The holiday season has officially arrived, and the Steet Ponte Auto Group is excited to once again take part in the Shriners Annual FEZtival of Trees — held at the Masonic Home Auditorium from November 22nd through November 28th! This year, our theme is “Driving into the Holidays,” and we had such a fun time setting up our festive display with some of our team before the event kicked off. Our tree is decorated with a cheerful automotive twist — and it’s surrounded by some incredible gifts, including TWO battery-powered ride-on vehicles: a Chevy Colorado and a Ford Bronco! 🎄 Here’s how it works: The event is FREE to attend, and raffle tickets are just $5 each. You can use your tickets to enter to win any of the themed Christmas trees on display — including ours! Each winner gets to take home the entire decorated tree and all of the gifts underneath it, plus there are plenty of additional raffle baskets to win throughout the event. We’re so proud to support this wonderful community tradition that helps raise funds for the Shriners and all the good they do locally. It’s always a joy to see the creativity that goes into every tree and to be a part of such a fun, family-friendly celebration. Be sure to stop by, check out all the trees, and don’t miss our “Driving into the Holidays” display for your chance to win! 🚗✨ Shriners Annual FEZtival of Trees 📍 Masonic Home Auditorium, Utica 📅 November 22nd–28th 🎟️ Free admission | Raffle tickets $5 From all of us at the Steet Ponte Auto Group, we wish you a joyful start to the holiday season — and happy tree viewing!
Steet Toyota of Yorkville’s 2nd Annual Trunk or Treat Was a Spooktacular Hit!
The fall festivities were in full swing at Steet Toyota of Yorkville for our 2nd Annual Trunk or Treat, and we’re thrilled to share that it was another HUGE success! From the moment doors opened, we had a line wrapped around the building — a clear sign that our community was ready for a fun, safe, and festive Halloween celebration. We were lucky enough to enjoy perfect weather, with the rain holding off for the entirety of the event, making it an ideal day for trick-or-treating and family fun. This year, we had some exciting new additions to the event: The REAL Ghostbusters ECTO-1 vehicle, a huge hit with kids and adults alike Delicious food from Scott’s Tot’s Food Truck Steet Toyota treat bag giveaways Pumpkin giveaways A visit from the New Hartford Fire Department, complete with one of their trucks for the kids to see up close Not just candy, but also little toys and prizes, so every attendee had something to enjoy Our team loved seeing families and kids exploring the decorated trunks, enjoying the treats, and celebrating the season together. Events like Trunk or Treat are so special because they give us the chance to create a safe, fun, and community-focused environment for families to make memories together. A huge thank you to everyone who attended — your excitement and participation made the day unforgettable! From all of us at Steet Toyota of Yorkville, we can’t wait to see you again next year for another spooktacular celebration.
Steet Toyota's 13th Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive: Supporting Feed Our Vets of Central New York
Steet Toyota and the Steet Ponte Auto Group are proud to announce our 13th Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive, happening now across all of our dealership locations — Steet Ponte Chevy in Herkimer, United Auto Sales of Utica, Steet Ponte Volkswagen, Steet Ponte Ford Lincoln, Steet Ponte Mazda, Steet Toyota of Yorkville, and Steet Ponte Nissan! This year, we’re honored to partner with Feed Our Vets of Central New York, a wonderful nonprofit food pantry dedicated to providing food assistance to Veterans and their families in need. Their mission to support those who have served our country is one that deeply resonates with our entire team, and we’re excited to help make a difference this holiday season and beyond. Each of our showrooms has a vehicle set up and ready to be filled with nonperishable food donations! The organization has shared a few of their most needed items, including: Hearty soups Canned meats Pasta and sauce Bisquick and syrup Nonperishable fruits and vegetables Your donations will go directly to helping local Veterans and their families — not only during the Thanksgiving season, but well after the holidays end. 🦃 Our Food Drive is happening NOW through Monday, November 24th at 10AM! And as a special thank-you, if you bring in 3 or more nonperishable items to our Service Department, you’ll receive $10 off your service visit! Just show your donation to our Service Department team to redeem your discount. (Offer valid through 11/24.) Join us in giving back to those who’ve given so much. Every can, box, or bag of food helps us get one step closer to filling our vehicles — and filling the shelves at Feed Our Vets of Central New York. From all of us at the Steet Ponte Auto Group family, thank you for helping make this season brighter for our local Veterans and their families.
A Record-Breaking 8th Annual Coats for Kids Drive!
The Steet Ponte Auto Group is thrilled to share the incredible success of our 8th Annual Coats for Kids Coat Drive — and this year was truly one for the record books! Thanks to the amazing generosity of our customers, employees, and community members, we collected an astounding 1,425 items of winter outerwear! That includes: 🧥 444 winter coats 🧤 819 hats and gloves 🧣 12 scarves ❄️ 7 snow suits 👢 2 pairs of boots When we first started this initiative eight years ago, our entire group collected around 250 total items between all eight stores. To see that number multiply by seven is nothing short of incredible! This year, we donated to Utica, Rome, Herkimer, CVA, Frankfort, Mayfield and Gloversville Elementary Schools! From Steet Ponte Chevy in Herkimer, Steet Ponte Ford Lincoln, Steet Ponte Mazda, Steet Ponte VW, Steet Toyota of Yorkville, Steet Ponte Nissan, Steet Toyota of Johnstown, and United Auto Sales of Utica, our entire dealership family is so proud and grateful for everyone who donated or helped us spread the word. We know how cold Central New York winters can be, and these coats, hats, and gloves will make such a difference for local kids — helping them start their school day warm and comfortable, and giving them the chance to play outside at recess or after school with smiles on their faces. To everyone who contributed, thank you for your kindness and community spirit. Your support continues to make this annual effort bigger and more impactful every year, and we can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together next time! ❤️ From all of us at the Steet Ponte Auto Group — thank you for helping keep local kids warm this winter!
Steet Toyota Supports CABVI’s Annual Dark Dining Event
The team at Steet Toyota of Yorkville is proud to support the Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CABVI) at their Annual Dark Dining Event! This inspiring event raises funds for CABVI, a nonprofit organization whose mission is: "To empower individuals of all ages who are blind or visually impaired to live full and independent lives by providing innovative programs, services, and support." This year, Steet Toyota contributed a Premium Car Care Package, including: Interior and exterior reconditioning ($300 value) Full synthetic oil change and tire rotation A Toyota hat and sweatshirt In addition, we donated funds to help purchase and raffle off an Oculus VR headset, providing attendees another chance to win a fun, high-tech prize while supporting this important cause. The Dark Dining Event, held at the Delta Marriott in Utica, is not only a fundraiser but also an educational experience. Guests enjoy a silent auction, raffles, and fun activities throughout the night, and have the unique opportunity to experience what it’s like to dine in total darkness. By wearing blindfolds or special glasses provided by CABVI representatives, attendees gain a glimpse into the challenges faced by those living with vision impairments — a truly eye-opening (and heart-opening) experience. Steet Toyota is honored to support such a meaningful organization that provides empowerment, independence, and opportunity for people who are blind or visually impaired in our community. It’s a privilege to help CABVI continue its important work and make a positive impact for so many local residents. From all of us at Steet Toyota, thank you to CABVI for letting us be part of this inspiring event — we’re proud to help make a difference!
Steet Ponte Auto Group’s 12th Annual Halloween Costume Contest Was a Spooktacular Success!
We’re 12 years strong with our Annual Halloween Costume Contest, and this year was another blast! Every year, we love seeing how creative, funny, and inventive our employees can be with their costumes — and 2025 did not disappoint. From solo outfits to entire store groups getting into the spirit, the competition was fierce and the results were amazing. For the past several years, our contest categories have been judged by none other than Joe Steet Sr. and Steve Ponte Sr., and this year, our winners are: 🎨 Best DIY: Rain Storm — Suzi Smith, Steet Ponte VW 😂 Funniest: Technician Bananas — Steet Toyota Yorkville 📺 Best Pop Culture: Pirates of the Caribbean — Liz Uebelhoer & Will Marriott, Steet Ponte Ford Lincoln ✨ Most Creative: Moana Family — Josh Perez, Steet Ponte Chevy 👥 Best Group: Crayon Box — Steet Ponte Nissan (entire store dressed up!) 🏆 Joe’s Favorite: 50’s Sock Hop — Cyndi Wilson, United Auto Sales 🌸 Steve’s Favorite: 70’s Hippie — Amy Biggie, Steet Toyota Johnstown From clever DIY costumes to full-group efforts, our employees never fail to impress. The creativity, humor, and teamwork shown in this year’s contest reflect the fun-loving spirit that makes our Steet Ponte Auto Group family so special. A huge congratulations to all of our winners and participants — your efforts helped make this another memorable and festive Halloween across all of our stores.
👻 Steet Toyota of Yorkville’s 2nd Annual Trunk or Treat!
After last year’s success, Steet Toyota of Yorkville is thrilled to announce the return of our 2nd Annual Trunk or Treat event! Families are invited to join us for a fun-filled, safe evening of Halloween fun right here at the dealership. This year, we’re making things even more exciting with TWO new additions to the event lineup: The real-life Ghostbusters Ectomobile truck will be on site! Food from Scott's Tot's Food Truck A special visit from the New Hartford Fire Department Make your way through our decorated trunks, stay for some food, and have a great evening! 🎃 Event Details: 📅 Thursday, October 23rd 🕕 6:00 PM – until supplies last 📍 Steet Toyota of Yorkville, 4991 Commercial Drive in Yorkville This is a FREE family-friendly event, so bring your costumes, your candy bags, and your Halloween spirit—we can’t wait to see you there!
🏈 Steet Toyota of Yorkville Celebrates with a Fun-Filled Tailgate Party!
What a fantastic day it was at Steet Toyota of Yorkville on Saturday, September 27th! We were thrilled to celebrate winning a regional sales contest through Toyota and wanted to share the excitement with our amazing customers and community. The weather was beautiful, the energy was high, and the fun didn’t stop! Guests enjoyed a steady stream of activities, including: Delicious food from Piggy Pat’s and Roma’s Streaming the SU game live from the back of a Toyota Sequoia Tons of fun lawn games provided by Toyota Free Toyota merchandise, which went quickly thanks to our enthusiastic guests It was a day full of community spirit, great food, and friendly competition—all while celebrating our team’s success. We were thrilled to see so many smiling faces and can’t wait to make next year’s Tailgate Party even bigger and better! A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for the celebration. Your support and energy made the day truly special. Stay tuned for updates on future events—you won’t want to miss what we have planned!
Steet Toytoa Launches 8th Annual Coats for Kids Drive
The Steet Ponte Auto Group is proud to announce the return of our 8th Annual Coats for Kids Coat Drive! As the colder months approach, we are once again collecting NEW winter outerwear in any children’s size to help keep local kids warm this winter. We invite our community to join us in this mission by donating coats, snow pants, boots, hats, mittens, gloves, and scarves. Donations can be dropped off at Steet Toyota of Yorkville: 4991 Commercial Drive, Yorkville, NY —just look for the specially designated vehicle or drop-off area in our showrooms. How We’re Giving Back This year, each of our stores is partnering with schools in their community to directly support local families in need: Steet Toyota of Johnstown – donating to Mayfield and Gloversville Elementary Schools Steet Ponte Chevy (Herkimer) & Yorkville stores – donating to Herkimer, CVA, and Frankfort Elementary Schools and Utica and Rome City Schools How You Can Help If you’d like to participate, simply bring a donation of new children’s winter outerwear to any of our dealerships. Whether it’s a warm coat, sturdy boots, or cozy mittens, every item will help make a difference for a child in our community. Together, with your help, we can ensure that kids across the Mohawk Valley and Fulton County stay warm, safe, and ready to learn this winter.
23rd Annual Steet Ponte Auto Group Golf Tournament Recap
On Sunday, August 17th, Steet Ponte Auto Group proudly hosted our 23rd Annual Golf Tournament at Heron Creek Golf Course in Clinton, NY. This annual tradition brings together our employees, vendors, and valued business partners for a fun-filled day on the course—and this year was no exception! We had wonderful representation from all of our stores —Steet Toyota of Johnstown, Steet Ponte Chevy, United Auto Sales, Steet Ponte VW, Steet Ponte Ford, Steet Ponte Lincoln, and Steet Toyota of Yorkville. It’s always great to see everyone come together not just as coworkers, but as one big Steet Ponte family. The day included breakfast at registration, putting contests, lunch at the turn, a full dinner, and prizes for all participants. A huge thank you goes out to our sponsors, who helped make the day such a success, and to our Event Coordinator, Barb Mazzotta, who worked tirelessly to organize every detail of the tournament. From start to finish, Barb made sure everything ran smoothly, creating an experience that everyone could enjoy. We also keep things fresh each year by rotating golf courses, which adds to the excitement and makes every tournament unique. After such a fantastic turnout this year, we’re already looking forward to next year’s event! The Steet Ponte Auto Group golf tournament is one of our favorite traditions—it gives us the chance to celebrate our amazing team, strengthen relationships with our partners, and simply enjoy a great day together. Thank you again to everyone who joined us, and we can’t wait to see you all next year!
Steet Toyota Hosts 2nd Annual Backpack & School Supplies Drive
At Steet Toyota, giving back to our community is at the heart of what we do. This August, our dealerships came together for our 2nd Annual Backpack & School Supplies Drive —and we’re thrilled to share the impact it made! With generous donations collected across all eight of our dealerships, we were able to purchase and deliver over 500 backpacks, each filled with essential school supplies, to local elementary students. Our goal was simple: to help students in need start the school year strong and on the right foot—and thanks to our team and community, we did just that. One Friday, a dedicated group of our employees rolled up their sleeves and spent the day packing the backpacks with everything a student might need: Notebooks Folders Pencils Crayons A ruler Glue sticks Erasers Highlighters A pencil pouch Each dealership then proudly donated the backpacks to local schools in their community: Steet Toyota of Johnstown: 130 backpacks to Johnstown and Gloversville Elementary Schools Steet Ponte Chevy (Herkimer): 124 backpacks to Herkimer, CVA, and Frankfort Elementary Schools United Auto Sales, Steet Ponte VW, Steet Ponte Ford Lincoln, Steet Ponte Mazda, Steet Toyota of Yorkville, and Steet Ponte Nissan: 250 backpacks to the Utica City School District We are incredibly proud of our team and grateful for everyone who contributed to make this initiative possible. Education is one of the most powerful tools for a brighter future, and we’re honored to support local students as they head back into the classroom this school year. Here’s to another successful drive—and to continuing our tradition of giving back to the communities we serve!
Steet Toyota of Yorkville Backs World-Ranked Speedgolfer Lauren Steates Cupp at NYS Speedgolf Sprint!
At Steet Toyota of Yorkville, we love celebrating remarkable local talent—especially when they’re gaining global recognition. We are thrilled to have sponsored Lauren Steates Cupp, the #1 women’s speedgolfer in the world, as she competed in the NYS Speedgolf Sprint, held right here at Rome Country Club! What makes this even more special? Although she and our Steet family share only similar names—not relations—they all grew up together in New Hartford, making this a hometown connection we’re truly proud of. What Is Speedgolf? Speedgolf is an exhilarating fusion of golf and running. The goal is simple: complete 18 holes as fast as possible—running the course while bearing your clubs—and record just how quickly you do it. Scoring combines strokes and time: one minute equals one stroke (e.g., an 80-stroke round in 60 minutes yields a score of 140:00) Wikipedia speedgolfusa.com. Players often carry a lightweight bag or just a few clubs and move fast between shots, trimming the game’s duration while maintaining precision MASSGOLF Topend Sports. Lauren Steates Cupp: A Speedgolf Champion Lauren is not just any competitor—she’s dominated the sport across the globe. Her accolades are truly impressive: Top-ranked female Speedgolfer in the world —ranked #1 consistently since 2018 Hamilton College Facebook. World record holder: shot a 1-under 72 in just 50 minutes, 48 seconds (speed score: 122.48) at the 2021 NY Speedgolf Open at Teugega Country Club Global Golf Post Hamilton College. World and U.S. Champion (2018), plus titles in Japan, Kentucky, Alabama, New York, California, and Ohio Opens Hamilton College. British Speedgolf Champion —with a remarkable 68 in 40:05 (total score: 108.05) Global Golf Post Hamilton College. Victorious in the NYS Speedgolf Sprint, placing first in the women’s elite division—and fourth overall cny.pga.com. Beyond Speedgolf, Lauren serves as the head coach for Hamilton College’s men’s and women’s golf teams. Under her leadership, her teams have earned NESCAC championships and NCAA qualifications; individually, her athletes have earned All-American and all-region honors Hamilton College. Why We’re Proud to Support Lauren Local Roots: It's a homegrown story—neighbors from New Hartford making waves worldwide. Trailblazer: Lauren’s blend of speed, stamina, and precision exemplifies athletic excellence. Role Model: She’s not just a champion—she’s a coach, a mom, a leader, and an inspiration. Steet Toyota of Yorkville is honored to stand behind Lauren Steates Cupp as she represents our region—and the sport of Speedgolf—with unmatched dedication and success. From the NYS Speedgolf Sprint to championships on the world stage, she continues to redefine what golf can look like. Here’s to many more record-breaking rounds and inspiring performances!