About Old Home Days

In 1972, George and Corrine Klein, along with Charlie and Carol Klafka, and Bruno and Gloria Yetto, saw an event taking place in St. Catherine's Ontario called Oktoberfes. They thought it would be great to do something similar in Williamsville.  So, they decided to create a group that would host this event and then donate the proceeds to charity. After a couple meetings, they couldn’t come up with a group name. One of the original members, Wally Evans' wife, Bea, said the men were always happy and she nicknamed them "The Jolly Boys." The name stuck and The Jolly Boys went on to host Old Home Days every year in July.

 The festival started in 1973 in St. Peter and Paul’s parking lot.  Many local agencies were involved in planning and bringing the event to life. Each year since, Old Home Days has evolved and grown in to the event it is today. Each year in July, The Jolly Boys put on a 4-day festival that celebrates the community with rides, games, food and entertainment at Island Park in Williamsville, NY. All proceeds from this event are donated to local children’s organizations and charities.

For a complete list of everything that happens during Old Home Days events, visit our schedule page.   

To learn more about how The Jolly Boys serve the community, visit www.jollyboys.org