Natural Choice Vacation

It is county fair season and that means a great chance to see the best our agricultural communities have to offer. One of the nicest little fairs you’ll find is the Cortland County Junior Fair which runs from July 6-10 at the Cortland County Fairgrounds.

This year’s 57th annual Junior Fair will show a wide range of animals including sheep, swine, goats, beef and dairy cows. There will be poultry, rabbits and award winning vegetables and field crops. Included in the fair will be 4-H exhibits and programs along with the traditional midway and live entertainment, all culminating with a fireworks show at 10 pm on July 10th.

Celebrate our region’s agricultural heritage with a visit to the Cortland County Junior Fair, July 6th – 10th.

Take a trip to Hiawatha Island and travel back in time.  Take a self-guided tour and watch craftsmen demonstrate skills from the past. Experience life as it was during earlier times.  Watch craftsmen in period dress demonstrate skills from the past. See a thirty-foot traditional eastern woodland longhouse, flint knapping, hide tanning and more.  Old time fiddle and guitar music. Take time to explore this unique historical site and nature refuge.

This event is from 10 AM to 3 PM (last boat leaves for Island at 2 PM) on July 17th and 18th.

Cost is $9 for adults, $8 for seniors over 62, $6 for children 5-12, under 5 free. Call Waterman Center at 625-2221 for more information.  www.watermancenter.org.

Directions:  From Rt. 81, west on I86/Rt17 (Rt. 17 is being upgraded to I86).  Take exit 66 and follow signs to Rt. 434 east.  Take Rt. 434 for about 3.7 miles and turn right onto Marshland road.  Third driveway on left.  (Skip the first turn onto Marshland at 1.5 miles.)

The lumberjacks will thrill you with 4 shows on Saturday and 2 shows on Sunday.  You will see Underhand Chopping, Crosscut Sawing Races, Springboard Chopping, Axe Throwing and Chain Saw Carving.

The festival is at the Waterman Center Hiawatha Island Boat Launch, Marshland Road (Western End), Apalachin, NY

Lumberjack Festival Shows: Saturday at 10 AM, 12 PM, 2 PM and 4 PM. Sunday at 12 PM and 2 PM.

Before or after the Lumberjack show, board the Waterman Center Pontoon Boat and attend Walk Through Time  on Hiawatha Island.

Call Waterman Center at 625-2221 for more information.  www.watermancenter.org.

Directions:  From Rt. 81, west on I86/Rt17 (Rt. 17 is being upgraded to I86).  Take exit 66 and follow signs to Rt. 434 east.  Take Rt. 434 for about 3.7 miles and turn right onto Marshland road.  Third driveway on left.  (Skip the first turn onto Marshland at 1.5 miles.)

Saturday, July 3, 9 AM – 11 AM

Midsummer is a time when tree shade is deep, birds are busy feeding young, and butterflies are most active. Join Julian Shepherd at the IBM Glen, Robinson Hill Road, Endwell, to tour the Glen and see what’s happening and maybe find a few bird homes.  Julian Shepherd is a professor of biological sciences at Binghamton University.  Bring the whole family for new discoveries in the Glen.

To register, call 625-2221. Children welcome but must be accompanied by an adult. $3.00/members, $4.00/non-members, $1.00 for children.

Please wear sturdy shoes. The hikes are hilly so you might want to bring a hiking stick.

Dogs are not allowed at hikes.

Several Nature booklets about the IBM Glen and the Serenity Trail at Waterman can be purchased for $1.00 and $2.00 each at these nature walks. Directions:  Drive north on Robinson Hill Rd. from Country Club Rd. in Endwell for 1.2 miles. Look for green entrance gate on the right hand side of the road. The parking lot is a short distance beyond the gate.

The Cortland County Village of Homer can now claim it’s very own health food store. Owner, Chastity Mydlenski, has channeled her own lifestyle into Oh My Goodness Health Food Store, a new business that she hopes will impact the eating habits of the local community and everyone else who steps through the door.
Located on Main Street in Homer, Oh My Goodness features a wide range of organic and holistic products and Mydlenski makes every effort to use local suppliers in her store’s inventory. For example honey products come from nearby Virgil, chia flour from Skaneateles and natural beef from Birdsall Beef in Scott, just to name a few.
So, if you happen to be traveling in the area, stop and contribute to a healthy lifestyle with a visit to Oh My Goodness Health Food Store. Hours are 10 am to 6 pm Monday through Friday and 10 am until 1pm on Saturday.

Grab your helmets, because Bike Tioga 2010 is just around the corner! For those who aren’t familiar with Bike Tioga, it is an organized two day cycling event on August 7^th and 8^th in Owego, NY.

Bike Tioga is a family friendly event for people of all ages and experience levels. Whether you are a seasoned pro or just looking to get some fun exercise for the weekend, we welcome you! There are 7 different rides to choose from throughout the weekend, ranging from 26 to 100 miles on Saturday and 25 to 60 miles on Sunday. Since this is not a race, cyclists will have the opportunity to stop along the ride for rest and refreshments.  Rides include a variety of terrain from flat to hilly and go through southern New York State, Northern Pennsylvania, Tioga County, and Tompkins County depending on the route selected. All riders will be given a map and there will be clear road markings along each route.

Each ride leaves as a group from Marvin Park pavilion #6 at a designated time and will return back there by 4:00pm later in the day. There will be food available after the ride as well as free 10 minute massages and on Saturday there will also be musical entertainment.

All participants receive Bike Tioga t-shirts and those who register before August 4^th will also receive free water bottles.

Registering for this event costs only $15 per day or $20 for both days if registered before August 4^th. You can now register online with PayPal or credit card or mail/fax the registration form to the Tioga County Tourism office. The registration form can be found on our website.

We are always grateful for sponsors so if you or your organization would like to donate to help make this event possible please give us a call.

For more information please call the Tioga County Tourism office at 607-687-7440 / 1-800-671-7772 or visit our Bike Tioga website at www.BikeTioga.com. We hope to see you in August!

Apacalachin Farms is open to the public for the 5th Annual Harvest Festival, “Get your Hands on Alpaca” on Monday, May 31, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Alpacalachin Farms is located at 2571 Chestnut Ridge Rd. in Apalachin, NY and admission is free. Come learn about the many uses of alpaca fiber. Demonstrations from shearing and cleaning fleece to creating a finished product will occur all day long. Demonstrations of agility training will be provided and participants will be able to try their skill and luck on our obstacle course at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Craft your own fiber project.  For more info, call 607-687-6950 or www.alpacalachin.com

FINGER LAKES CHEESE TRAIL TOURS

Did you ever wonder how cheese is made? Then you should go take a tour. And you don’t have to travel all the way to Wisconsin to do that! Right here, in our own backyard, we have some world class cheese crafts-persons, turning out world class artisan cheeses.

About a dozen farmstead cheese houses have sprouted up in the past few years, amongst the wine trails. Some have started making cheese as a way to enhance the low price that farmers get for their milk, but all are in it for a love of the product that they craft.

There is Sheep’s Milk Cheese…..Goudas…..Goats Milk Cheese……Cheddars…..Jacks……Colby…. Washed Rind Stinkies……even Cheese Curds.

Samples and sales are part of the event, so plan to buy cheese, stop at a winery, grab a loaf of bread, and enjoy a day touring in the Finger Lakes. There is no charge and no advance registration is required for these self-guided tours.

Four events are planned for this year:
Saturday May 29 10am-4pm
Saturday July 10 10am-4pm
Saturday and Sunday on the Columbus Holiday Weekend, October 9 and 10 (Sat 10-4, Sun 12-4)
Saturday December 11 – Holiday Cheese Shopping  – **Locations TBD**

For an interactive map of the cheese houses:  http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?client=firefox-a&hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=h&vps=1&jsv=225b&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=114964679664065312110.00047a3bdb6610cb060db

April 23-25, and April 30 – May 1- 2, 2010
18th Annual Wine & Herb Festival
It’s time to think SPRING as you receive an herb or veggie plant from each winery along the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail. Sample herb prepared edibles paired with fine wines. Souvenir wine glass and recipes are included.

Visit Six Mile Creek, Long Point, King Ferry or Montezuma wineries on Friday afternoon to make it a grand weekend. Enjoy Early Bird specials at Long Point or King Ferry wineries at 9:00AM on Saturday for delectable breakfast treats.

Check out our Wine Trail Packages located on our Home Page at the top right for great deals or check out our link below.

To encourage our Wine & Herb folks to visit us during Harvest we have designed our “Grow and Show” contests. Enter into our specialty contests at the different winery events during our Harvest Hoopla. Check back for details.

Participants are eligible to win one of our Grand Prizes from: Aurora Inn, Courtyard by Marriott in Ithaca, Experience! The Finger Lakes, and The Discovery Trail.

Friday – 1PM – 5PM at participating wineries
Saturday and Sunday – 10AM – 6PM

Tickets can be purchased at Wegmans after March 22nd..

Please Enjoy All of our Events by Drinking Responsibly!

Wine Trail Packages

Advance tickets: Single $ 35.00, Couple $ 50.00.

Tickets at the door: Single $ 40.00, Couple $ 55.00.
Designated Driver: Single $ 30.00, Couple $ 45.00.