Village of Lewiston to offer horse and carriage rides and host new pizza festival

Friday May 24, 2024 11:00 a.m.

By Joshua Maloni

Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief

This summer, the Lewiston Historical Association and the Lewiston Museum will launch horse-drawn carriage rides on non-festival Saturdays. Weather permitting, this activity will be available at noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. on June 8, 22 and 29; July 6, 13, 27; and August 3 and 17.

Lewiston village trustees approved the new route at their monthly meeting Monday.

The two-horse carriage can carry nine passengers, with the ride starting outside Deal Realty, 451 Center Street. The recommended donation is $10 per adult and $5 for each child under 12. Reservations can be made by calling the Lewiston Museum at 716-754-4214.

Lee Simonson, volunteer organizer of the project, said: “We want to start in front of Tom Deal’s house, then go down Niagara, Seneca, up South Forth, then maybe down Plain again, stop for 20 minutes, give a tour of the museum to the people and then go back down to Cayuga, up South Third and back. We think it will last around 40-45 minutes.

Mayor Anne Welch asked Simonson if the Department of Transportation had given approval because Center Street is a state highway.

“I’ve done a lot of research on this and because it’s not a procession, it’s not a parade, it doesn’t involve a festival and it doesn’t involve closing the street,” Simonson said. is OK with the rides.

Welch said, “My only concern is the traffic on Center Street, especially in the summer. It’s not so much the side streets, but rather the traffic on Center Street. Attending these boardwalk meetings, (I learned) we get about 20,000 cars on Center Street. It’s a lot.”

Simonson added: “We are also concerned about security. … If we find that traffic on Center Street is a problem, we’ll probably move them to Niagara Street, and maybe have people go up and down at the museum. We’ll just see what happens.

He added: “We are very interested in complying with everything. So we will do whatever it takes to make this work. »

Summer brings vintage carriage rides to Lewiston. The carriage, owned and operated by Scott Armison of Cattaraugus County, can be seen here in Ohio where it was recently restored. It was brought back to Western New York last week and will be used this summer to offer horse-drawn carriage rides in the village of Lewiston on non-festival Saturdays. Reservations are encouraged by calling the Lewiston Museum at 716-754-4214. (Photo courtesy of Lee Simonson)

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Scott Armison of Cattaraugus County owns the horses and operates the carriage.

His horses will be brought to Lewiston on riding days; they will carry a mud bag to collect their droppings; the horses will then return home after the end of the rides.

Trustee Dan Gibson said, “I think it’s a great idea. »

After the meeting, Simonson said, “This is a fantastic opportunity for residents and visitors to become familiar with all that Lewiston has to offer. It’s simply another way Lewiston is strengthening its reputation and status as a premier destination and one of the best small towns in America.

Volunteers are needed, particularly to welcome the museums at midday. Contact HAL at (email protected) or by calling 716-754-4214.

Simonson was asked to provide trustees with a progress report in July.

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SliceFest will showcase pizza purveyors and raise money for youth sports

The village board also approved a facility request from Bashar Srouji and Ray Barry for the use of Academy Park and the Alphonso I. DiMino Memorial Band Shell to host SliceFest, a pizza festival to be held from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, August 3.

According to the organizers, “This event will feature local artisan and produce vendors, a beer/wine/seltzer tent and live local music, an area for kids to build their own mini pizzas, a pizza competition throwing dough, makeup, henna tattoos. and more. This event will raise funds for Lew-Port’s youth football and Cheer and Wrestling programs.

Alcohol service will be confined to a tent area.

Srouji runs Ghada Have It Mediterranean Home Cooking restaurant on Military Road in Niagara Falls. Barry is a musician and festival promoter who has organized several events in Youngstown.

On Tuesday, Barry added: “Bashar and I have been friends for a while. We did a few different things together, and he contacted me about it; I had the idea. »

“The biggest thing is we try to get as many local pizza places involved as possible,” Barry said. “The idea is exactly what it sounds like: ‘SliceFest.’ Let’s round up all the pizzerias. Everyone try everything. Promote local pizzerias.

He noted that SliceFest will be “a day of pizza, music, drinks, games, fun, vendors, just kind of a family friendly event.” …We are making this event completely free to the public. We want a group of people to come and have fun.

“The best part is that part of the event is dedicated to raising funds for Lew Port youth sports. I am involved in Lew-Port youth football. I’m on the board for that and I’m a coach, and Bashar is also a wrestling coach. So, part of our initiative here is to raise money for Lew-Port youth football and wrestling. This will also be incorporated into this event.

“Pizza is a treat that everyone can celebrate together,” Srouji said Thursday. He called SliceFest “an opportunity to bring a wonderful event to my hometown village of Lewiston.”

Srouji added, “This event is open to all walks of life – no matter where you are from, you do not have to live in Lewiston to attend this event. We’re inviting all WNY pizzerias to come fight for the best slice at SliceFest. It will be a real pizza competition for traditional cheese, cheese and pepper, as well as special pizzas.

He explained: “Ultimately, this is a community event that brings together local businesses, vendors and music groups – and is also a fundraiser for local youth sports – by especially football, wrestling and cheering.

“Being an alumnus of the local school district and a wrestling practitioner in particular, the club I have the honor of owning today and participating in since I was 4 years old is truly a dream in itself.

“Recently, many school districts have made significant budget cuts, with one affecting all sports in their entirety. One small example is that funding for assistant coaches has completely disappeared. Being a three-star varsity athlete, a state and national competitor for the school district, I can tell you first hand, without the assistant coaches, I would not have gotten this far in my career.

“Myself and my partners on this board all see the importance of giving back to the youth program, which will carry over to the academic programs as well. (The) end result will pave the way for these children to maximize their potential at the next academic and athletic level.

Flag Retirement Ceremony

Boy Scout Alex Vanderlip will host a flag retirement ceremony near the “Circle of Honor” Veterans Memorial in Academy Park on Sunday at 7 p.m. The flags were collected in a box he donated that is placed outside the Red Brick municipal building.