Chautauqua Lake Living

Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau E-NEWS May 2013

what's happening

May 2, 2013 - "Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!" Live in HD, 1891 Fredonia Opera House

May 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31, 2013 - Wits n' Giggles: Friday Night Comedy, Jamestown Savings Bank Arena

May 3-5, 2013 - Wine and Cheese Weekend, Lake Erie Wine Country

May 4, 2013 - Cross Roads Farm & Craft Market Opens, Westfield

May 10, 2013 - David Francey in Concert, 1891 Fredonia Opear House

May 11, 2013 - National Train Day, Jamestown Gateway Train Station

May 11, 2013 - Ice Dreams Tour, Jamestown Savings Bank Arena

May 25, 2013 - Grape Discovery Center Opens, Westfield

May 25-26 & June 1-2, 2013 - Open Studio Tour, Chautauqua-Lake Erie Art Trail

May 31 - June 16, 2013 - Chautauqua-in-June, a celebration of farms, food and drink

upcoming events

Strawberry Festival - June 8-9, 2013

Roger Tory Peterson Birding Festival - June 8-9, 2013

Bach & Beyond Baroque Music Festival - June 14-16, 2013

Chautauqua Institution Season Opens - June 22, 2013

Bemus Bay Pops Concert Series Begins - Floating Stage, Bemus Point

Lily Dale Assembly Season Opens - June 28, 2013

Lucille Ball Festival of Comedy - August 1-4, 2013

See a full calendar of events happening throughout Chautauqua County.

vacation planning

Planning a trip to Chautauqua County ? Request a copy of the 2013 I Love NY Chautauqua County Visitors Guide by calling the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau at 866-908-ILNY (4569) or visit us online.

Wine and Cheese Weekend
May 2-5, 2013

Lake Erie Wine Country will kick-off the 2013 season with their annual Wine & Cheese Weekend event on May 3, 4 and 5. Ticket holders will visit any or all of 23 participating wineries where they will enjoy a special wine paired with food samples created with exquisite Yancey's Fancy cheeses. Ticket holders will receive a food and wine pairing sample at each winery, additional wine tastings, a wine glass, recipe booklet, $5 voucher for wine purchase, and a gift. There is a diverse and delicious array of food offerings for this year's event. Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas, Warm Riesling Poached Lobster Dip, Sausage & Cheese Potato Cakes, Bacon & Cheese Mini-Quiche, and Lemon Basil Cheesecake are but some of the food samples that can be savored along with the perfect complementary wine. Tickets may be purchased online before Wednesday, May 1st at 9 a.m.

May 31 - June 16, 2013

Celebrate local farms, food and drink during the third annual Chautauqua in June learning festival, May 31 - June 16, 2013. Join a farm to table culinary adventure or winemaker's dinner. Be a brewer for a day at Southern Tier Brewing Company. Go foraging for wild edibles and learn how to prepare them in a meal. Take a lesson in photography using vineyards as your muse or taste local flavors while learning to pair food with wine or beer. The two week schedule of more than 30 workshops includes experiences in culinary, creative and cultural arts, as well as outdoor recreation. Classes are held in settings across Chautauqua County. For more information, call 1-866-908-4569 or see the schedule online.

Grape Discovery Center Opens

May 25, 2013

The retail shop, information center, and tasting bar at the new Grape Discovery Center on Route 20 will be opening in time for Memorial Day Weekend vacationers. Stop by the Center, just west of Westfield, say hello, and learn something about 150 years of grape growing in the region. Watch for a schedule of weekend food tastings, demonstrations, and workshops.

Ice Dreams at the Jamestown Arena
May 11, 2013

Ice Dreams, an Olympic Ice Show starring two-time Olympian and 3-time U.S. National Champion Johnny Weir plus a cast of national champions and aspiring local skaters will be at the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena in Jamestown on May 11, at 7:00 p.m. Joining Weir on the ice will be some of the top figure skating talent expected to compete in the Sochi Winter Games in 2014, including: U.S. National Champion Max Aaron; Samantha Cesario Junior Grand Prix medalist; Canadian National Silver Medalists Piper Gilles & Paul Poirier; and 2-time Olympian and 7-times Estonian National Champion Elena Glebova. Tickets are available at www.icedreamstour.com or by calling 212-600-4330.

Open Studio Tour

May 25-26 and June 1-2, 2013

The North Shore Arts Alliance presents its 5th annual signature event, the Chautauqua-Lake Erie Art Trail on Saturday and Sunday over two weekends, May 25-26 and June 1-2. Eighteen participating artists will open their studios to the public from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day, offering the opportunity to visit the personal work spaces of northern Chautauqua County's leading artists. The trail extends along the Lake Erie shoreline, from Ripley to Dunkirk, and moves inland to include artists' studios in Fredonia, Mayville, Chautauqua Institution, Brocton, Portland, and Forestville. A downloadable printer-friendly version of the brochure, maps to the studios, and information about all the participating artists can be found at www.chautauquaarttrail.com or at www.facebook.com/chautauqua.lake.erie.art.trail. For additional information, please call 716-224-3381.

Lucille Ball Comedy Festival Line-up

August 1-4, 2013

Bill Engvall, Kathleen Madigan, and "Comics to Watch" Showcase presented by Pandora will headline the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, August 1-4, 2013. The four day festival will also feature a performance by the leads from the Broadway hit I Love Lucy: Live on Stage, as well as a late-night stand-up show that will be recorded as a live comedy album, Lucille Ball's former personal secretary Wanda Clark, the GI's of Comedy, Summer Wind Cruises, and Gregg Oppenheimer's Live Lucy Radio Play. The Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, or "Lucy Fest," embodies Ball's vision for her hometown legacy: a celebration of the comedic arts held annually on the weekend closest to her birth date, August 6th. Tickets for the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival will go on sale on April 24th, and can be purchased by visiting www.lucycomedyfest.com or calling (716)484-0800.