By Delainey Muscato – St. Bonaventure University
Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce (GOACC) constantly displays creativity in the new events they create for the community. Chief Operating Officer (COO) of GOACC, Meme Yanetsko, shared how excited she is for the upcoming festivities and recent business developments in the area.
The newest event has arrived just in time for football season. The GOACC president, Jason Crisafulli, suggested a tailgating event last year. Due to weather concerns and logistics the event was pushed from this past January to October. The first Tailgate Thursday will be held in Lincoln Park in Olean on October 26th from 4:40-8:30pm. The GOACC hopes this event will become an annual thing. It is meant to lift spirits and generate excitement. There is no shortage of Buffalo Bills fans in the area, so the event is sure to be a good time.
With the purchase of tickets for just $35, you will get 10 wings of your choice, two brews of your choice, and entry into one of the two tournaments happening at the event that day. Several restaurants will be donating the wings for this event. Four Mile Brewing Company will be donating the brews for this event, in addition to some non-alcoholic options. Your ticket allows you to participate in one of the tournaments run by The Olean Cornhole Club and the Twin Tiers Disc Golf Association, which are both members of the Chamber. Tickets are on sale now at shop.oleanny.com or at the Chamber office, 301 North Union Street, Olean.
While the first Tailgate Thursday is the only new event planned for now, there are some beloved classics returning in the coming months. The Santa Claus Lane parade is back for its 37th year. Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus will be heading down North Union Street at 6:30pm on November 24th to spread some holiday cheer. This event is an adored tradition to kick off holiday celebrations. Mr. and Mrs. Claus will be lighting thousands of lights through Lincoln Park and downtown Olean. Past parades have been roaring successes including floats, decorated cars, and musical entertainment. Save the date!
Just a week later, on December 8th, the Jingle Bell Jubilee will be taking place in Lincoln Park in downtown Olean. From 4:30-8:30pm, there will be a plethora of activities to enjoy. These activities include a holiday market, carolers, dance groups, raffle drawings, arts and crafts classes, and of course many refreshments. The event started in 2021 and has only expanded since then.
Also, in Lincoln Park a few days later, visit Santa and Mrs. Claus in their new cottage. They will be there from 5:30-7:30pm on December 13th. Their cottage is part of the new renovations at Lincoln Park. Everyone is welcome to tell Santa their Christmas wishes.
These great events come on the heels of some new business developments in the area. A new Chipotle recently opened up on West State Street in Olean and has seen a steady stream of customers since. A WellNow Urgent Care center also just opened down the street. Olean will be seeing a new Hobby Lobby as well as a Starbucks pretty soon.
Meme Yanetsko is excited about all these developments and wanted to stress the importance of local businesses. She said, “Olean’s backbone is in its local retail and restaurants. We encourage our residents/visitors alike to visit all the new ones, but not to forget about our long-standing merchants”. The local community is so important. The connection between businesses, customers, residents, etc. keeps the town afloat and thriving. Yanetsko said, “We all have to think of the community first as we need that to stay strong and growing and to pay attention to areas that may need improvement”.