West Seneca to celebrate 175th anniversary & America 250 with 'A Perfect Union on Union Road'

Free community event set for Sept. 12 features car show, live music, food trucks, family activities

Town of West Seneca press release

The Town of West Seneca will celebrate two milestone anniversaries from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12: “A Perfect Union on Union Road” will take place in front of West Seneca Town Hall (1250 Union Road), to mark West Seneca’s 175th anniversary alongside the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Efforts to celebrate have been coordinated by the West Seneca Civic & Patriotic Commission, the same group that orchestrated efforts to celebrate the nation’s bicentennial in 1976 under the same chairperson, Joan Lillis! Fifty years later, West Seneca gathers again under her leadership, with the help of a dedicated committee and volunteers.

“As one of the founding members of the West Seneca Civic & Patriotic Commission still living, along with Glen Emmerson and David Dingwall, it is exciting to be here to celebrate 250 years for the USA and 175 for the TWS,” Lillis said. “Who would have thought that the grand event we started back in 1974 would turn into our annual community celebration and our facilitating other community events. Our volunteers do it all for the people of our town to build community – something that is very important in this day and age!”

The free, family-friendly event includes:

• A car, truck and motorcycle show
• Live music from the West Seneca Town Band, followed by the Screaming Pineapples at 1 p.m.
• Food trucks and local vendors
• Touch-a-truck
• A visit from the Erie County Sheriff’s mounted division
• Inflatables, including a slide and bounce house, near the playground
• Reading Rover, outside the West Seneca Public Library

Preregistration for the car show is available through Sept. 1 for $15; day-of registration is $20. Day-of registration will take place from 9 a.m. to noon (no early entry is permitted.) Dash plaques will be given to the first 300 registered vehicles. Trophies will be awarded at 4 p.m.

Throughout the event, the Civic & Patriotic Commission will collect nonperishable food and monetary donations for the West Seneca Food Pantry at a donation tent in front of Town Hall.

“West Seneca is fortunate to have the Civic & Patriotic Commission and its volunteers leading this celebration, just as they did under Joan Lillis’s leadership 50 years ago," Town Supervisor Gary Dickson said. "Their decades of service are part of what makes this community special. Maybe some of the younger attendees and volunteers will look back on this event 50 years from now when they celebrate the nation's 300th anniversary!"

“The commission, service organizations and volunteers jumped at the chance to be part of this incredible celebration,” Councilman Robert Breidenstein said.

The event will be held rain or shine. For more information or to preregister for the car show, contact Claudia Emmerson at 716-997-3351 or cemmerson67@aol.com.