Autumn Adventures
Autumn Adventures
Chamber and Holiday Valley bring Fall Festival back to Ellicottville
This week marks the beginning of fall, an arrival that has locals and visitors alike anticipating the beautiful changing landscape of Cattaraugus County. This year, the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce is excited to welcome everyone back to Fall Festival which, for many, is just as much a part of their annual autumn traditions as picking out pumpkins and planting mums! However, there is more than just Fall Festival weekend to anticipate, as the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce and Holiday Valley have plenty of fun planned throughout the month of October.
The fun kicks off during the second weekend of October (9th and 10th), with the return of Fall Festival. While last year’s event was cancelled altogether due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Chamber Executive Director Brian McFadden is pleased to report that it’s back, in a scaled-down, more family-friendly version. “This year, we have about 20% fewer vendors, and that’s on purpose in order for them to spread out and create more room for people to walk around,” he explained. “There will not be a carnival this year, and parking has moved to the large empty lot on Jefferson Street past the Catholic church known as the Signore property.”
In place of the carnival, the P.U.N.T. Pediatric Cancer Collaborative will be using the space for a kid/family-friendly fundraiser. Formerly known as the P.U.N.T. (Perseverance, Understanding, Need and Teamwork) Foundation, the public charity was founded in 2004 by former Buffalo Bills punter Brian Moorman. P.U.N.T. has become a heavily relied upon source of assistance for families battling pediatric cancer, and McFadden is excited to include P.U.N.T. in this year’s festival. In addition to serving families in western New York, P.U.N.T. also has a local connection in Madison Szpaicher, who is the organization’s event coordinator. More specifics about the fundraiser will be shared as Fall Festival nears.
The health department will be set up with a vaccine clinic from 11:00am-3:00pm on Saturday near Five Star Bank and Katy’s Café. “We’re excited to be back,” said McFadden, “but it’s important for us to remind people to be safe: Remember, we are not out of the woods yet; be smart, be safe, and help keep us all healthy. That is our theme this year.”
As in recent years, the chamber is looking out for the health and safety of Fall Festival’s younger visitors by ensuring passengers on charter buses arriving to and leaving from Ellicottville are of legal drinking age. McFadden explained, “We work very closely with bus charter companies to make sure they understand that they have serious consequences to face for underage drinking. There will be a designated bus stop with members of the Sheriff’s department checking for underage drinking or unruly passengers before they get off the busses.” Since these measures were put in place a few years ago, McFadden said night-time bus traffic has been reduced by about 65%.
Once Fall Festival ends on October 10th, McFadden said the chamber is kicking off a promotional campaign designated as “Autumn Adventures in Ellicottville,” which promotes tourism throughout the entire month of October into November. Similarly, Holiday Valley Ski Resort is promoting Fall Foliage weekends through October, beginning with Fall Festival. Director of Marketing Jane Eshbaugh explained that this year will be slightly different due to construction on the new Yodeler Lift. However, Holiday Valley will be running the Mardi Gras Chairlift and Spruce Chairlift from 11:00am-4:30pm Fall Fest weekend. Visitors can enjoy the view and even bring a picnic lunch to the top of Morning Star or enjoy a cookout and beverages at the Holiday Valley Lodge base area.
Eshbaugh explained, “There will be a big tent at the base, and The Strangers will play on Saturday from noon-4:00pm, and on Sunday, the Tommy Z Band will play, same time.” During the evenings on both days, Jay McDonald will perform live at the Cabana Bar from 4:00-7:00pm.
Visitors can enjoy the Birds of Prey Show on Saturday and Sunday at 11:00am. “The ski team will be doing their annual ski swap in the main lodge all weekend, and we have a sidewalk sale for the Mountain and Golf shops. It’s a great time to stock up,” said Eshbaugh. Visitors are also welcome to stop by Holiday Valley’s Open House in the customer service area. Light refreshments will be provided, and visitors can learn more about Holiday Valley and take advantage of special offers, including special season pass rates.
The 5K race was replaced last year with the Fall Scramble, which is returning to Holiday Valley on October 9th. This four or eight-mile trail run starts with a ride up the Spruce Chairlift to the top of the hill for the four-mile trek down, and back up the hill for the eight-mile course. Register now at https://www.holidayvalley.com/activities-events/fall-scramble/.
The fun continues during Holiday Valley’s Fall Foliage weekends through the end of the month. The Mardi Gras and Spruce Chairlifts will run on Saturdays and Sundays during the month of October from 11:00am-4:30pm, weather permitting (Mardi Gras is open through Oct. 17th and Spruce is open through Oct. 31st). Tickets can be purchased in advance at https://www.holidayvalley.com/activities-events/october-fall-foliage-weekends/. Visitors can also guess the weight of the giant pumpkin at the bottom of Mardi Gras; weekly winners will receive a $20 Holiday Valley gift card. Hiking and mountain biking trails will be open through the end of the month, as well as Sky High Adventure Park.
To learn more about Ellicottville’s and Holiday Valley’s upcoming events, visit www.ellicottvilleny.com and www.holidayvalley.com.