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Originally airing Thursday, July 21, 2016.

WRFA public affairs director Jason Sample talked with Edwin Rodriguez from Jamestown Up Close and the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation to get a better understanding of Pokemon, Pokemon Go, and it’s impact on downtown Jamestown since being launched earlier this month.

A Pokemon character in downtown Jamestown in front of the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts.

• LISTEN TO INTERVIEW WITH EVENT ORGANIZERS

With more than 50 vendors and 15 workshops lined up by the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation, the free community event offers fun for all ages.

“We have come a long way from our humble beginnings at the Renaissance Center in previous years,” said Edwin Rodriguez Jr., events and marketing associate for the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation. “We used to have 15-17 vendors. This is our fifth year and we have 54 total vendors. Our event is the only true garden and home show in the greater Jamestown area. No other event features home and garden education and hands-on activities the way we do,” said Rodriguez. Vendors scheduled to attend include nurseries, contractors, landscape designers, craft vendors, food vendors, neighborhood clusters, and more.

Another key feature of the GROW Jamestown Garden Fair and Home Show is the educational workshops hosted by the Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program of Chautauqua County and countless other area professionals. The knowledge and experience of the presenters helps make the event special. This year’s workshops, 15 in total, focus on gardening and home improvement. Workshop topics for 2016 are as follows:

“We have definitely taken our workshop topics to a new level from previous years,” said Mary Maxwell, neighborhood associate for the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation. “We had a lot of requests over the years. People wanted more information that pertained to the area in which we live. The Master Gardeners, event volunteers, and all of our other professionals involved have worked hard to make sure this year’s workshops are educational and fun,” said Maxwell.

For a complete list of vendors and a complete workshop schedule with times, visit the GROW Jamestown Garden Fair and Home Show online at www.growjamestown.com or check out the event’s Facebook page.

The Jamestown Renaissance Corporation is a public-private partnership supporting downtown and neighborhood revitalization through stakeholder engagement, innovation, and reinvestment in the greater Jamestown, New York, area.

Pictured from left: Steve Waterson, TRC Director of Public Relations, Selina Phillips, TRC Executive Assistant, Terri Johnson, TRC Director of Rehabilitation, Employment and Community Services, Greg Lindquist, Executive Director for the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation, and Heather Brown, TRC Assistant Executive Director.

JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown Renaissance Corporation has announced the theme for this year’s downtown Jamestown holiday parade. The Tinseltown Christmas Parade and Holiday Celebration, presented by The Resource Center, will feature pre-parade musical entertainment, a traditional tree lighting ceremony with Mayor Sam Teresi, and a fireworks display above the Spring Street parking ramp. Applications to participate in the parade are now being accepted and are available for download online.

The Tinseltown Christmas Parade and Holiday Celebration will be held on Friday, December 4, beginning at 6:30 pm. The parade itself will begin on the Third Street Bridge and continue down Third Street to City Hall. Parade line up will begin at 5 pm on West Third Street between Hallock Street and Porter Avenue (Farm Fresh Plaza).

“We try to choose a parade theme that will appeal to everyone and will be easy for all ages to participate in,” said Edwin Rodriguez Jr., events and marketing associate for the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation. “We selected Tinseltown Christmas to make sure we include modern holiday classics along with the traditional films we all know and love. This year’s parade celebrates your favorite holiday movies, your way,” said Rodriguez. Participants are encouraged to choose any of their favorite holiday movies to reenact in the parade, from traditional films like Miracle on 34th Street and Christmas Story to modern classics like Frozen, Elf, and more.

“The Christmas Parade is a wonderful example of our community coming together, and it is our pleasure to support this event which reaches so many in the Jamestown area,” said Denise Jones, Executive Director for The Resource Center. “TRC encourages our staff, and the individuals we support in participating and giving back to our community, and the Holiday Parade pairs very nicely with our long-going support of the Toys for Tots program.  We appreciate the extensive amount of effort Jamestown Renaissance and many other community organizations and businesses invest in making our community a great place to live, work, and play,” said Jones.

Along with The Resource Center, the Tinseltown Christmas Parade and Holiday Celebration would not be possible without the following: Parade Fireworks sponsored by the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation; Official Transportation of Santa sponsored by Shults Auto Group; Official Grand Marshall Transportation sponsored by Elite Kreations Auto Detailing; Additional support for the event is provided by Southern Tier Xpress and the 38 libraries of the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System.

Special thanks to the City of Jamestown, Jamestown Renaissance Corporation, Gebbie Foundation, Jamestown Up Close, and Jamestown YMCA.

Other events scheduled for that weekend in partnership with the downtown holiday parade:

• Santa will be ending his parade travels on Friday, December 4, at the Santa’s Family Workshop event hosted by the Jamestown YMCA from 7 to 9 pm. Santa’s Family Workshop includes holiday activities, food, and more.
• The Southern Tier Xpress hockey team is hosting an Ugly Xmas Sweater night at the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena after the parade. Puck drop is at 8:30 pm. Wear your best ugly holiday sweater for a chance to win great prizes.
• Toys for Tots will be accepting applications on December 4 from 1 to 4 pm and December 5 from 9 am to noon at the Lillian Vitanza Ney Renaissance Center at 119-121 W. Third Street. All applicants must meet the eligibility requirements and bring identification for themselves and all children along with proof of household income.
• The Reg Lenna Center for the Arts will be showing Elf starring Will Farrell on Saturday, December 5, at 2:00 pm. The showing is sponsored by Jamestown Up Close.

For more information on Jamestown Renaissance Corporation special events or to sign up for the Tinseltown Christmas Parade and Holiday Celebration, please visit www.jamestownrenaissance.org to download the appropriate application or call 716-664-2477 ext 226.

According to JRC officials, nearly 800 volunteers from all over southern Chautauqua County came together last Saturday to help spruce up downtown Jamestown, outlying neighborhoods, and the gateways into the city.

The JRC’s Edwin Rodriguez said that this year’s Hands On Jamestown set a volunteer participation record, while getting the city ready for summertime events and visitors.

The Jamestown Renaissance Corporation is a nonprofit organization that supports downtown and neighborhood revitalization in Jamestown, NY, by promoting reinvestment, stakeholder engagement, and innovation.

The event, presented by M&T Bank, is dedicated to cleaning downtown Jamestown, outlying neighborhoods, and major roadways that lead into the city.

“We have had a tremendous response from the community this year, especially from groups in our outlying neighborhoods,” said Edwin Rodriguez, events and marketing associate for the JRC. “Residents here want to start taking back their city and neighborhoods. Jamestown is much more than what you read in the negative headlines. We’re capable of doing great things,” said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez says volunteers will begin their morning at City Hall with an 8 a.m. check-in and registration. Gloves, tools, garbage bags, and other supplies are distributed by the City of Jamestown Parks Department at that time, but volunteers are encouraged to bring some of their own tools, as supplies are limited. Volunteers then disperse to their designated clean-up locations for the rest of the morning.

While most of the pre-registered volunteer have already been appointed to designated cleanup areas, Rodriguez says that any Volunteer who shows up to participate the day of the event will be assigned a location and will receive a t-shirt while supplies last.

Continental breakfast items, coffee, and water will be available at the start of the event with a thank you lunch at noon at Winter Garden Plaza on North Main Street.

For more information on Hands On Jamestown visit jamestownrenaissance.org or call 664-2477 ext 226.