PORT BYRON - Families casually lined the route, some in folding chairs, others in strollers, along Port Byron's Main Street for the Town of Mentz's annual Heritage Days.
Chet Susslin / The Citizen
RJ Jones, 6, of Port Byron, waves as the Heritage Days parade passes him on Main Street on Friday evening. The Heritage Days celebration continues today.
RJ Jones, 6, of Port Byron, waves as the Heritage Days parade passes him on Main Street on Friday evening. The Heritage Days celebration continues today.
The festival began with a flash of lights at 7 p.m. Friday night as police and fire trucks led a half-hour parade of 26 different groups down Main Street to the American Legion Post 257 building on Mentz Drive.
Port Byron police, first in line, were followed by American Legion Post 257 members carrying the American Flag and the flags of the Post.
Antique fire trucks, including a 1923 Sandburg and Port Byron's “Little Mo” truck, spiced up the line. Fire trucks from Conquest, Montezuma, Port Byron, Savannah and Weedsport showed off their hardware. The Knights of Columbus also rode their own yellow fire truck. Brush trucks, heavy rescue, and tanker pumpers made up the fleet.
Two car clubs, Poor Boys, and Prison City Ramblers, sprinkled antique cars throughout the line, with the All-County ATV club's eight ATVs in the mix.
Candy throwing was supposed to be banned during the parade to keep children from running in the road, but at least three groups threw candy anyway.
Leaona Ames, co-chair of the event and parade organizer, said when the Town of Mentz had its bicentennial celebration, organizers learned the date was wrong date after planning the program.
Town historian Mike Riley admits the error, a typo in the minutes. Original minutes showed 1808, a year later, as the correct date that Mentz was named. So they repeated the celebration the next year, and it caught on, growing ever since.
“Eventually we'll be a big balloon,” Ames said. “It's really going to bloom into something.”
A small carnival with a Ferris wheel and carousel may be added in 2010, when the event is set for July 30 and 31, she said.
After the parade, folks moved over to the large field set up with booths and tents. Nino and Caterina Bartolotta as well as Frank and Lena Misuraca, from Nino's Pizzeria, prepared $1 pizza frites. Lines 25 deep stretched to the Federated Church booth for Kathy Wilt's cheeseburgers and Beth Foster's hot dogs, served by Pat Dubbs and Sharon Strong, the pastor's wife.
“We have the best cheeseburgers in town and the most fun doing it,” Strong said.
Port Byron band musicians went for six flavors of ice cream at the Gelato Cafe at $2.50 a cup. Andrea Baldoni and Suzie Fritz scooped up the stuff. They rotate 24 flavors made at Lewis' Restaurant and sold at a number of venues, including Emerson Park and Burritt's Cafe.
Lewis' booth sold chicken dinners, pulled pork sandwiches, sausage, pepper and onion, and drinks.
Meanwhile, the Prison City Rockers began their 8 p.m. gig with “You're Still the One.”
“We're going to be here many hours 'till the sun goes down and the moon comes out,” they announced.
Little Jack Noga, 4, of Auburn, covered his ears as he ran toward the stage. His dad, Al, knew the band well. He used to do their sound and lights. The rest of the crowd drifted toward the music after getting their food.
Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kathleen.barran@lee.net
Port Byron police, first in line, were followed by American Legion Post 257 members carrying the American Flag and the flags of the Post.
Antique fire trucks, including a 1923 Sandburg and Port Byron's “Little Mo” truck, spiced up the line. Fire trucks from Conquest, Montezuma, Port Byron, Savannah and Weedsport showed off their hardware. The Knights of Columbus also rode their own yellow fire truck. Brush trucks, heavy rescue, and tanker pumpers made up the fleet.
Two car clubs, Poor Boys, and Prison City Ramblers, sprinkled antique cars throughout the line, with the All-County ATV club's eight ATVs in the mix.
Candy throwing was supposed to be banned during the parade to keep children from running in the road, but at least three groups threw candy anyway.
Leaona Ames, co-chair of the event and parade organizer, said when the Town of Mentz had its bicentennial celebration, organizers learned the date was wrong date after planning the program.
Town historian Mike Riley admits the error, a typo in the minutes. Original minutes showed 1808, a year later, as the correct date that Mentz was named. So they repeated the celebration the next year, and it caught on, growing ever since.
“Eventually we'll be a big balloon,” Ames said. “It's really going to bloom into something.”
A small carnival with a Ferris wheel and carousel may be added in 2010, when the event is set for July 30 and 31, she said.
After the parade, folks moved over to the large field set up with booths and tents. Nino and Caterina Bartolotta as well as Frank and Lena Misuraca, from Nino's Pizzeria, prepared $1 pizza frites. Lines 25 deep stretched to the Federated Church booth for Kathy Wilt's cheeseburgers and Beth Foster's hot dogs, served by Pat Dubbs and Sharon Strong, the pastor's wife.
“We have the best cheeseburgers in town and the most fun doing it,” Strong said.
Port Byron band musicians went for six flavors of ice cream at the Gelato Cafe at $2.50 a cup. Andrea Baldoni and Suzie Fritz scooped up the stuff. They rotate 24 flavors made at Lewis' Restaurant and sold at a number of venues, including Emerson Park and Burritt's Cafe.
Lewis' booth sold chicken dinners, pulled pork sandwiches, sausage, pepper and onion, and drinks.
Meanwhile, the Prison City Rockers began their 8 p.m. gig with “You're Still the One.”
“We're going to be here many hours 'till the sun goes down and the moon comes out,” they announced.
Little Jack Noga, 4, of Auburn, covered his ears as he ran toward the stage. His dad, Al, knew the band well. He used to do their sound and lights. The rest of the crowd drifted toward the music after getting their food.
Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kathleen.barran@lee.net
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