Oakfield Betterment Committee

Things were spooky in Oakfield on Saturday evening with the Oakfield Betterment Committee opening up a haunted house.

Photos submitted by Jamie Lindsley

Press release:

Sign up for the Oakfield Betterment Halloween Decorating Contest! Deadline to sign up is October 17th. Decorations to be judged on October 18-21 by the community. 

Winners get a gift card to Oakfield or Alabama business of their choice: 

• First place: $100
• Second place: $50
• Third place: $25

Winners will be announced at our Halloween party on Oct. 22nd and on social media. The contest is open to the Oakfield Alabama School District residents. 

Sign up here.

Three days of fun, food, music, and activities to celebrate Labor Day start tomorrow in Oakfield.

It's the 38th Annual Oakfield Labor Daze, which includes Oakfield's annual parade at 10 a.m. on Monday.

The family-friendly event is alcohol-free and centers around Triangle Park in the Village of Oakfield. 

Along with live music, food, children's events, and the parade, there is a car cruise, 5K race, fireworks, craft vendors, and a community worship service on Sunday.

For more information, visit the Oakfield Betterment Committee's website. 

Photo:  Members of the Oakfield Betterment Committee and helpers at Triangle Park during event preperations today, Joel D'Alba, Maria Thompson, Maxxum Waterson, Chris Marcott, Lincoln Waterson, Christopher Dickens, Jamie Lindsley, Scott D'Alba, Darla Allen, and Jeff Allen. Photo by Howard Owens.

For the first time this year, the Oakfield Betterment Committee installed Christmas decorations for the first time this year in Memorial Park, 17 Main St.

The "Winter Wonderland" light display is a walking tour on the paved paths of the park.

"This is OBC’s gift to the community for their support of Labor Daze and other events," said committee member Jamie Lindsley. "We hope to make this an annual project and would like to undertake even more projects to improve our community for all."

Several new elements have been added to the return of Oakfield’s Labor Daze three-day event this weekend. A new location for an old favorite promises to be spectacular, Oakfield Betterment Committee President Jamie Lindsley says. 

“It will be a high velocity, rapid-fire, dazzling fireworks display,” she said while setting up the venue Thursday evening. “Because of the ongoing capital improvement project at the school, the fireworks will be in the Town Park on Drake Street. It’s a more intimate setting.” (Rain date is Monday.)

Although fireworks usually cap off an event, this one on Sunday is tucked in between a jam-packed schedule that begins with the Oakfield 5K at 8:30 a.m. Saturday and ends with basket and cash raffle drawings at 8:30 p.m. Monday. 

New elements include the 5K course, which will begin and end at Triangle Park to keep it “central to this location,” Lindsley said. Participants — walkers and runners alike — can still register at 7:30 a.m. Saturday. Proceeds from the event will go to Genesee Cancer Assistance in honor of longtime Oakfield resident Ralph Esten Jr., who lost his battle with cancer at 40 in June of this year. Fee is $30, and medals will be awarded to top winners.

There will be plenty of parking Lindsley said, in municipal lots on Main and Drake streets and on side streets.
Kids shouldn’t be bored with a bustling line-up of activities for children and teenagers from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. The Kiddie Fun Daze will feature Just Clowning Around Magic Show at 12:15 p.m. and “lots of prizes for kids’ games,” Lindsley said. 

Other new components are some tasty additions to the regular festival fare of hamburgers, hotdogs and kielbasa. Sweet corn on the cob and walking tacos will also be on the menu. Never had a walking taco? Open a bag of crunchy Doritos tortilla chips and top it with ground beef, various taco seasonings, sauce, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and sour cream. Then add a fork and go. Anywhere. Hence, the walking part of the taco has become a hit at parties and other special events. A few food trucks will round out the smorgasbord of appetite quenchers. 

A parade boasting marching bands and newcomer Buffalo Ghostbusters will line up at the fire hall and begin at Seneca and Main streets. Spectators should plan to be there about 30 minutes early before road closures prevent them from getting a good spot on the parade route between Seneca and Drake streets/Route 262.

Buffalo Ghostbusters, with their signature logo of a red circle and slash mark over a ghost holding a chicken wing, features what the name implies: a fun group of aptly dressed ghostbusters with related gear and vehicles. The parade is at 10 a.m. Monday as a craft show of 35 vendors begins an eight-hour selling fest from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

Musical entertainment will fill the air all three days, with everything from country and classic rock to honky-tonk and a tribute to the Beatles. That kicks off with the Hastings Duo at 1 p.m. Saturday and Hit N’ Run to close the event from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday. 

All of this has been pulled off by a strong core of eight board members, a dozen regular committee members, and “hundreds of volunteers,” Lindsley said. A late decision to move forward with the event meant little lead time (they began about three months ago), and more chores outside of their regular day jobs.

“It typically takes 12 months to plan an event,” Lindsley said. “It’s only possible with a really incredible and talented team. Every one of our members is busy during their workday, and they put in many hours here.”

Committee Vice President Ritchie Kirkum added that a slate of generous donors also made Labor Daze feasible. The event was missed during its pandemic-related hiatus in 2020.

“We’re excited to bring it back after a year. We want to see everyone back and together at Triangle Park,” Kirkum said while helping to build food stands. “We’re really grateful for the sponsors.”

Yet another new offering this year is the big cash raffle. The grand prize is $10,000. Tickets are $25 and only 1,000 are being sold, he said. Proceeds from the cash raffle will help to offset the expenses of the event and go toward future community improvement projects and other committee goals. Kirkum and Lindsley noted the in-kind services donated by the village and town, such as assisting with necessary permits, road closures, and signage for the event. 

Given the event’s epicenter is Triangle Park, it is only fitting that a small celebration is to honor the longtime staple of this community. Triangle Park was gifted to the community in 1921. Oakfield Historical Society members will pay tribute to the park’s 100th birthday with a centennial dedication and a little local history at 11 a.m. Sunday. 

The only other item on their list now is good weather. A recent forecast shows moderate temperatures in the 70s and cloudy sunshine. 

“We’re really happy it’s not going to be in the 90s, and it will be cooler weather,” Lindsley said, acknowledging perhaps the only activity that’s truly climate dependent.  “There’s also a car cruise. We’ve had up to 80 cars in the past. We’re hoping for great weather ... I wouldn’t be surprised if we have quite a few.”

The 2021 schedule for Labor Daze at Triangle Park is below:

Saturday, September 4:

• 9 a.m.: Oakfield 5K Run or Walk
• 11 a.m.-6 p.m.: Kiddie Fun Daze
• 12:15-2:00 p.m: Balloon Artis
• 1:00-4:00 p.m: The Hastings Duo
• 4:00-7:00 p.m: The Old Hippies
• 7:00-10:00: Mr. Mustard

Sunday, September 5:

• 9:00-10:00 a.m.: Home Grown Gospel
• 10:00-6:00 p.m: Craft Show
• 10:00-11:00 a.m.: Church Services
• 11:00-1:00 p.m:  Craig Wilkins
• 1:00-4:00 p.m: Car Cruise
• 1:00-3:00 p.m:  Genesee Ted
• 3:30-6:30 p.m: Rebel's Posse
• 6:30-9:30 p.m: Ninety West

FIREWORKS!

Monday, September 6:

• 10:00 a.m.: Parade
• 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m: Craft Show
• 11:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m: Alexander Firemen's Band
• 12:00-3:00 p.m:  Blonde Over Blue
• 3:00-6:00 p.m: Skycats
• 6:00-9:00 p.m:  Hit n' Run
• Basket and cash raffles to follow

Photo: File photo by Howard Owens

Oakfield Labor Daze will be held September 4-6 at Triangle Park, in the village of Oakfield. This year marks its 37th year. There will be three full days of live music, plus food vendors, craft show, basket raffle, HUGE $15k CASH RAFFLE, Kiddie Fun Daze, Car Show, Parade, balloon artists, fireworks show and much more. The entire list of entertainment, food & events can be found at OakfieldBetterment.com or on Facebook @OakfieldBetterment

Press release:

It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that the Oakfield Betterment Committee Board must announce the cancellation of this year’s Oakfield Labor Daze in Triangle Park.

We know that this will come as an enormous disappointment, not only to the vendors, volunteers but to our amazing community who were looking forward to another exciting Oakfield Labor Daze this year.

This is not a decision we have taken lightly and there are a few overriding concerns due to COVID-19 that have caused us to make this decision at this time.

Labor Daze is a tradition that is and has always been funded by our wonderful sponsors. In uncertain economic times like these, our wonderful sponsors have the difficult struggle and decision to not only keep, or to not keep, employees, but to keep their door open. Oakfield Labor Daze should not be a decision they are confronted with, nor one we should present to them.

Second, our primary concern is the health and safety of EVERYONE who attends Labor Daze, which includes our committee, volunteers, food, craft and game vendors to YOU, our community, who has welcomed back Labor Daze to Triangle park with open arms.

In closing, with all these factors and uncertainty, we had to make this difficult decision.

As the weeks and months pass, we will be re-evaluating the situation and will be looking for a safe and responsible way to have a celebration during Labor Day weekend. We also look forward to getting a head start on other events that the Oakfield Betterment Committee has done in the past, new event ideas, and Oakfield Labor Daze 2021.

Please stay safe, healthy and continue to show warmth to others in these trying times.

The Oakfield Betterment Committee organized a community clean-up day today. Volunteers spread throughout the town to pick up litter.

Above, Cassandra Semar and Brittany Caton on Maltby Road.

Barb Harkness on Maltby Road.

The Johnson Family -- Mark, Michelle and McKenna with friend Cameron Heineman on Fisher Road.

Press release:

No one wants to think that summer is almost over, however, the Oakfield Betterment Committee has been busy planning the Annual Oakfield Labor Days in the Park Celebration scheduled for Sunday, September 1st and Monday, September 2nd at Elroy D. Parking Park on Drake Street.

Many things have stayed the same, such as Great Food, Entertainment, Craft Show, Car Cruise, Labor Day Parade & Fireworks.  We’ve also added some new features, such as a 5K Run, Kids Games and Minute to Win It Challenges, Cow-Chip Bingo and our Raffle this is for a chance to win a John Deere XUV 550 Gator Utility Vehicle.

In years past, the Betterment Committee would mail raffle tickets to all local residence, however, this year, only 2500 tickets are being sold for the Gator Utility Vehicle, so tickets were not mailed.  Tickets are $10 each.  There are 4 chances to win $500 and a chance to win the Gator.  Anyone that is interested in purchasing tickets, please go to www.oakfieldbetterment.com or stop by several local businesses: Millennium Computers, The Bed Room Store, Amy Nichols Salon, West Main Wine & Spirits, Oakfield Town Hall, Scopano’s Oakfield Hotel, Caryville Inn, Ken’s Shooting Supply,Oakfield Family Pharmacy and Alli’s Cones & Dogs, or contact any Betterment Member.  Tickets are still available.  The Raffle will be drawn on Monday, September 2nd at 6pm.

The Betterment Committee is also looking for Crafters/Vendors for the Craft Show and Entrants for the Labor Day Parade.  The cost for a booth is $50 for both days.  If interested, please contact Kim Staniszewski  at kim@oakfieldbetterment.com.

The Oakfield Labor Day Parade is scheduled for Monday, September 2nd beginning at 10 am.  The Parade theme this year is “Musical Memories”.

The Genesee Valley Judging Association will be judging:

• Veteran’s Color Guard (1st Prize:  $50, 2nd Prize: $25)

• Best Appearing Fire Department (1st Prize: 150, 2nd Prize: $75, 3rd Prize: $25)

• Trophies for Best Appearing Aerial, Best Appearing Pumper, Best Appearing Tanker, Best Appearing Utility & Rescue Best Appearing Antique Hand Drawn Fire Apparatus and Best Appearing Antique Motorized Fire Equipment

• Best Appearing Marching Band (1st Prize:  $50, 2nd Prize: $75, 3rd Prize: $25)

Oakfield’s local Triplet’s, Erik, Dylan & Trevor Maier, Makena, Brooke & Josie Reding, and Brady, Eli & Cara Williams will be judging the Best Novelty Band, Act or Float (1st Prize: $150, 2nd Prize: $75, 3rd Prize: $25).  There is a $500 Grand Prize for the Best Overall Entrant.  Registration is required to be eligible for a prize category.  If interested in entering your Marching Band, Boy/Girl Scout Troop, Cheering Group, Performance Group, Float, Fire Department, Trucks, Equipment, Automobiles, Organization, or Your Own Creative Group, contact Michelle Johnson at michelle@oakfieldbetterment.com or 585.409.9299.

The Oakfield Betterment Committee invites everyone to come out to a Fun, Family-Friendly end of summer celebration….Oakfield Labor Days in the Park.

For more information, go to www.oakfieldbetterment.com.

Joni Mitchell's line in the song "Big Yellow Taxi" was spot on: "You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone."

So it was last summer, when the 26th annual Labor Daze celebration had to be cancelled. The reason given was too few volunteers to put together the holiday festival.

The locals did host a small event last year at the Elroy D. Parkins Town Park (Little League Park) with hopes of improving next time around.

Now the Oakfield Betterment Committee has revived itself -- and fully aware that it's going to take a village -- and a town -- to get Labor Daze back on track -- the group is doing just that.

It has enlisted some new volunteers with fresh ideas.

So marks those calenders -- Labor Daze will be at the town park again on Sept. 4 and 5. The celebration has gotten a bit bigger, according to Town Clerk Melissa Haacke, co-chair of the new Oakfield Betterment Committee.

"Well, of course, we're going to still have food vendors and crafters like usual, but we have really expanded our kids activities for this year," Haacke said. "We have two bounce houses coming and a local family that will be bringing in animals for a petting zoo and we contacted Genesee and Orleans County 4-H groups to see if they want to bring in some animals, too."

Since horse and pony rides were popular last year, they'll be offered again. Kids can also play on the playground at the park so parents can worry less about children wandering into traffic.

"We liked the idea that we don't have to close any roads for this," Haacke said.

She gave credit to her Co-chair Kate Manges for taking initiative dring the planning phases, saying, "She really took the bull by the horns."

She explained that in an effort to "get back to their roots," members of the Betterment Committee tried to keep everything as local as possible to showcase the village and town.

To highlight the 60th anniversary of the Oakfield Lions Club, the group will be the Grand Marshal of the parade. Also, the new Oakfield Historical Museum on Maple Avenue will be open to encourage everyone to walk around and visit local businesses.

People can also expect a fireworks display, a car show, Chinese auction and some great raffle items. Prizes include $1,000 cash, a four-pack of season tickets to Darien Lake, a laptop computer from Millennium Computers, a Nook and many more items.

To donate to the Chinese auction or raffle prizes or for vendor information, call Town Clerk Melissa Haacke (948-5835, ext. 20) or e-mail celebration14125@yahoo.com.