By Kate Bartlett
This year marks the 7th annual Ellicottville Lacrosse Festival this weekend, Saturday, September 20-Sunday September 21st 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 as a way to celebrate the sport of lacrosse for the love of the game, not strictly competition. 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. Mike was familiar with Ellicottville and its captivating scenery, and Ryan was sold on the town after spending a weekend enjoying the local food, drinks and charm of the community. “We both loved Ellicottville after that weekend and it’s been great hosting here year after year,” says Ryan. “The location is incredible with great views and the community is always so welcoming; we always have a great time.”
Upon inception, the festival was geared towards an older crowd of lacrosse players, attracting a large amount of 21+ teams; however, there’s been a shift in recent years towards younger teams. This year, the majority of teams are of elementary and high school age, with 45+ teams. “It’s interesting to watch this shift over the years,” remarks Ryan. “We’re still pleased with the turnout and will be welcoming 40 teams from across the North East.”
The festival attracts hundreds of players from across the North East, including Cleveland, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo and several teams from Canada. Teams take the fields on Saturday and Sunday, with the majority of games on Sunday this year. The festival will feature a small vendor village with food trucks and lacrosse apparel both days, as well as live music from Rex Lions and the Ripcords on Saturday night.
The weekend is truly about celebrating the love of the sport, rather than the competition. “We really want players (and the crowd) to enjoy playing for the sake of playing, not winning. It allows a much more laid-back atmosphere and a certain level of calmness. It’s about getting people together to enjoy the sport.”
Ryan grew up near Watertown, NY and has been playing lacrosse since he was 3 years old. He attended Syracuse University where he played lacrosse and won a national championship. He went on to play 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 with excellent customer service.
Mike also shares a passion for lacrosse and has been playing for many years. He coaches many teams and participates in at least 3 tournaments a year. His son, Blaze, recently won a gold medal for Team USA in the 2023 World Games at 29 years old, and is considered one of the top lacrosse players in the world.
For more information visit https://www.ellicottvilleny.com/events/ellicottville-lacrosse-festival-2023/ and https://www.rhinolacrosse.com/ or email info@upstatelacrosse.com. Follow on social media for event updates and future announcements.
Caption: The festival was founded by Mike Riorden and Ryan Powell as a way to celebrate the sport of lacrosse for the love of the game, not strictly competition. 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. Mike was familiar with Ellicottville and its captivating scenery, and Ryan was sold on the town after spending a weekend enjoying the local food, drinks and charm of the community.