Lovin’ a spoonful of the Wheatfield Family Picnic

Niagara Wheatfield Tribune, July 24, 2008

Shown at last year’s Wheatfield Family are youngsters enjoying a snake experience with
Nickel City Reptiles and a young miss getting her face painted. (photos by Larry Austin)

When it comes to holding a family picnic, Wheatfield knows the ropes after decades of experience.

Organizers are promising this year’s picnic on Sunday, July 27, at Fairmount Park will be bigger and better than ever.

Not only will there be old favorites, like the Bergholz German Band playing plenty of oompa, but this year the ’60s international favorite The Lovin’ Spoonful will close a day designed to provide fun for all ages.

The day starts with a flag ceremony at 10:30 a.m. and church services at 11 a.m. General activities and food vendors start at noon. Kids can meet a snake, watch a Niagara County Sheriff’s K-9 demonstration, try an obstacle course or take a hayride. There’s the Miss Wheatfield Pageant, a theme basket auction, games and even a dunk tank. There are also plenty of vendors and freebies. It all winds up with local The A-List Band at 5:30 p.m. and The Lovin’ Spoonful at 7 p.m.

For the fourth year, the town will be offering locks for rifles and handguns at no cost to residents. Look for the Wheatfield constable’s four-wheeler all day in the park to pick up a lock.

“Hopefully, we can lock up more unattended firearms to prevent unnecessary accidents in the town,” said Constable Craig Shultz.

Wheatfield resident Judy Ponzi said she’s been attending the annual picnic for some 30 years, dating back to when her children were little and has even worked on the picnic committee in the past.

“The Family Picnic is a community event comprised mainly of local organizations and vendors,” she said. “Volunteers, a priceless commodity in our town, spend countless hours planning it, hoping to given residents an enjoyable day to meet new people and renew old acquaintances.”

Sponsors for this year’s Wheatfield Family Picnic include:

Dental Care Associates, Rosal Construction, Forest City Land Group, Niagara’s Choice Federal, Colton RV, JT Wheatfield’s, The Days Inn, L.J. Quigliano II Inc., Niagara County Builders Association, Twin Lakes Concrete, Inc., GAR Associates Inc., Matrix Imaging Solutions Inc., Mark Cerrone Inc., Fraternal Order of Eagles, Haick Financial Services, Capital Management Group, Olympia Family Restaurant, M&T Bank, Wheatfield Physical Therapy, David Homes, Wells Fargo, Ryan Homes, The Summit mall, WBA, Wendel Duchscherer Architects, Geico Insurance, Painter’s Plus, David Chevrolet, First Niagara Bank and Dominic Piestrak.