Welcome To New York State Festivals!

Posted on November 12, 2012 by

Festivals are a staple of New York, be it in the north country with Bobcats, Bears and Brews at the Zoo, or the Buffalo Chicken Wing Festival. Here, we look to catalog many of the festivals this great state has to offer each year.

We’ll provide you with features as we, too, travel around the state to some of our favorites — like Ithaca’s Apple Harvest Festival — and the ones we just had to check out –like The Great Chocolate Train Wreck Festival in Hamilton.

Please take some time to browse through our festival listings, where you’ll find descriptions, photos, directions and what else there is to do in the area.

If you are a festival organizer and don’t see your festival here, please help us build our listing by submitting your festival.

Continue reading to meet “The Festival Fanatics!”

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Sharon Springs to Celebrate with a Garden Party Festival!

Posted on April 15, 2014 by

garden party

The annual Sharon Springs Garden Party Festival has grown to become one of the largest of its kind in Upstate New York.  This year’s party is the weekend of May 24-25.

Thousands will come to this historic little community to celebrate the rites of Spring: gardening, planting, flowers, herbs and spices, healthy living and more.  Live music and lots of food ensure that this will be a complete fun-filled day in this beautiful village.

Be sure and stop by the Beekman Mercantile and see their new digs!  Josh and Brent, The Beekman Boys, will again be on hand to welcome everyone to their Main Street showplace!

You never know who will attend the Garden Party.  Rosie O’Donnell once came!  And Rachel Ray loves it here!

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Elvis Festival Will Rock Lake George!

Posted on April 14, 2014 by

LakeGeorgeElvisFestival

The Annual Elvis Festival will storm through Lake George on the weekend of May 30 to June 1.  This is always the epicenter for Elvis fans around the Northeast. The competition for the best Elvis impersonator will heat up the stage with more than 60 of the country’s very best on hand to “shake, rattle and roll” in front of a huge lakeside audience.

The whole weekend is 1950s and 1960s themed so you will be sure to get your fill of Elvis, old time rock and roll, classic cars and poodle skirts.  And be sure and catch the Elvis Parade down Main Street Lake George!  Dozens of impersonators in their full Elvis regalia will be strutting their way through the city!

This is always one of Lake George’s most popular summer events.

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On May 25th Rochester Paints the City Purple!

Posted on April 14, 2014 by

lilacs

The 25th Annual Rochester Lilac Festival will welcome thousands to this exciting city in western New York.

A full line up of live entertainment. food offerings, family entertainment, arts and crafts and more are the headliners of this festival which attracts more than 125,000 visitors to Rochester.  This year more than 500 vendors will be on hand selling their wares, both edible and non-edible.  The event is held in Highland Park which is positively bursting with more than 1,200 huge lilac bushes , featuring more than 500 varieties.  The first 20 lilac bushes were planted here more than a century ago.

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8th Annual South Otselic Fishing Heritage Day Coming on May 17

Posted on April 11, 2014 by

logo_bThis is a special family day in a place with a long history of fishing tradition.  South Otselic was the home of the famous Gladding Fishing Line, which began in 1816 and was the world’s largest fishing line manufacturer.  Since 1932 New York State has operated a large fish hatchery here.

The Otselic Valley Fishing & Heritage Association (OVF&HA), in partnership with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, will be hosting the sixth annual Fishing Heritage Day. This year’s event will kick off on Friday evening, May 16, with a fish dinner at the Georgetown Fire Hall, starting at 5 pm. On Saturday, May 17 the main event will take place at both the State Fish Hatchery and the Otselic Town Park in South Otselic, NY. One of this year’s special features include 3 sets of music performers scheduled throughout the day in the Town Park. Also, from 12pm-3pm the Zoomobile from Ross Park Zoo in Binghamton will showcase a selection of live animals by the Town Hall. The U.S. Postal Service will also be introducing the 2014 special stamp cancellation, featuring a design by local artist Betsy Jensen. As in previous years, there will be several non-profit organizations along with various arts, crafts and antiques for sale in the Town Park, while food and drink offerings will be made available by local nonprofit organizations.

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Tulip Festival in Albany; Always One of the Biggest!

Posted on April 7, 2014 by

AlbanyNY_Tulip_FestivalIf you have never attended the annual Tulip Festival in Albany, you really should try and make it this year on May 10-11.

It is fun, beautiful and fascinating in every way.  The events mix the old traditions with the new, there is always something for the entire family to see and do and all of this plays out against the backdrop of 100,000 beautiful eye-popping tulips!

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Ithaca Prepares for Big Greek Festival!

Posted on March 31, 2014 by

Greek-Festival1

St. Catherines Greek Orthodox Church in Ithaca is preparing for their annual Greek Festival May 9-10.

This is a wonderful new (second annual) tradition in Ithaca.  It is a family event filled with Greek music (and dancing) and of course delicious Greek food made by some of the greatest cooks in the St. Catherine’s congregation as well as the residents of Ithaca.  May is a gorgeous time to visit Ithaca, N.Y.!

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It’s An Adirondack Boat Festival!

Posted on March 31, 2014 by

upstate-boat-show

Queensbury hosts the annual Great Upstate Boat Show April 4-6.

This is always one of the great harbingers of Spring as folks emerge from their winter hibernation and start thinking about spending time on the many pristine lakes in the High Peaks region.

25 dealers will be on hand featuring 60 brands of boats.  More than 200 boats will be on display.  It really is a fun day of food, fun, vendors and BOATS!

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110 NYS Maple Producers Say “Come On In!”

Posted on March 25, 2014 by

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Every March the New York State Maple Producers Association presents Maple Weekends, traditionally the third and fourth weekends of the month, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Spend a fun day with family and friends, sampling maple products across New York State. The maple producers host open houses where the public can visit and see how maple syrup and maple products are made.

More than 110 maple producers all over New York State participate, including our local producers. In addition to producer’s tours, many local businesses have joined in to offer specials at the restaurants with samplings of innovative cuisine utilizing our precious commodity, New York State Maple Syrup.  In the Adirondacks, a special Maple Weekend will be celebrated on March 29 and 30 with fun new events on the calendar to celebrate our sweetest Adirondack Spring product.

 

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4th Annual RampFest! Yes, a Festival to an Onion!

Posted on March 19, 2014 by

578611_155830757909717_1763652426_nSaturday, May 3 finds the city of Hudson, NY celebrating the wild ramp.

What is a ramp?

It is an early Spring leek that grows wild in the Hudson Valley region and this festival is determined to make sure you all know about it.  It is a fun day for the entire family, and among the highlights are live music, vendors and (of course) lots of ramp inspired foods.

The event is held in one of Hudson’s most fascinating buildings known as the Basilica.  It is a refurbished 19th Century factory that has magically been turned into one of the Valley’s most inspired performance spaces.

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Marathon, NY to Host Thousands For 44th Annual Maple Festival!

Posted on March 13, 2014 by

banner-maplefest-02Marathon, NY will again host its annual 44th Maple Festival Weekend on April  5-6.

Thousands attend this annual affair which combines the fun activities highlighting New York’s maple industry along with food, fun, crafts, a parade, the crowning of a Queen of the Maple Festival, live entertainment and more.  This is one of the largest family-friendly events in Central New York in the month of April!

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