NEWFANE — The town is winding down its year-long bicentennial celebrations with a long-standing local celebration.
On Sunday, the 45th annual Apple Blossom Festival will be held at the town historical society’s Country Village, 2685 West Creek Road, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In addition to the usual array of local vendors, food and entertainment, the historical society will host a variety of historical exhibits and will be accepting items to be put into a time capsule.
“If a resident wanted to put a letter to their grandchildren into the time capsule to be opened again in 50 years, that’ll be welcomed,” Bill Neidlinger, Newfane Historical Society board member said.
The time capsule, a large metallic cylinder, was originally constructed by Larry O’Keefe in conjunction with the town’s sesquicentennial celebrations dating back sometime between 1974 and 1976.
In May, the time capsule was unearthed from its crypt at the site of the former town hall at the intersection of McKee Street and Transit Road, which currently houses the town courts and highway department.
It was delivered by horse and carriage from its burial site to the Country Village during the town’s annual Apple Blossom Festival.
The time capsule and some of the contents that were originally placed inside, which included items such as Union-Sun & Journal newspapers, yearbooks, town documents and letters from residents, will be on display once again at the festival Sunday.
According to town Supervisor John Syracuse, after all the new items are gathered from town residents and officials to be placed back into the time capsule, they will finalize plans to rebury it.
“We know we’re going to bury it here somewhere on the footprint of this town, but we don’t have the ‘X marks the spot’ just yet,” Syracuse said.