The Festival of Grapes will hold its annual parade on Sunday at noon in the village of Silver Creek.

SILVER CREEK — The pleasant smell of grapes again fills the air down Route 5 just outside of Silver Creek. It is that time of year again.

The Village of Silver Creek is looking forward to the 58th annual Festival of Grapes, which returns to its previous format of a four-day festival beginning Thursday.

The festival opens at 4 p.m. Thursday, with opening ceremonies and grape stomping taking place in the evening, at approximately 5:30 p.m., before the festival closes at 9 p.m. Silver Creek principals and Superintendent Dr. Katie Ralston will be among the ceremonial grape stompers.

“If you’re in the area, please support the Grape Festival,” Ralston said at the district’s latest Board of Education meeting, which was moved up a week to encourage district attendance at the festival.

High School Principal Heather Krystofiak said she is “so excited” for the grape stomping competition, as she will be matched up with Ralston and Middle School Principal Sydney Neubauer. “We’ll see who’s the best stomper,” Ralston joked.

Amusement park rides are open all four days of the festival. The festivities also include live music, beginning Thursday, as Paul Alguire will perform from 7-9 p.m., in front of the back line.

Friday, the festival runs from noon until 10 p.m., with the Beer Tent opening for the festival weekend. Dan Siracuse will perform live music at the gazebo in the Village Square from 6-8 p.m., while DTO will perform at the Youth Recreation Building from 7-10 p.m., Friday.

Saturday, Sept. 13, the festival opens at noon and runs through 10 p.m. Live performers include Keith Medley from 2-4 p.m. at the gazebo; Kokomo Time Band from 4-7 p.m. in front of the back line; and Silver Extreme at the Youth Recreation Building from 7-10 p.m.

Town of Hanover Supervisor Lou Pelletter, who also acts as Village of Silver Creek Historian, will offer tours of Silver Creek’s historic Dining Car from 1-4 p.m. Saturday. Pelletter also plans to display historic items from the career of Howard Ehmke, a Major League Baseball pitcher from Silver Creek. Ehmke won Game 1 of the 1929 World Series as the starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics. He also threw a no-hitter on Sept. 7, 1923.

Sunday, the festival runs from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., including a parade at noon. A classic car cruise-in will be held Sunday, beginning at 9 a.m., at Kuppel Tire & Wheel. Crafts and other activities will also be available throughout all four days of the festival.

The Village Board elected to expand its open container boundaries during the Festival of Grapes to include the Village Square, as well as the Village Ballpark, for the hours that the Beer Tent is open, beginning on Friday.

Merritt Winery will provide five security guards for the event, while the Village and the Festival of Grapes will provide an additional three security guards. Chautauqua County Sheriffs and the State Police are both aware of the situation, as well.

“I don’t expect it to be a problem. I hope it’s not a problem. I think we have adequate coverage,” Mayor Jeff Hornburg said.

Moving forward, Hornburg stated that the Festival of Grapes is seeking members willing to contribute to the festival in the coming years. This year’s committee was down several members during the planning of the event. “An influx of 4-6 people would really be a feather in their cap,” Hornburg said.

For more information about the 58th annual Festival of Grapes, visit festivalofgrapes.org