By Kate Bartlett
Sunday, September 21 marks the 8th annual Ellicottville Lacrosse Festival at Chamber Field near Holiday Valley and Town Park in the Village. The festival is a collaboration between Powell Lacrosse Company and the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce and has attracted hundreds of lacrosse players and fans to the area throughout the past 7 years.
The festival was founded by Mike Riorden and Ryan Powell in 2018 as a way to celebrate the sport. The two lacrosse players met at a festival in Rochester, bonded over their passion for the sport and became inspired to put together their own festival. “We both loved Ellicottville and saw the opportunity to host an awesome lacrosse festival here. It’s been great hosting here year after year,” says Ryan. “The location is incredible with great views and great vibes. The community is always so welcoming and it sets the scene for an incredible festival.”
This year, all games will be held on Sunday, September 21 starting at 9am with the last game starting at 4pm. The festival attracts hundreds of players from across the North East, including Cleveland, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo and several teams from Canada. Games will be played at 2 fields, Chamber Field near Holiday Valley and Town Park in the Village.
starting at 9am with the last game starting at 4pm. The festival
attracts hundreds of players from across the North East,
including Cleveland, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo and several
teams from Canada. Games will be played at 2 fi elds,
Chamber Field near Holiday Valley (pictured) and Town Park
in the Village.
The festival is truly a celebration of the sport, in friendly competition. “It’s not a championship format” explains Ryan. We aim to bring people together to play the sport during the off season in a low stress environment. We want people to play to enjoy the sport, not for the win.” The festival has gained momentum with steady participation since its inception. “We’ve built a good reputation and we enjoy hosting these teams year after year.”
In years past, the festival was two days and included men’s grand master’s teams; however, there’s been a shift in recent years towards younger teams. This year, all teams are of elementary and high school age, with 30 teams spanning 5th grade to High School Varsity. “It’s interesting to watch this shift over the years,” remarks Ryan. “We’re still pleased with the turnout and are looking forward to welcoming the men’s teams back next year.”
Ryan and Powell Lacrosse are partnering with Premier Lacrosse League to help grow the festival in 2026, bringing more opportunities and expecting to double their participation. Next year it is planned that the festival will offer professional clinicals as well as an adult (men’s and women’s) tournament with Happy LAX, an event with Premier Lacrosse League currently only offered in Saratoga. “We’re really excited about growing this festival and bringing more opportunities to the area,” says Ryan. Further details will be announced next year, but the festival is planned for the same weekend in September.
Ryan has been pleased with the growth of the festival over the years. “It’s a great weekend celebrating this incredible sport,” says Ryan. Both share a passion for the sport and are enthusiastic about sharing this passion with others. Ryan played professional lacrosse for 12 years, playing with the Buffalo Bandits and as captain for Team USA Olympic style team. A career highlight was leading this team to the gold medal in 2010. Ryan also owns a Lacrosse equipment company, Powell Lacrosse, selling high quality sticks and jerseys.
For more information visit ellicottvilleny.com, email info@upstatelacrosse.com and follow on social media for event updates and future announcements.