Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Ellicottville Fall Festival





I don't have to tell you how beautiful Ellicottville is in the fall. The hills which serve as the backdrop to the village are alive with color.
And with apologies to Julie Andrews, the hills are also alive with the sound of music.

We feature a lot of great artists in Ellicottville over the course of the spring, summer and fall and in many respects, Fall Festival is like our music finale. – only compared to events like Summer Fest, with the grand stage and big name artists, the music that you'll find during this coming weekend's Fall Festival is a smaller, more intimate mix of rock, blues, country and even a bit of punk… if any of you remember that genre.

Balloons restaurant has long been the driving force behind Fall Festival's music scene and this year's no different. Their 'Rocktoberfest' celebration kicks off on Thursday with Mo Porter… Buffalo's 'ultimate party band' and doesn't stop until Sunday night… 13 bands in all.

Personally, I'm looking forward to checking out 'More Than Me', who this summer toured London England after winning Hard Rock's 2010 Ambassadors of Rock Battle of the Bands. I know that's a mouthful, but to put it into perspective, these guys performed at the same concert in London that featured Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Pearl Jam.

Balloons sets up a special tent and stage to host these performers because they really try hard to make it feel like an event unto itself.

Now here's something that I promise will be music to your ears. This year, for the first time ever, just down the road, Ellicottville Brewing Company is staging their own 'Waking Up the Village' concert on the Saturday, with their own tent and performance stage as well.

The highlight of EBC's concert during the day is definitely going to be Beatle Magic, considered to be one of the best Beatles tribute bands this side of the Atlantic. They take a unique approach to showcasing the Beatles legacy by putting on three different shows over a three hour period, with each show highlighting the Beatles progression from young Liverpool heartthrobs to international superstars.

Now I don't think Ellicottville needs to be woken up… but I would agree that EBC's headliner – Jimmie Van Zant – cousin to past and existing members of Lynyrd Skynryd will definitely rock the village. Talk about eclectic and full of energy… this guy has a unique blend of southern rock and country that promise to turn this concert into an event people will be talking about for months if not years to come.

So do come to Ellicottville this weekend (October 8, 9 and 10) to enjoy the charm and ambience of our town, our great fall colors and a lot of really good, if not great music. It promises to be one heck of a celebration


C. Rick & Julia McMahon

Broker/partners Real Estate Advantage

Bemus Point & Jamestown, NY

716-483-3300 or 484-2020


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