-By Jessica Schultz-
The leaves are changing from green to autumn fire and that can only mean cider, pumpkins and fall celebrations. Make your way down to Jefferson Street Park in Salamanca, NY on September 30th or October 1st & 2nd for the 44th Annual Falling Leaves Festival. This event has been ongoing since 1979 and after a brief hiatus due to Covid, is back and better than ever.
The Falling Leaves Festival is a perfect way not just to enjoy the beautiful fall foliage but also to experience some Seneca culture. There will be many arts and crafts booths displaying and selling traditional handmade items like beadwork and woven baskets. There will also be a large variety of food stalls offering tasty items like Italian sausage, lemonade, fresh cut fries and so much more….
There is a great line up of line musical performances you don’t want to miss. On Friday, September 30th from 12-5pm, DJ J.D. Gardener will have some great “Rez Road Sounds” going and from 7-9pm, The Hootz will be playing live. Saturday, October 1st, from 11-5pm, DJ J.D. Gardener will again be queuing up “Rez Road Sounds”, from 4-6pm the Happy Days Duo will be live in the tent followed by the ever-popular Uncle Ben’s Remedy from 7-9pm. Sunday, there isn’t any live music but the “Grand Parade” begins at 1pm and you definitely don’t want to miss that.
Besides the musical lineup, there is also some great things to see. On Saturday, October 1st, to kick off the day there will be a great charity walk for Cystic Fibrosis at 10am, Taylor Skinner will be doing an “Ariel Performance” from 1-1:30pm. Artist Eric Jones will be offering FREE caricatures on both Saturday from 12-4pm and Sunday from 11-2pm. The Seneca Youth Dancers will be showing traditional dances on Saturday from 3-4pm. And the “Minute to Win It” game will be in the tent on Saturday from 1:30-2:30pm.
This is a family friendly event and boasts a variety of activities for the whole family to enjoy. There will be carnival rides daily. Sept 30th from 5-8pm, Oct 1st from 12-8pm and Oct. 2nd from 12-7pm. And guess what, they are FREE. No tickets necessary for these rides. Saturday will also have a bounce house, petting zoo, face painting stand and a balloon animal maker for the younger members of the household.
And don’t forget to check the surrounding businesses for awesome sales and entertainment as well. Ellicottville Cannabis Club, right down on main street will definitely be celebrating. Owner J.D. Newark said they will have a DJ, be grilling up hot dogs to sell, and guitarist Dan Blout will be rocking out during the festival there as well and be sure to check out their festival sales and promotions.
The 44th Annual Falling Leaves Festival is an event you don’t want to miss. There is something for everyone to enjoy. So don’t forget to head down to Jefferson Park in Salamanca, NY on Sept. 30th, Oct. 1st or Oct. 2nd to join in all the fun. More information can be found at facebook.com/SalamancaSenecaFallFest