Having a moo-velous time at the WNY Dairy/Agriculture Festival

The 24th annual Western New York Dairy/Agriculture Festival kicked off on Friday, June 1 with prayer and greetings from Springville and town of Concord officials.

While the weather did not always cooperate for the planned events, downtown Springville bustled with activity during the festival weekend. Friday evening’s event included the announcement of the window painting winners (see Page 9) and the fire hydrant contest winner, Springville-Griffith Institute 11th grader Mary Kate Wirfel.

The winner of the $1,700-plus shopping spree was Springville resident Jeannine Cranston.


While there was no Dairy Festival princess/ambassador event this year, the Erie County dairy princess crowning was held in Springville on Friday afternoon. Seven ambassadors, ages 9 – 15, were introduced. They will be appearing throughout Erie County this year with the princess to promote dairy products. Magdalene Richmond, 18, of Eden, was crowned dairy princess, with Nicole Konert, 15, of Collins, as her first alternate. Both girls have dairy farming backgrounds.

Many organizations participated in the Dairy Festival parade held Saturday morning, June 2, with the theme “200 years of farming in the town of Concord.” The parade’s grand champion winner was the Reynolds Battery Civil War Group. Other winners included division 1, the Springville High School Marching Band, which performed LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem,” division 2, St. Aloysius Regional School and division 3, Girl Scouts of Maple Valley.

Springville’s representatives to the Stuck at Prom Contest, Nick Sheppard and Becca Jeffers, also walked in the parade, to promote their duct tape prom outfits. An American flag, from the Eden Bicentennial, hung over Main Street.

Festival-goers browsed local merchandise in booths set up in Fiddlers Green Park, snacked on offerings from local vendors, played games and rode on carnival rides in the Springcreek Professional Mall parking lot. The name the calf contest winner was Denelle Gough of North Collins, who chose the name Daphne.

Among the winners of the pizza-eating contest, sponsored by Main Street Pizza, were Nathaniel Bell of Collins Center (7 – 11-year-old division) and Joe Panarello of Springville (12 – 15-year-old division).

The winners of the Trading Post’s ice cream-eating contest were Joshua Connors (5 – 7-year-old division), Jon and Sean Langhans (8 – 12 division), Caitlin Morazzini (13 – 15 division) and Stephani Mitchell (16 and up division).

Other events throughout the weekend ranged from trolley tours of the village to demonstrations at the Springville SkatePlex. Live entertainment was presented under the music tent and at the Concord Mercantile and the fireworks on Saturday evening finished off the day with a bang.

The ducky derby, sponsored by the Springville Area Chamber of Commerce, was held on Saturday in Spring Brook. First place winner, taking home $300 in chamber bucks, was Roberta Kaczmarek. Second place winner, receiving a Buffalo Sabres jersey signed by Patrick Kaleta, was Phil Colesano, with his duck “Julie.” Third place winner Garrett Hacker won a Kissing Bridge Learn to Ski package with his duck “3.”

For more photos, visit the Springville Journal facebook page.