Published: October 09, 2008 02:25 pm            

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: Cabbage Festival lauded by mag

Porter’s Cabbage Festival has garnered the tiny Niagara County town some big-time attention.

The festival, which took place for the fifth time earlier this month on the Ransomville Fire Company grounds, was named by Travel and Leisure Magazine as one of the 11 best fall fests for families nationwide.

The writing team cited the many activities available for all ages in Porter, including a petting zoo, pony rides and pumpkin painting.

“If you’ve ever wanted to see some 3,000 people get creative with cabbage, this festival’s for you,” read the magazine’s report. “The highlight? The Cabbage Leaf Costume Show, where local celebrities model custom cabbage couture.

“If the family has a competitive spirit, harvest festivals offer a plethora of opportunities to show off. In Porter, kids find an irrational joy in jettisoning cabbages across a field.”

The magazine also lauded the winery tastings and picturesque scenery the festival provides.

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Niagara Falls will make a cameo appearance on an upcoming edition of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

The show, which sees a team of designers and construction experts renovate the houses of worthy families, recently began work on the home of Susan and Dirk DeVries of Albert Lee, Minn., twincities.com reported. While the work is being done, the family is on vacation in the Falls; the series often incorporates brief shots from the families’ vacations into the program.

ABC has yet to determine an airdate for the DeVries’ episode, the site reported.

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Buffalo’s sports fans placed third on a recent nationwide survey of which city’s inhabitants are most rabid about their teams.

The poll from Scarborough Sports Marketing revealed that 63 percent of Buffalo fans are “very interested” in the pro/college sports in their hometown, well above the national average of 56 percent. Howard Goldberg, company vice president, said Buffalo — like many of the leading cities — has a couple major teams carrying the market.

The company’s report said that the Bills dominate this area, with 66 percent of residents classifying themselves as football fans. The Bills were also 12th on the lost of most-followed teams, a list topped by the Green Bay Packers at 81 percent.

Based on percent of market, Buffalo has the largest home city fan base of any NHL community (59 percent of residents say they’re fans). The Sabres placed 25th on the most-followed franchise list.

Columbus, Ohio, was first overall with 66 percent. Rochester was eighth overall with 62 percent.

        

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