewelers.  The show will also feature some of the more unique and unusual forms of art, those working with pressed flowers, painting on feathers, bookbinding, fiber artists and many others.

Scandinavia comes to western New York

Written for The Villager

   July 16 -18 Gerry Rodeo Grounds will be transformed into the Ninth Annual Scandinavian Folk Festival celebrating Scandinavian heritage and culture.

   “We’re the only festival like this in the area … from Pittsburg to Toronto, Cleveland to Albany,” said Don Sandy, festival coordinator.

   For three days, 2,500 to 3,000 people will be able to enjoy Scandinavian food, music and most importantly, experience their culture. Throughout the weekend there will be constant musical entertainment provided by many Scandinavian musicians, such as Paul Dahlin and Äkta Spelmän, Smörgåsbandet, Bosse Brewitz who plays the unique Nycklharpa instrument, The Viking Chorus, Nordanvind and Svenska Spelmän.

Mark Wills’ performs at the Second Annual Allegany River Festival

Written for The Villager

   Looking forward to dazzle the Allegany River Festival, Mark Wills, a professional country singer, will perform on July 10.

   Born and raised in Georgia, Wills grew up on a variety of country music that he enjoyed not only listening to, but singing to as well.  Wills really began singing when he was about 8-years-old, but truly entered the music world when he got his first drum set.  “One thing led to another and here we are!” Wills said.

   Not only does he sing and play the drums, but he also plays other instruments.  “(I play) a little piano … I sing and I play guitar and I play drums, but those are probably the three things I do the best,” Wills said. “I shoot guns well, but ya know that’s really not country music.”

Antique and classic boats to dock at Bemus Point

Written for The Villager

   The 13 annual Antique and Classic Boat Show, hosted by the Chautauqua Lake Twin Tier Chapter, will be held Friday July 9 and Saturday July 10.  On the 9, the boats will begin to arrive, but the real show begins Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. and goes until 4:30 p.m.

   The show will feature many different boats from many different manufacturers. Most boats present at the show will have been manufactured by Chris-Craft, “Century boats would probably be the next in numbers, said William (Will) Reynolds III, president of the chapter and founding member. “We hope to get a Hacker or two, a Gar Wood, maybe a Shepherd, Lyman, and then a variety of many makes and models of all those manufacturers, and many others too.”

Buffalo Philharmonic to play with Motown band

Written for The Villager

   This coming holiday weekend, the Old School B-Boys and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing together at the Ellicottville Summer Festival.

   Growing up on Butler Street, the group of five men started their group in commemoration of Butler Street – giving themselves the name The Old School B-Boys.  The B-Boys are a Motown group that play hits from some of the greatest Motown stars, such as The Temptations and The Foundations.