By, Carol Fisher-Linn
1976! Ahh, it was a very good year! No better time to turn an antique art fest into a Fall Fest!
Were you there? If you are in your late fifties or more, you might remember it. Kids in school were wearing red, white, and blue to celebrate America’s 200th year! I suppose our kiddoes were wearing those colors when they wandered the two blocks of the village where the festival was held. My boys had matching red, white and blue star crochet vests that their grandmother made for them and, surely, I had them wearing them for something like this (easy identification!) They humored me. Funny thing, there were no crowds. Last week, my husband and I had a fun conversation with Larry Tocha (Five Points), who was friends with Dennie Signore who brought the art and antique show down from Holiday Valley that year. In reminiscing about the first event, we recalled it was like a community gathering we might remember at our home churches when we were kids. Everyone literally knew everyone.
Picture this: My children were 11, 9, and 6.5. I was able to take them, cut them loose to join their friends with an admonition to meet mom back at the Red Apple cider stand at an appointed hour. Of course, I could see the entire area so I knew where they were; we were among neighbors and friends and remember, everyone knew everybody and looked out for everyone’s kids. Were there hundreds of people? Surely. Thousands? Not in 1976.
It was not until the 1980’s that Ellicottville experienced her “boom.” It was then that the village began seeing a surge in tourism and more importantly, real estate interest bringing in buyers from WNY, Ohio and Canada. Indeed, Canadian investments were a huge thing, continuing well into the following decades. (Thank you, Canadians!) Then commercial industry evolved into tourism. Historically, Ellicottville was a farming, lumber community with metal/manufacturing plants. Of course, by then Holiday Valley and HoliMont were no longer fledgling resorts, bringing in lots of visitors, and adding hugely to the local Ellicottville economy. (Thank you, Holiday Valley, and HoliMont!)
BTW, here’s an old story assured to be fact – in 1976 we had enough Canadian visitors coming to Ellicottville that it seemed logical to time the Fall Festival with Canadian Thanksgiving which is always the second Monday in October. Friends were coming across the border and staying for an extended three-day holiday in what was still called “Ellicottville” – we weren’t known as EVL until the late 90’s.
We may have had our Bavarian Oompah band on a flatbed trailer with players dressed in lederhosen, but on the streets, we had our own look. Now you may not have seen anyone in town wearing an Elvis styled V-neck sequined jumpsuit but you were sure to see high-waisted wide flared bell-bottoms, big decorative belts, Earth shoes, and crochet shoulder bags. I had big hair: my daughter had a Dorothy Hamill wedge cut. My eldest son had a longer surfer look, my “middlest” had his own form of blonde Afro, but you might see a Mullet, and men sporting thick sideburns or handlebar moustaches.
For car lovers, the event featured an antique auto car show, commemorated with special event brass/metal plaques dated October 10, 1976. I found one on EBay the other day listed at about $46. No verification here, merely musing, but one wonders if Gladys (named for Elvis’ mom), the 1955 Cadillac parked in front of Cadillac Jacks for years was in that car show. The “fable” goes that Elvis drove into town in the dead of a winter night to learn to ski at The Valley. Alas, The King crashed and burned. Embarrassed and in no condition to drive back to Memphis, he laid low at Alpine Pete’s and upon leaving, Elvis gifted his pink Cadillac to the owner, “Alpine” Pete Chudzik and hopped on a Bluebird bus back to Memphis. So, the story goes. (wink, wink). I am told people still miss dancing in their ski boots at Pete’s.
Ahh, the old days. What fun memories. Now come, there are plenty of memories to make at our legendary Fall Festival for your own next few generations. You might even want to find your ‘70’s duds (or lederhosen pants) and have a grand time. You’ll be pleased to learn there is public parking in the village. Just follow the signs. Pets are discouraged. When you see the crowds, you’ll understand. Thank you first to Heidi Rounds and then to the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce for taking on this festival. More information is on their website, www.ellicottvilleny.com.
Enjoy the weekend, make some memories and send in your photos: www.thevillagerny.com, click the “General Submissions” tab.