Fourth of July Fun
Fourth of July Fun
What’s On Your “FUN” List This Independence Day Weekend?
Photos / ellicottvilleny.com
It’s Independence Day - time for great outdoor fun in and around our community. We all know the big stuff that is going on in Ellicottville… Summer Music Festival at Holiday Valley, Gazebo Series downtown - this year’s series kicks off Friday with a live theater act from 7:00-9:00pm. Grease! It’s free and pet friendly! Bring your chair, picnic basket and cooler, bug spray, blanket and enjoy!
The Summer Music Festival, produced by the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce, is perhaps the biggest event of the green season. Says Chamber executive director Brian McFadden, “We’ve been doing this for over 25 years! You can bring your chairs, blankets, picnic baskets, and there are no parking fees! It’s a one-of-a-kind event for the whole family.” Visit the chamber online (ellicottvilleny.com) for full details and tickets. Their Saturday concert will showcase The Players formerly of Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire. Their annual Sunday event featuring the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra will culminate with a fantastic fireworks display. Prepare to be awed!
Earlier on Saturday, bring your pets and enter the village-wide Pet Parade. Dress them up, let them ride their skateboard if they are so talented, or pop them in a stroller and just show them off for all to see and admire. There’s no fee to participate, but you must register at Katy’s Café at 10:15am. When they are done parading, take them to the park and cut them loose in Elmer’s Dog Park where they can all share their parade highlights with one another.
For more dog-friendly adventures, Fido is welcome at Allegany State Park, Pat McGee Trail, Zoar Valley, Rock City Park and Nannen Arboretum. Just be sure to check leashing regulations and carry a pickup bag, please. Dogs and climbers are also welcome at Griffis Sculpture Park in East Otto off Route 219 in Ashford - all 400 acres and 250 large scale sculptures can be climbed on. It is America’s largest and oldest sculpture park. Cash admission is by honor system. You simply drop $5 for adults, $3 for students and seniors through a slot in the yellow box at the main gate. Kiddoes under the age of 10 are free. Be honest now, no cheating. The kids are watching!
If you desire water play, Spruce Lake at Holiday Valley is accessible by foot, lift (on weekends) or vehicle. The gate at the top of Holiday Valley Road is locked at 5:30pm daily. Kayak, paddleboard, or inflatables are okay, but no motorized vehicles. PFDs are required for all boats and SUPs. No glass bottles, no alcohol, no messes left behind. Pack in, pack out! The lake closes at dusk.
Sky High Aerial Adventure Park at Holiday Valley is another thrill you may not want to miss. The largest in New York State and 3rd largest in the U.S., it is a series of platforms, obstacles, bridges and ziplines built in a 5-acre section of the woods. The challenge: to navigate through all the platforms of a course. There are 13 courses with varying levels of difficulty. Can you say Double Fun???
HoliMont has loads of summer fun on Saturday, July 1, starting with their amazing and challenging bike park (open 10:00am-4:30pm), food trucks, live music by Bleeding Hearts Band from 6:00-9:00pm, and fireworks at 10:00pm.
The newest addition to local fun stuff is the skateboard park in the Village Park. Open dawn to dusk, skateboards, roller skates, scooters and bikes are welcome. This park was a gargantuan effort of a small handful of incredibly tenacious community-minded individuals. Please treat it respectfully and leave it as you found it.
What’s a holiday in a country town without a rodeo? Ellicottville has its very own for the past 34 years presented by John and Karen Kent and their family on Sommerville Valley Road. This is one of the largest IPRA/APRA sanctioned rodeos in the Northeast! It runs from June 29th through July 1st at 7:00pm (with fireworks afterward) and July 2nd at 2:00pm. For more information on this event visit ellicottvillerodeo.com.
If you haven’t found enough ideas to keep busy this weekend, why not just leisurely stroll, shop and dine in this fine village? Browse through Betsy’s high end consignment shop (open daily noon-4:30pm) next to the Salt Cave where you can book a soothing massage or buy their relaxation related products. Other spots for massages are Anew Beginning on Monroe Street and Ellicottville Oasis located inside the Tamarack Club at Holiday Valley. Shop for crystals and all things spiritual at Good for the Spirit Gifts on Martha Street, or buy crazy socks at the Purple Doorknob - you’ll be awhile!
Need an ice cream fix? Drive a short distance out of Ellicottville on Route 242 to the Ashford Junction Depot. They have more ice cream flavors than spots on a Dalmatian. (Ok, that’s a stretch, but they have a lot!) In the Village, pop into Watson’s or The Tee Bar, or if you are in Salamanca, stop at Tony’s by Parkview. For something a bit more adult, sample wines at the Winery of Ellicottville or ask Shannon Carscallen at E-Ville Spirits for a good recommendation.
When you’ve squeezed everything you can but the squeal out of things to do in Ellicottville and surrounding areas, top off the weekend at Chautauqua Institution on Tuesday, July 4th at 8:00pm by attending the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra at the Amphitheater, Led by CSO Principal Pops Conductor Stuart Chafetz.
Happy, safe Independence Day from the whole happy zany crew at ellicottvilleNOW!