60th Annual Maple Festival
60th Annual Maple Festival
Longtime Event Celebrates Huge Milestone
Picture this: You’re young, it’s a spring Saturday and there’s a cool breeze in the air. You walk the crowded rows of vendor tents in front of the Franklinville Elementary School (32 South Main Street) with some friends and you consider if you want to spend the $10 allowance you were given on a candy apple and fries or on a must-have mood ring. That, my friends, is a memory full of nostalgia - an event that’s been around since I was a kid.
That event is the Annual Maple Festival held in Franklinville, NY, and this year it is celebrating its 60th anniversary April 27th and 28th. ellicottvilleNOW took the opportunity to speak with event organizer, Ashely Schumaker, about the festival, how it kept going, and all the details of this year’s festivities.
eNOW: Six decades is a huge milestone for any event. What has fueld the WNY Maple Festival all these years?
SCHUMAKER: Franklinville has so much history and the WNY Maple Festival is something our community is very proud of. Coordinators and committee members change but there is always someone else interested in carrying on the tradition. Many families have lived here for years so it is not uncommon for the torch to be passed. People are invested and want to see this event continue.
eNOW: What’s new for this year's festival? The area has expanded into Park Square; what will be happening there?
SCHUMAKER: There are a few new things going on. The parade route will be changing to cover more of Route 16 and to streamline the lineup process as the parade has grown substantially. Anyone is welcome to fill out a parade application and dress up to walk through the parade. We have had many people sign up to walk through in their favorite costume with friends/family. The Hinsdale Color Guard will be participating in the parade. Parade and Float contest info can be found at wnymaplefestival.com/parade/.
To address the need for seating throughout the event, there will be a large tent with tables and chairs in the food court area this year.
There will also be signs attached to the ceiling directing visitors to where vendors are. We encourage everyone to at least check out the classrooms and look at the interactive festival map (this will be available online via our website no later than one week before the festival.)
We expanded the festival in 2023 to Park Square to diversify the event to attract a wider variety of interests and draw attention to our village’s downtown. Many of these buildings have changed ownership and businesses have been popping up. Park Square is designed to have a relaxing, family friendly vibe where people can enjoy each other’s company along with farmer’s market style vendors, wineries, breweries, distilleries, and live music. There are several new vendors in this space including Merritt Wineries’ “Slush Bus” and KSW Photography setting up a 360 degree video platform. The platform fits 3-4 people with a camera that creates a video that circles around the tourists. And of course we have a nice line-up of performers for our Music in the Park Series, which takes place in the Square.
Saturday, April 27th, Searchlights & Satellites will play 10:00am-1:00pm - they play a mix of 90s pop and alternative rock. Then Travis Happoldt from 1:00-4:00pm rocks the stage with his grunge country. Sunday, April 28th starts with Rog Pettengill, 10:00am-12:30pm followed up with the country and variety slinging Hintz of Thunder from 1:00-3:30pm.
Also on April 28th will be the Franklinville SAPS Color Fun Run. This is a 2.75-mile course that starts at the high school, with check-in at 8:00am and the run beginning at 9:00am. Day-of event registration is $10 per person and you can do pre-registration up until Wednesday, April 24th. Visit the website, wnymaplefestival.com, to sign-up now. (This event is hosted by the FCS/TBA Student Council.)
eNOW: It wouldn’t be Maple Festival without the vendor market. How many vendors are you expecting to set up this year and what will they be offering?
SCHUMAKER: As of April 4th, 141 vendors are fully registered. Vendors will be set up at Park Square, the high school front yard, and the inside & outside of the elementary school. The maple products tent is a must-visit and will feature area maple farms selling their products. We are expecting a few stragglers so we would put the final count right around 150. About 100 vendors are returning from last year and the rest are new. Everyone’s favorite vendors will be returning to their usual spot. Notable additions this year include Cutco, Corning Museum of Glass, several artists offering different varieties of art, succulents, etc. Compared to prior years, we have attracted a wide variety of offerings and an increased number of businesses showcasing their services.
eNOW: Could you give us more details on some of the festival events? The Maple King and Queen contest, kiddie rides, petting zoo, etc.
SCHUMAKER: The King and Queen contest for this year is going to be particularly special. Program Coordinator, Amy Burton, has a great event already in the works! Class of 2024 Seniors will show off their talents and compete for the crown of Queen & King. They will also be recognizing winners from each of the previous years. Their goal is to have as many winners as possible from previous years in attendance and they need your help tracking everyone down! A list of former winners can be found in the event posts on their Facebook page. Tag someone or private message them with their contact information so they can reach out if they are not on Facebook. All previous winners will be invited to the group "WNY Maple Festival-Past King & Queens”. This group will be used to coordinate 2024 plans with previous winners and track who may be able to attend.
As far as entertainment outside of the Music in the Park, there will be small carnival rides and games in the front yard of the elementary school. I-Got bingo will have a tent set up for people to play in. Gellyball arena will be set up for the 2nd year (this is a softer alternative to paintball, utilizing hydrated gel balls with lower impact for play). You can test your dexterity and stamina on the Mechanical Bull Rides by Buckin’ Bull Rides in the high school front yard. Small kiddies can visit the Petting Zoo (FFA building off South Academy) run by Franklinville FFA, and you can’t forget the annual Car Show & Chicken BBQ at the fire hall on Sunday. The traditional All-U-Can-Eat Pancake & Sausage Breakfast remains a huge hit each festival. Sessions both Saturday and Sunday run from 7:30am-2:00pm. Cost is $9 for ages 13 and up, ages 4-12 or those over 60 are $7 and kids 3 and under are free. Proceeds go to WNY Maple Festival Inc. (non-profit organization). Syrup from Wright’s Maple Farm is used. New this year, $1 from each breakfast will be donated to the Franklinville Central School Spanish Club. Spanish Club members and advisors are planning a trip to Peru in a couple of years and have been working hard to secure volunteers and will be volunteering themselves during the festival weekend.
eNOW: Do you see WNY Maple Festival continuing to expand and offering new things to enjoy in the years to come?
SCHUMAKER: I believe the festival will continue to be a WNY staple for many years to come due to the amount of community support it receives. The festival was on pause for twoyears due to COVID but we have regained momentum and interest. With the evolution of technology, specifically online shopping, society doesn’t get out as much as they used to. We are committed to always keeping the staples of the festival intact while sprinkling in new and exciting things to keep up with the times/trends.
eNOW: Anything else you would like to share with the community?
SCHUMAKER: We are still looking for volunteers for our All-U-Can-Eat pancake breakfast. Shifts are 3 hours long and volunteers receive a free breakfast after their shift. And we’d also like to extend our thanks to this year’s sponsors: Great Lakes Cheese, premiere sponsor. P&CG, premiere sponsor. Melissa Bedell/ERA Team VP Realtor, silver sponsor. Zuech’s Environmental Services, silver sponsor. Hopkins, Sorgi, & McCarthy PLLC, bronze sponsor. Cutco, bronze sponsor. Cattaraugus Container Inc., patron. Shelly’s Shear Look, patron.
So if you’ve never been to the Annual WNY Maple Festival (where have you been??) or you’d like to fill an afternoon with nostalgic fun, this is the year to visit. You can find a full schedule of events for both Saturday and Sunday on their website, wnymaplefestival.com, and remember to keep an eye on the Facebook page for any updates.