Ale in Autumn is a crowd-pleasing sell-out in Medina

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Members of Medina Area Partnership who volunteered to welcome guests at the Senior Center are, clockwise from left, Amy Crandall, Cindy Hewitt, Amanda Pollard, Laura Gardner, Patrick Weissend, Amber Sherman, Autumn Fuller and Ann Fisher-Bale, events coordinator for MAP.

MEDINA – To say Medina’s annual Ale in Autumn was a resounding success would be putting it mildly.

Medina Area Partnership, who sponsor the event, had intended to cap the tickets sold at 600, but sales were brisk right from the start, according to MAP’s event coordinator Ann Fisher-Bale, so they upped the number to 700 and sold out.

The second annual Busker Festival accompanied Ale in Autumn, and that, too, was very successful, according to Rob Robinson, who came up with the idea. The number of buskers was up from last year’s 17 and included a variety of performers, including musicians, jugglers and magicians.

(Left) Kathleen Schumacher pours Shipyard’s Pumpkin Head ale for Lindsey Snyder of Medina at the Medina Railroad Museum. (Right) Lindsey Snyder and Olivia Hill of Medina enjoy friendship and ale at Medina Railroad Museum during Ale in Autumn on Saturday.

Participants at Ale in Autumn arrived at staggered start times at Medina Senior Center, where their ID was checked, they received a wrist band and bag of goodies and bought raffle tickets for baskets provided by each participating business. There were 23 sites offering a tase of beer.

Kristian Poehlmann and Pam Montague were among the first to line up at the Senior Center before 12:30 p.m.

“This event is fun, and it’s a day hanging out with my bestie,” Poehlmann said. “Pam and I have been best friends for more than 50 years. We like going in all the stores, and I like the beers.”

Poehlmann said she grew up just a block away and remembers hearing the train derailment on Christmas Eve, 1968.

Stacey Sage of Batavia has attended Wine About Winter, but this was her first Ale in Autumn, with Ian Mania of Medina.

“I like being able to sample all the ales and going in the stores looking at everything,” Sage said. “I will also do Wine About Winter again. It may be cold, but it’s always fun.”

(Left) Medina High School seniors Logan Gray, left, and Scott Schultz earned volunteer hours for helping at Medina Railroad Museum during Ale in Autumn Saturday. They pose here with Georgia Thomas in the military room, Gray with a World War I helmet and Schultz wearing a World War II hat. (Right) Georgia Thomas, left, pours a Buergerbrau lager at Medina Historical Society for Abbigail Davis and Mallory Albone of Medina.

Poehlmann and Montague were encountered later in the day at Medina Railroad Museum, where they shared their favorite drinks. Poehlmann said her favorite was the Liquid Sunshine poured at Canalside Tattoo. Snyder liked the North Ridge cider at Tapped on Main. Both drinks were one-ounce pours, because of a higher alcohol content.

The girls also commented on Schoeferhofer grapefruit poured at the English Rose Tea Shop.

No two stops had the same ale.

Larry and Gabriella Albanese of Albion were enjoying the day. Larry said they had been to all participating stores, some twice.

Kathleen Schumacher at Medina Railroad Museum explained they blocked off the entrance to the train layout, but let visitors get close enough to see what was there. Schumacher said people were picking up brochures in the museum and it was hoped they would go home and think about it and come back or order tickets to an upcoming event.

The Shewan family couldn’t resist when they saw the antique organ at Medina Historical Society. Scott, left, and Ruth sang along as Steve played an old favorite, before heading to the dining room for their taste of ale.

At Medina Historical Society, Georgia Thomas was pouring Buergerbrau lager, an ale she felt would be perfect with fish and chips. She had set a table with a variety of snacks and cake, which created a lot of interest.

In the main exhibit room Craig and Sarah Lacey welcomed visitors and explained interesting artifacts. Mid-afternoon Scott Shewan, Steve Shewan and his wife Ruth came in and spotted the antique organ. Steve and Ruth are both music teachers and he sat down and proceeded to play an old favorite, while Ruth sang along in her soprano voice.

In the military room, two high school seniors were fulfilling their required volunteer hours to graduate. Logan Gray and Scott Schultz both said they chose the Museum because they liked history and wanted to learn more.

In addition to the baskets provided at each stop, there will be one grand prize awarded of an overnight stay at the Hart House Hotel, a cocktail package at the Shirt Factory and a gift certificate to Ashlee’s Place.

Ann Fisher Bale, events coordinator for MAP said profit from these events goes back to the community in the form of beautification projects and promoting local business. They are also a sponsor of Leadership Orleans.

Photos by Tom Rivers: At the Knights of Columbus, Jennifer Szalay serves a Jamaican Lager beer “Red Stripe” to Victoria Taber of Albion and Marcus Watts of Medina.

Evan Anstey performs as one of the buskers providing entertainment during Ale in Autumn while a passerby drops in some money. Anstey of Middleport sang outside the Dance Theater on Main Street. He was joined by Peter Sarchia of Middleport. They performed many bluegrass and folk songs.

Dave Sevenski serves “Berry Sneaky” to Donna Ferry of Darien at the Downtown Browsery. Berry Sneaky is a sour beer. “It’s the hot thing in craft beer,” Sevenski said about the sour beers.

Wesley Rosentreter, right, serves Chai Pumpkin beer from the Ithaca Brewing company at The Coffee Pot, which is co-owned by his son, Hans Rosentreter. Ann Coon of Lyndonville, second from left, and Linda Mirand of Medina were among the 700 people sampling beer for Ale in Autumn.

Coon said her favorites were a blood orange beer, a forbidden apple and a pumpkin beer.

Mirand said she enjoyed the different beers and visiting with so many people.

“I’m seeing so many of my friends,” she said.