One tradition I’ve upheld with my mom every year (with the exception of freshman year where I was highly recommended to stay FAR AWAY from home) is attending the Silver Creek Festival of Grapes.
Each year, it falls during the middle of September, right around my mom’s birthday and only a couple weeks after my own. Growing up in grape country in WNY meant waiting for the school bus with the grape vines only 20 feet ahead wafting their sweetness.
The Grape Fest, as we call it, has remained a constant for my dad’s family who has remained in the area over time. In the past, in middle and high school, I marched in the parade with my school’s marching band. This was always a dream of mine, and while it only lived for about three years, it only strengthened my connection to it.
About a week ago, one of my friends mentioned a desire to attend a grape-stomping competition. Well, weren’t they lucky because I had just the opportunity for them–we could stomp at the Grape Fest!
Over the course of the last week, each of our schedules began to fill up, which landed me in a tough position of deciding whether the Grape Fest needed me this year or not.
I trekked home on Thursday evening right after classes and changed into my costume honoring Lucille Ball, another native of Chautauqua County. I was embarrassed when I stepped onto the street to see only two other Lucys. It was nearly my time and I didn’t even realize what I had signed up for.
Shortly after this panic of wanting to rip the red curly wig off my head, I was called up to the stage where I dropped myself a few feet into a barrel of grapes. I stomped my heart out, all of my fear had dissipated and I was determined to win.
As I looked out into the crowd, I noticed both of my parents recording me, as well as my cousins and my grandpa. I felt so loved at that moment.
At last, only about 30 seconds later, they called the winner and it was…Alexis Serio! I had won first place in the Lucy grape stomp! Not every other stomper was a fair loser, which made my grin even more real as I realized putting myself out there led to a fun experience and a week’s worth of Welch’s grape juice!
I am a hometown legend in the most simple way–I stood up in front of the crowd and proved that no matter what, my roots are in the small town activities that are ultimately the biggest event of the year. Some kid will remember seeing the stomp and hopefully my courage will inspire them, as well.
I miss the smell of ripe grapes in the early fall more than I thought I would. It’s bittersweet that in a year from now, I may be in another part of the country, too far to travel to little Silver Creek for a weekend of celebrating years of hard work and crops. May every little kid find joy in the Grape Fest and may it live on as a celebration for all!