Ellicottville's Summer Music Festival 2011

Written for The Villager

   Even though summer technically started on the 21^st, the summer season really begins with Ellicottville Summer Music Festival. This year’s festival starts on Thursday, June 30^th and runs until Sunday, June 3^rd, giving you the perfect way to celebrate the holiday weekend.

   This music-filled weekend is sure to excite everyone’s musical taste buds. The eclectic mixture coming to Ellicottville will definitely be one to talk about. The genres covered throughout the four-day festival will have all the crowds singing to their favorite songs, maybe even introducing people to some new favorites they’ve never heard before.

   “This year, we literally have something for everyone, including families, the over-40 crowd and even younger, edgier audiences,” said Brian McFadden, the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce president.

   The festival weekend starts a day early this year on Thursday as Sudden Urge – Gettin’ Down with Dance & Disco –ushers in the festival from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. as part of the free Ellicottville Gazebo Series. Then on Friday, July 1^st, the festival will move down to Holiday Valley’s Main Stage where it will welcome Rusted Root at 8 p.m.

Starry Night in the Garden: Three stars come to rock the Botanical Gardens

Written for The Villager

   Do you ever dream of a sitting outside at night as the stars light the sky and beautiful plants surround you as you listen to great music? Well, you don’t have to keep dreaming about it too much longer. Star 102.5 and The Buffalo Botanical Gardens are making your dreams come true June 29.

   The gates will open for Starry Night in the Garden 6 p.m., but the night really gets started once Secondhand Serenade’s John Vesely wows the crowd around 6:15 p.m.

   After Vesely, Michelle Branch will perform, followed by the headliner Hanson.

   Some of you may be shocked by the line up because Christina Perri was to perform but had to cancel on Tuesday because of a vocal cord injury. However, Star 102.5 was able to keep a great show going with Grammy Award-winner Michelle Branch.

Parkview Supermarket: Feel like family while you shop!

Written for The Villager

   For the past 49 years, one establishment in particular has been making you feel at home in Salamanca, and Joel Talbot has been a huge force driving that feeling.

   “I want to make everyone feel like family … We really do have a family atmosphere here,” said Talbot, store manager of Parkview Supermarket.

   A life-long resident of Salamanca, Talbot has worked for Parkview for over 37 years. At 17 years old, Talbot started out in the meat department and became the meat manager for 34 years, eventually moving up to store manager for a little over a year now.

2nd Annual Roger Tory Peterson Institute Birding Festival

Written for The Villager

   Like to hear great songs? Like to be outside? Well this summer fall in love with a different kind of “song.” This year the Roger Tory Peterson Institute in Jamestown, N.Y. will be holding its third Birding Festival this June 9 through June 12 exploring the wonderful world of warblers, a songbird living right in our local area.

   For its third annual Birding Festival, the Roger Tory Peterson Institute (RTPI) has switched things up for this year’s birding days.

   Instead of just having activities for ornithology enthusiasts, RTPI has planned activities for families and beginners in the study of ornithology, said Jim Berry, 15-year president of RTPI.

   Berry said that for this year’s festival, the Institute is preparing for 200 people, the most the Institute would have ever had at the festival.