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2010 Events on the Great Lakes Seaway Trail
These events, selected by our 11 county tourism promotion agencies, are found only in the Great Lakes Seaway Trail region. You’re invited to drive the byway to find the fun. Events are subject to change, so please call ahead to confirm dates & details. Plan your journey today!
Events are listed chronologically and are also labeled by region along the Great Lakes Seaway Trail. Please refer to the map at right which identifies the five Seaway Trail regions as you plan your journey.
Look for the Great Lakes Seaway Trail sign for special events at the Seaway Trail Discovery Center in Sackets Harbor, NY.
ONGOING
6/25-8/29 Lily Dale Assembly, Lily Dale, NY - Healing, meditation, workshops, clairvoyant demonstrations; 6/25-26 weekend: Tibetan Monks of Drepung Loseling Monastery, 716-595-8721, www.lilydaleassembly.com
6/26-8/29 137th Chautauqua Institution Season, Chautauqua, NY – Arts, education, religion, recreation programs all season; 6/26 “The Boys in Concert” w/ Broadway’s original “Jersey Boys” cast, 800-836-2787, www.ciweb.org
JULY
7/1-5 Oswego County Fair, Sandy Creek, NY - Grandstand, rides, parade, agriculture/4H displays, general admission/parking free; Oswego County Fairgrounds, 291 Ellisburg St. (Co. Rte. 22A), 315-387-3834 during fair, www.oswegocountyfair.com
7/2–4 Independence Day Festival, Fair Haven, NY – Family fun, boat parade, carnival rides, live music, fireworks, 315/947-6037, www.fairhavenny.com
7/3-4 Car Show/Block Dance & Blues Bash, Massena, NY – Car show/block dance 7/3; blues music in Springs Park 7/4, downtown sidewalk sales, family entertainment, 315-769-3525, www.massenachamber.com
7/3-5 French & Indian War Encampment: Siege of Fort Niagara, Youngstown, NY - Large scale battles, artillery bombardments, impressive pageantry, huge living history camps, 2000+ reenactors depict 1759 siege, Fort Niagara State Park, 716-745-7611, www.OldFortNiagara.org
7/3-8/22 Sterling Renaissance Festival & Sterling Celtic Rock Festival, Sterling, NY – 7/3-8/15 Sat/Sun only authentic Elizabethan festival w/arts, crafts, theater, jousting, games, 8/21-22 Rock Fest, 800-879-4446; www.empireattractions.com
7/6,13,20,27; 8/3,10,17, 24 8 Great Tuesdays, Erie, PA - Live music every Tuesday evening, different artist each week at Liberty Park/Pepsi Amphitheater, 814-455-7557, www.porterie.org
7/10 – “Down the Garden Path” Garden Tour, Knowlesville, NY – Flower, vegetable & herb gardens, educational materials, Master Gardeners, Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension, tickets: 585-798-4265x26, www.cce.cornell.edu/orleans
7/10-11 42nd French Festival, Cape Vincent, NY - Celebrate French heritage w/parade, pastries, block dance, 200+ crafters, band competitions, fireworks, Cape Vincent Chamber, 315-654-2481, www.capevincent.org
7/10-11 Lake Ontario Pro-Am Salmon & Trout Team Tournament, Oswego, NY - Amateur & pro teams fish from Oswego & Mexico ports, cash/prizes, weigh-in@Best Western Captain’s Quarters Hotel, 315-349-8322; www.lakeontarioproam.us
7/10-11 Corn Hill Arts Festival, Rochester, NY - 400+ artists, art & crafts for sale in historic Corn Hill neighborhood, live music, entertainers, 585-262-3142, www.cornhill.org
7/10-17 Nazareth College Arts Center Dance Festival, Rochester, NY - Celebration of dance w/parades, original work, free performances by regional dance companies, Nazareth College Arts Center, 585-389-2488, www.naz.edu
7/11 Concert & Fireworks, Mexico, NY - Accordionist Paul Riley, Mexico Brass Band, refreshments, Young Explosives fireworks, Mexico Point Park, off Great Lakes Seaway Trail (NYS 104B), 315-963-8216, http://howardsplace.net/manorhouse.html
7/12-18 193rd Jefferson County Fair, Watertown, NY - Country’s oldest continuously-running County Fair, midway, grandstand, games, food, agricultural displays, competitions, Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds, 315-782-8612, www.jeffcofair.org
7/15 Seaway Trail Discovery Center 10th Anniversary Celebration Sackets Harbor, NY. Free Discovery Center Admission, Gift Shop Discounts, Prizes, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, 315-646-1000, www.seawaytrail.com
7/15-17 Roar on the Shore, Erie, PA - 1000s of motorcycles & enthusiasts, roaring caravan through streets, music, food, Liberty Park, downtown, other areas, 800-815-2660, www.roarontheshore.com
7/15-18 Sorrento Cheese Buffalo Italian Heritage Festival, Buffalo, NY – Cooking demos, Italian Idol Contest, bocce tournament, genealogical research, bilingual Mass, religious processions, kids amusements/crafts, 716-877-1776, http://www.buffaloitalianfestival.com
7/16-18 Founder’s Day Weekend, Ogdensburg, NY – NYS Signature Event for 250th Anniversary Commemoration of French & Indian War, reenactors recreate last significant battle of British & French forces, Colonial trade fair, bateau race, 877-228-7810, www.fortlapresentation.net
7/16-17 Victorian Dazzle Festival, Fredonia, NY- Period costumes, ghost tours, lectures, antique vendors, variety of Victorian-era arts & entertainment, 716-679-0891, www.festivalsfredonia.com
7/17-18 Homecoming, Pultneyville, NY - Antiques, art/crafts, parade, Pultneyville Civic Light Opera performs “The Sorcerer” Fri- Sun, free Sunday concert in park, 315-589-9892, www.pultneyvillehistoricalsociety.org.
7/17-25 50th International Seaway Festival, Ogdensburg, NY - Entertainment, crafts, concerts, midway, fishing derby, fireworks 7/23, area’s largest parade 7/24, 315-393-3855, www.seawayfestival.com
7/18-25 Canal Fest of Tonawanda & North Tonawanda, NY - Nightly entertainment, crafts, adult/kiddie amusement, rides, games, parade, fireworks, Gateway Harbor Park along Erie Canal, 716-692-3292, www.canalfest.org
7/22-25 Harborfest, Oswego, NY - World-class fireworks over Lake Ontario Sat, music stages throughout city, 5-time ABA “Top 100 Event in North America,” 315-343-6858, www.oswegoharborfest.com
7/23-25 Discover Presque Isle Days, Presque Isle, PA - Art, children’s games/activities, beach volleyball, music, bonfire, Presque Isle State Park, 814-838-5138, www.discoverpi.com
7/23-8/1 Waterfront Festival, Henderson Harbor, NY - Classic car show, art, music, block dance, Military Day, Christmas in July, Wine Night, Salmon Spectacular (7/23-25), 315-938-9285, 888-938-5568, www.hendersonharborny.com
7/24-25 Civil War Weekend, Massena, NY - Union-Confederate battle re-enactments, encampments, period music, “President Abraham Lincoln,” vendors, children’s activities, displays, food, 315-386-8133, www.slcha.org
7/24-25 War of 1812 Encampment at Old Fort Niagara, Youngstown, NY - Re-visit time when British & American forces battled for control of frontier, night battle Saturday, Fort Niagara State Park, 716-745-7611, www.oldfortniagara.org
7/24-25 Garden Walk Buffalo, Buffalo, NY – Largest garden tour in US, self-guided, 341 urban, water, rock, cottage & vegetable gardens, historic neighborhoods, free, 716-879-0123, www.gardenwalkbuffalo.com
7/26-31 Orleans County 4-H Fair, Knowlesville, NY - Midway, stage entertainment, animals, 4-H youth exhibits, special food nights, merchandise, 585-798-4265, www.orleans4-Hfair.com
7/30 Seaway Trail Discovery Center Special Event: War of 1812, Zebulon Pike and Other Heroes Sackets Harbor, NY. Col. David Fitz-Enz, author of “Why A Soldier,” “The Final Invasion,” “Old Ironsides,” and “Redcoats’ Revenge” discusses the heroes of the War of 1812. Book signing before and after the presentation, 6:30 PM, $5, 315-646-1000, www.seawaytrail.com. Additional book signing from 1:00-3:00 on Saturday, July 31.
7/30-8/1 46th Antique Boat Show & Auction, Clayton, NY - 125+ entries, nautical marketplace, professional auction, entertainment, educational forum, dance, Grand Parade of Boats, The Antique Boat Museum, 315-868-4104, www.abm.org
7/31-8/1 War of 1812 North American Grand Tactical, Sackets Harbor, NY - American & Crown forces reenact living history: camp life, cooking, music, games, weaponry, dress, etiquette, dance, Sackets Harbor Battlefield State Historic Site, 315-646-3634, www.sacketsharborbattlefield.org
AUGUST
8/4–8 Gerry PRCA Rodeo, Gerry, NY - Oldest consecutive rodeo east of the Mississippi!, Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, beef BBQ, clown David “Hippy” Engelke, 716-985-4847, www.gerryrodeo.org
8/6-8 Homecoming, Waddington, NY - Celebrate life on the St. Lawrence River, crafts, antiques, quilts, entertainment, parade, races, picnic, fireworks, 315-388-4118, www.waddingtonny.org
8/6 – 8 42nd Stone Mills Craft Fair, LaFargeville, NY – 1000 Islands’ largest juried craft fair, 200+ quality crafters, demonstrators from US & Canada, Northern NY Agricultural Museum, 315-658-2353, www.stonemillsmuseum.org
8/6–15 Bill Johnston’s Pirates Days, Alexandria Bay, NY - Pirate invasions both weekends, tall ships, music, food, swashbuckling family fun throughout village, 800-541-2110, www.alexbay.org
8/7 CNY Wine & Jazz Fest, Wolcott, NY - Well-known jazz artists, upscale vendors & food on Main Street & at Northrup Park, 11am-7pm, www.wolcottny.org
8/11-22 America’s Fair: 171st Erie County Fair, Hamburg, NY - Mile-long midway, 2500+ animals, $500,000.00 in free entertainment, top name grandstand acts, food, The Fairgrounds, 716-649-3900, www.ecfair.org
8/13-15 Brigade of the American Revolution National Encampment, Oswego, NY – Revolutionary War drills/living history demonstrations, music, crafts, 18th century fashion show, lectures, children’s games, admission charged, 315-343-4711, www.fortontario.com
8/13 Seaway Trail Discovery Center Special Event: Deep Shipwrecks of Lake Ontario Sackets Harbor, NY. Shipwreck explorer Jim Kennard discusses notable wrecks found in the waters of Lake Ontario, 6:30 PM, $5, 315-646-1000, www.seawaytrail.com
8/14 Seaway Trail Discovery Center Special Event: More Shipwrecks of Lake Ontario Sackets Harbor, NY. Jim Kennard shares more of his shipwreck exploration experience with “The Final Chapter of USGC Cable Boat #56022,” “Discovery of the Schooner Orcadian,” and “Last Flight of the SeaBee,” 10:00 AM, $5, 315-646-1000, www.seawaytrail.com
8/14-15 44th Outdoor Fine Arts Festival & Chalkwalk Competition, Lewiston, NY - 150+ artists from US & Canada, Center Street, 716-754-0166, www.artcouncil.org
8/14–15 America’s Grape Country Wine Festival, Dunkirk, NY - Western NY’s largest wine festival, wineries, farmer’s market, craft show, music, seminars, Chautauqua County Fairgrounds, 800-965-4834, www.agcwinefestival.com
8/19-21 St. Lawrence International Junior Carp Tournament, Waddington, NY – Annual fishing school & 2-day youth fishing tournament along St. Lawrence River from Massena to Ogdensburg, 877-228-7810, www.northcountryguide.com
8/19-22 Celebrate Erie 2010! Erie, PA – 4-day extravaganza infuses downtown Erie w/unique spirit of pride & possibility, www.celebrateerie.com
8/20-9/6 LOC Fall Fishing Derby, Lake Ontario Counties, NY - Adult & youth derby, salmon, brown, lake or rainbow/steelhead trout & walleye categories, $20,000 grand prize, 888/733-5246, www.loc.org
8/21 26th Scottish Festival & Highland Games at Amherst Museum, Amherst, NY - Scottish heritage, food, traditional & contemporary Scottish & Celtic music, bagpipes, dancers, sheepherding, traditional games, 716-689-1440, http://www.amherstmuseum.org/
8/27-28 Historic Lewiston Jazz Festival, Lewiston, NY - 50+ musicians in various outdoor venues, antique show, car show, wine tasting, Center Street, 716-754-8271, www.lewistonjazz.com
8/28 Fair Haven Fishing Challenge, Fair Haven, NY - Tournament based on total weight of five fish caught by each boat, cookout, award ceremony, 315-947-6037, www.fairhavenny.com
8/28-29 Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts, Buffalo, NY – Premier art & environmental festival, family event, vibrant Elmwood Village, 716-830-2484, www.elmwoodartfest.org
SEPTEMBER
9/2-6 Blues in the Bay, Alexandria Bay, NY - Free open-air concerts, stroll thru resort community, additional performances at local hotels, restaurants & pubs, 800-541-2110, www.alexbay.org
9/3-5 Oswego Speedway International Classic Weekend, Oswego, NY - ROC Modified 125, SBS Classic 100, Supermodified Classic 200, Great Lakes Seaway Trail (NYS Rte 104 E), 315-342-0646, www.oswegospeedway.com
9/4 Ontario Barn Festival, Ontario, NY - Waitin’ On a Train, Hypnotic Clambake, AD Chandler, Burning Boots, art, crafts, $10 admission, 513 Whitney Rd, www.ontariobarnfestival.com
9/5 St. Rocco’s Italian Festival, Hulberton, NY - Bocce tournament, spaghetti dinner, Italian food, baked goods, farmer’s market, games, band along Canal, 585-638-6718
9/5 Bemus Bay Pops Labor Day Finale & Light the Lakes, Bemus Point, NY - End-of-summer celebration w/music, floating stage, fireworks that light lakes across Chautauqua County, 716-386-7000, www.ilovenylakes.com
9/10-12 Niagara County Peach Festival, Lewiston, NY – Free, alcohol-free family festival, shortcake, Peach Queen, games, crafts, rides, entertainment, parade Sat, Academy Park, 716-754-7214, 716-754-7745, www.lewistonkiwanis.org/ncpf.html
9/11 Erie Heritage Festival, Erie, PA - Philharmonic performance, fireworks, historical reenactments celebrate Erie’s maritime heritage, Liberty Park & Amphitheater/Downtown, 814-454-1813x0, www.erieheritagefest.com
9/11 Chamber Harvest Festival, Massena, NY - Sidewalk sales, farmer’s market, family activities, children’s activities at wooden playground, food 315-376-3525, www.massenachamber.com
9/11 Wooden Boat Festival, Fair Haven, NY - Locally-built boats from canoes & schooners to speed boats, owners share history, food, music, boat rides weather- permitting, 315-947-5399; www.pleasantbeach.com
9/11-12 Clothesline Festival, Rochester, NY - Original fine art & crafts for sale, hundreds of NY artists, live entertainment, art class demos, Memorial Art Gallery, 585-276-8900, www.mag.rochester.edu/clothesline/
9/17-19, 24-26 Oktoberfest, Irondequoit, NY - Celebrate German heritage, authentic cuisine, music: The Saxons, Auslanders… at Camp Eastman, Lakeshore Blvd, 585-336-6070, www.irondequoit.org
9/18 Boldt Castle Wine Festival & Farmers Market, Alexandria Bay, NY - Historic landmark, regional tastes from local wineries & agricultural sites, walk island paths enjoying music, 315-482-9724, www.boldtcastle.com
9/18-19 Canaltown Days, Palmyra, NY - Historical community celebration on Erie Canal, art, crafts, food, parade, canal boat rides, www.palmyracanaltowndays.org
9/18-19 Niagara Celtic Festival & Highland Games, Olcott, NY - Traditional foods, games, crafts & music, Krull Park, 716-778-5730, www.NiagaraCeltic.com
9/18-10/24 – Brown’s Berry Patch Fall Harvest Celebration & Corn Mazes, Waterport, NY – Weekends only, pick-your-own pumpkins, apples & raspberries; corn mazes, hayrides, pony rides, 14264 Roosevelt Hwy, 585-682-5569, www.brownsberrypatch.com
9/24-26 Wine Country Harvest Festival, North East, PA - Wine tasting, art, crafts, food, live entertainment, Gravel Pit Park, winery tours, 814-725-4262 www.nechamber.org
9/24-26 Harvest Fest at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery, Medina, NY - Fresh regional produce, autumn activities, entertainment, tickets include wine tasting/glass, 10609 Rte 104 (Ridge Rd), 585-318-4418, www.oakeswinery.com
9/24-10/31 Screamer’s Hollow, Sterling, NY - Haunted hayride, outdoor maze, trail & village, “Nightmares Alive,” “Hell’s Gate” w/food, games, roaming characters, stage entertainment, 800-879-4446, www.empireattractions.com
9/24-12/31 Beyond/In Western New York 2010: Alternating Currents, Erie & Niagara Counties, NY – Biennial, multi-venue regional exhibition includes non-regional artists from US/abroad for 1st time, interpreting power/energy theme, 716-882-8700, www.beyondinwny.org
9/25 New York Power Authority Wildlife Festival, Massena, NY – Petting zoo, natural history demonstrations, crafts, food, vendors, FDR Power Project Visitor Center, www.nypa.gov/community.html
9/25 NYSDEC Salmon River Hatchery National Hunting & Fishing Day Open House, Altmar, NY – Free, fly-tying/casting, fishing instruction, stream ecology, fish petting zoo, artists at Salmon River Falls, 9/25 art auction, NYSDEC Salmon River Fish Hatchery, 315-298-7605
9/25-26 National Alpaca Farm Day at Sandy Creek Alpacas, Kendall, NY – Fiber demonstrations, fiber studio, alpaca gifts, refreshments, 10am-6pm, 585-659-9165, www.sandycreekalpacas.com
OCTOBER
10/2-3 Niagara Apple Fest, Lockport, NY - Farm fresh offerings, apple education, exhibitions, demos, kid’s area, entertainment, 10am-5pm, County fairgrounds, 4487 Lake Road, www.NiagaraAppleFest.com
10/2–3 CNY Pumpkinfest, Oswego, NY - Giant pumpkins, games, rides, food, entertainment, crafts, Washington Square Park, Greater Oswego Fulton Chamber of Commerce, 315-343-7681, www.oswegofultonchamber.com
10/8-10 River Romance, Rochester, NY - Outdoor activities along Genesee River Corridor, one of Northeast’s finest regattas, 585-428-6690, 585-428-5990, www.cityofrochester.gov
10/8-11 Apple Tasting Tour, Wayne County, NY - Visit farm markets, taste many apple varieties, enter to win prizes, free gifts, map: 800-527-6510, www.waynecountytourism.com
10/8-17 ImageOut Gay & Lesbian Film & Video Festival, Rochester, NY - George Eastman House Dryden Theatre, Little & Cinema theatres, NY’s largest LGBT film festival outside NY City, 585-271-2640, www.ImageOut.org
10/9-11 Brown’s Berry Patch Fall Harvest Celebration, Waterport, NY - Saturday 5K run, Sat/Sun craft show, family entertainment, 14264 Roosevelt Hwy, 585-682-5569, www.brownsberrypatch.com
10/9-10, 16-17 Peek'n Peak Fall Festival, Findley Lake, NY - Family fun, juried crafters, farmer's market, ski lift rides, fall foliage, equipment swap children’s activities, 716-355-4141, www.pknpk.com
10/14-16 Candlelight Ghost Tours at Fort Ontario, Oswego, NY - CNY’s premier historic ghost tours, costumed interpretation, special effects, refreshments, advance tickets required, Fort Ontario State Historic Site, 315-343-4711, www.fortontario.com
10/16-17 Binational Doors Open Niagara, Niagara Region of NY & Ontario, Canada – Visit historical & architecturally-significant locations, including Western Great Lakes Seaway Trail sites in Erie, Niagara & Orleans counties, 716-849-5834, http://www.doorsopenniagara.ca/
10/29-31 Hallowine Murder Mystery at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery, Medina, NY - Celebrate Halloween w/murder mystery & Niagara Wine Trail event, 10609 Ridge Rd (Route 104), 585-318-4418, www.niagarawinetrail.org
NOVEMBER
11/6-7 32nd Fall Harvest Antique Show & Sale, Williamson, NY - 50 quality dealers from 8 counties, glass/china restoration, antique appraisals Sunday 12-4pm, Williamson High School, Route 21.
11/6–7, 13-14 Harvest Wine Weekends on Chautauqua-Lake Erie Wine Trail, Forestville, NY to North East, PA - Sample fall vegetables, local produce used to prepare foods from soup to dessert, paired w/select wines, 877-326-6561, www.chautauquawinetrail.org
11/14 17th Wayne County Bed & Breakfast Tour, Wayne County, NY - Self-guided, 12-5pm B&B homes tour from Lake Ontario to Erie Canal, tickets $10 advance sale, 888-997-1998, www.waynecountybandb.com
2011
2/12-20 River Shiver, Ogdensburg, NY – Winter festival w/polar bear plunge (1st Sat), War of 1812 Battle of Ogdensburg reenactment (2nd weekend), chili cook-off, ice fishing derby, sporting tournaments, 315-393-3620, www.ogdensburgny.com
3/19-20 Great Lakes Seaway Trail Quilt Show Sackets Harbor, NY. Quilts on display featuring NY & PA’s Published Quilters Showcase: The Works of Quilting Authors & Designers, Vendors, Demonstrations. 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, $5, 315-646-1000, www.seawaytrail.com