31st Annual Falling Leaves Festival
Celebrating Cattaraugus County’s Bicentennial
[visit the official site]

This year Salamanca is celebrating its 31st Annual Falling Leaves Festival. In late1975, members of various Salamanca fraternal and service organizations were concerned that civic pride was declining and decided to form a committee to rectify the situation, so Paul D. Formica, with his wife Sandra, formed a committee which was called the Salamanca Positive Action Committee (SPAC). The mission was to develop ideas to restore civic pride, improve the look of Main Street and attract new businesses to the area. One of the ideas the SPAC discussed was holding a festival in the fall, which became known as the Falling Leaves Festival.

The first Falling Leaves Festival was created and produced September 30-October 3, 1976 and was held in multiple locations; food concessions and entertainment were in Jefferson Street Park, art & craft and civic vendors were located at old City Hall and in the Mall, and a dance was held right in the middle of Jefferson Street. Through the years, the festival has taken on different shapes and colors. Rosie Hoag, who was President of the Salamanca Area Chamber of Commerce Chamber in the early 1990’s, recalls that, “People worked hard all year long to put on the festival and that’s what accounted for its success.” SPAC organized the event for its first seven years and then turned it over to the Salamanca Area Chamber of Commerce. In the early 1990’s, the City of Salamanca managed the festival until it was again turned back over to the Chamber, which is still managing the event today. The Chamber is confident that this year’s festivities will be as spectacular and memorable and the first year was.

The Salamanca Area Chamber of Commerce is seeking to make the 31st Annual Falling Leaves Festival just as successful as it was back in 1976. The festival has been brought back to Jefferson Street Park by popular demand and will be jam packed with exciting things to do every minute. The Official Opening Ceremony and Ribbon Cutting will start at 3:30pm, Friday, September 26 at the Jefferson Street Park gazebo with our prestigious guests Council President E.J. Riley, Paul and Sandra Formica and the newly crowned Falling Leaves Queen. This year there is over 80 art & craft and food vendors, several radio station live remotes with on-air personalities, the spectacular Falling Leaves Car Show (no entry fee required), a performance by the Olean Area Irish Dancers, and the Salamanca Leo’s Rock-a-thon. In the Kid’s Zone you will find several amusement rides, Morton’s Petting Zoo and Pony Rides brought to you by the Salamanca Youth Center, Caricaturist, a Clown/Balloonist and the Hawk Hideaway Raptor Center (on Sunday only) and don’t forget about the hot dog and hula hoop contests.

This event filled weekend will also feature many local favorite musical groups. On Friday night, get those dancing shoes moving while you listen to the hometown favorite, Jasiu & Stasui The Polka River Boys, as they perform from 4:00pm-6:00pm. After those dancing shoes are warmed up, get ready for the crowd pleasing sounds of Dixieland from 7:00pm-9:00pm with The Art Cooney Ragtime Band. This playful two-beat rhythm is sure to make you bebop the night away. For Saturday, you can enjoy all the ear-pleasing sounds of Kuk & Freddie, performing from 12:00pm-3:00pm, Wagner and Winston will take the stage at 4:00pm-6:00pm, and from 7:00pm-9:00pm, one of Ellicottville’s favorite musical groups, The Blue Mule Band, will play a mix of traditional bluegrass, folk and gospel music. In addition, The Seneca Junction Barbershoppers will provide roaming performances throughout the festival on Saturday. Sunday’s musical line-up concludes with soothing classical chamber music performed by the Twin Tiers Band from 5:00pm-7:00pm. Between the live bands on both Saturday and Sunday, music will be supplemented by D.J. Sam Turek Sound.

One of the crowd favorites is always the USA Amateur Boxing Competition. The matches will start at 6:00pm on Saturday, September 27, in the Youth Center parking lot off South Avenue. This event, Fists of Fury, is presented by the Knockout Factory and sponsored by Seneca Gaming & Entertainment and Snakes Smokes. The competition will feature several exciting bouts, a top name boxing announcer and the famous “Knockout Factory Knockouts” round card girls. The competition will be held behind Jefferson Street School starting at 6:00pm and is FREE to the public.

Complementing this year’s 31st Annual Falling Leaves Festival’s activities will be numerous events celebrating Cattaraugus County’s Bicentennial. These events are brought to you by the Salamanca Historical Society and will consist of a demonstration by Miss Daisey, an 1881 Silsby Steam Fire Pumper, pigeon races, firemen agility competition, blacksmith demonstrations, quilt and spinners show, an ice cream social, and a performance by medieval knights. Of course, the highlight of the weekend will be the Official Bicentennial Grand Parade, which will be held on Sunday, September 28 at 1:00pm. The parade will consist of Seneca Nation athlete representatives to the Indian Nation Olympics in Canada , mounted law enforcement, floats, groups in period costumes, civil war re-enactors, Miss Daisey, horse-powered wagons, antique cars, marching bands, National Guard units, youth dance groups and much more. Dignitaries in the parade will include Salamanca Mayor Jeffrey Pond, parade marshals, Pow Wow Princess, the Falling Leaves Queen and her court and other distinguished guests. According to Donna Raahauge, the coordinator, “The parade is going to be huge!” The parade will start at the newly erected Citizens Arch, continue down Main Street onto Broad Street and finish at Triangle Park. Prior to the Official Bicentennial Grand Parade, you won’t want to miss the adorable Pet Parade that begins at 11:00am on Main Street and is being brought to you by Friends of Strays.

Other events taking place on Saturday, September 27, are the Pancake Breakfast sponsored by United Congregational Methodist Church at 7:00am, 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament at the Salamanca High School beginning at 10:00am, the prestigious Bed Races at noon, Cattaraugus County’s Got Talent Competition Semi-Finals at Ray Evans Seneca Theater at 7:00pm and at 8:00pm the Warriors Fundraiser Dance at the American Legion.

You won’t want to miss a thing! For more information and a complete schedule of events for the weekend, please contact Jane Paskuly at the Salamanca Area Chamber of Commerce at 716-945-2034 or visit us on-line at www.salamancachamber.org.