Photo courtesy of Celeste Balaban: Buddy played by Rayna Balaban and Santa played by Henry Dresser are “Happy All The Time” with the elves.

Press Release, Anna Ferlito, musical director

MEDINA – Medina residents will embrace their inner “elf” when Clifford Wise Intermediate students present their production of Elf The Musical JR. The show features 89 fifth and sixth grade students and will premiere on Dec. 4.

Clifford Wise Intermediate School will present Elf The Musical JR. on Dec. 4th and 5th at 7 p.m. at Clifford Wise Auditorium. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $3.50, and are available at www.cliffordwise.booktix.com. For more information about the show please call 585-798-2700 ext. 6204.

“Every year the 5th and 6th graders look forward to the musical, and last year when we announced we were doing Elf everyone was ecstatic” says Anna Ferlito, the musical director. “It’s a huge project to put on a show with this many kids, but it becomes a highlight every school year.”

(Left) Eliana Baity-Medina plays the “no nonsense” manager of Macy’s. (Right) Emily and her son Micheal Hobbs played by Charlotte Berry and Davante Major Dixon ask Santa for Walter Hobbs to spend more time with them.

Elf The Musical JR. is based on the 2003 New Line Cinema hit and features songs by Tony Award nominees Matthew Sklar (The Wedding Singer) and Chad Beguelin (Disney’s Aladdin On Broadway, The Wedding Singer), a book by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone).

 The musical tells the story of a young orphan who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is given the name Buddy and raised by elves in the North Pole.  Buddy lives happily unaware that he is actually a human until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth.

With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Faced with the harsh reality that his father is on the naughty list, and his stepbrother doesn’t even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of the holidays.

Buddy played by Rayna Balaban gets escorted out of Macy’s by security guards played by Shane Re and Vincent Moriarty.

Photos by Tom Rivers: The Metz Family Christmas won the grand champion title on Saturday during the Medina Parade of Lights.

MEDINA – Pair decent weather and an enthusiastic crowd with nearly four dozen floats brightly decorated for the holidays and you have an evening to remember.

Such was the case Saturday night for the 17th annual Parade of Lights.

Always a tradition is lighting of a giant Christmas tree in Rotary Park and the spectacular fireworks which precede the parade each year.

The winning floats have been announced and the Metz family has taken the title again. The family won in 2021 and 2022. Last year the grand champion was the Orleans/Niagara BOCES and Burger King won the top award in 2023.

Winners announced for this year are:

Grand Champion – Metz Family Christmas

Best in Class (Commercial) – Airborne Acres

Best in Class (Service Clubs) – Roy-Hart FFA

Best in Class (Fire companies) – Albion Joint Fire District

Best in Class (Not-for-profit) – Orleans Community Action’s Head Start

Best in Class (Religious) – The Vine

Best in Class – Orleans-Niagara BOCES

Santa’s Pick Award – Niagara County 4-H Equine Program

Littlest Elf Award – Eye of Oden K9 Training

Star Award – Logan’s Landscaping

Community Spirit Award – Medina Central School Transportation Department

Jim Hancock, who heads the parade committee, expressed his pleasure at this year’s Grand Marshal, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, who has also been parade announcer each year.

Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman welcomed the crowd until Hawley arrived in a Mustang convertible donated by George Bidleman of Orleans Ford.

“Being Grand Marshal of this iconic parade in this idyllic village was a wonderful experience and an honor,” Hawley said. “I have been the announcer for many years, but have never seen how the floats, bands and groups line up at the staging area at the Pickle Factory. And I never knew about the thousands of people who line the streets before the parade reaches Main Street. It’s truly a remarkably well organized and run parade and my hat is tipped to the organizers, and of course, to all the folks who attend and support the efforts.”

Hancock said there were so many beautiful and creative floats this year.

“They seem to get better and better every year,” he said. “And I am so pleased to have Steve Hawley as our Grand Marshal.”

Hancock also thanked the village departments, especially the DPW who make the parade a success every year.

Many of the units in the parade are repeat entrants, such as the Mark Time Marchers from Churchville, entertaining for their 12th year; Niagara County’s Equine Program with 16 visits; East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company, every year since the beginning; Hartland Volunteer Fire Company, an entrant for many, many years; and Ridgeway Fire Company, every year.

There were a large number of first-time entrants this year, including The Willows Assisted Living Facility; Bowers Plumbing from Albion; Cutaia Trucking from Fairport; Airborne Acres from Lyndonville; Tom Bruggman from Alexander; Gilligan’s Galley Restaurant from Point Breeze; Walsh Hotel (the third oldest bar in New York); Mallard House Renovations; and Luddy’s Equipment Rental from Albion.

Of course, the final float every year is Santa and Mrs. Claus on their special float built and donated by Takeform.

Hancock issued special thanks to the Parade Committee, which included Dave and Gail Miller, Nicole and Todd Bensley, Cindy Robinson, Reinhard Rogowski, Dave Stacey, Mark Irwin, Barb Hancock, Kathie Valley and Sue and Kevin DeHollander.