GENEVA — Grape-stained feet in mid-air is how Bonnie Padavick of Euclid concluded her grape stomping experience at the 49th Grape JAMboree Saturday afternoon.

Padavick was one of five adults picked to compete in the  grape stomping contest on the JAM-boree main stage in downtown Geneva.

Padavick was stomping intently when she lost her balance and fell out of the back of the large stomping bucket. She was not injured and had a big smile on her face for the crowd surrounding the stage.

The grape stomping event was one of many connected with the festival that is celebrating its 49th year of fun.

Becky Pacrall moved to Geneva in 1976 and has been a happy participant ever since. She said it is exciting that her grandson is marching the same parade route with his Cub Scout troop that his father walked many years ago.

Pacrall also participates in the Assumption Church grape pie-making enterprise. “This year I popped eyeballs,” she said of the important process of squeezing the grape from its covering.

“I’m a part of the 1,000 grape pies at Assumption. The actual number (of pies baked) was 1,008,” she said.

The tradition of experiencing the Grape JAMboree up close and personal extends to many people who don’t live in Geneva.

“We come every year. We go camping and then come to the festival,” said Elizabeth O’Rourke of Cortland. She said her family came to the festival when she was a child.

“Now we bring the kids,” she said.

The festival officially got rolling late Friday night when the streets were blocked just before 9 p.m., said festival general assistant Vicki Gomez.

“They start putting up the barricades about 8:45 and if they (cars) aren’t out by 9 p.m. they are towed,” she said.

“We’re off to a great start. The weather’s been terrific,” said committee member Jim Ales while waiting for the parade to get rolling.

Ales said the key is planning that starts with monthly meetings beginning in March. “It’s a long process,” he said.

Jackie Peck could barely contain her excitement as she waited for her daughter to ride through town as Miss Grapette. Katie Peck was crowned Sept. 22 and the family has been on a whirlwind high ever since.

“I’m so excited. Lots of tears of joy ... I’m beside myself,” she said.

Jackie Peck said her mother, Betty Cunningham, missed the first Grape JAMboree and instilled that love of the festival in her daughter.

“I never missed one and my kids have not missed one. We would come down at 7 a.m. and put our chairs out (for the parade) and stay here until late at night and then come back and do it again (on Sunday),” Jackie Peck said.

There has been one concession since Jackie married Jim Peck.

“I’ve talked her into 8 a.m.,” he said with a laugh.

Dozens of volunteers make the event possible.

Portable phones, plugged into temporary checks mounted on utility poles make parade committee communication possible.

The parade lasts more than an hour and strings for several miles. Two trunks of the parade come together at Swan Street and Route 20.

Parade volunteers have a detailed list of parade order and steps to make sure that order is not breached. Volunteers give the green light for the next unit to come from either Swan Street or the line formed on Route 20.

About a half block east of Swan Street two more volunteers use one of the portable phones to communicate with the judges in downtown Geneva.

A second parade will roll through downtown Geneva this afternoon starting at 2 p.m. A junior grape stomping, 18 and under, is scheduled for 12:45 this afternoon followed by an adult grape-stomping event that will occur at 1:15 p.m. on the main stage at the intersection of Route 20 and Route 534.

The community is celebrating the 49th edition of the annual event and looking to bigger and better things next year.

“Next year we want everybody to come,” Braun said of the golden anniversary celebration.