This fall, the return of in-person festivals and events has been welcome news to all. The Cattaraugus County Dept. of Economic Development, Planning & Tourism is pleased to announce that the W.I.L.M.A. Woolly Bear Weekend is among those events!

When Ann Marie Sitter Tompkins and other volunteers originally decided to run a coat drive to provide warm winter clothes to children in need in 2020, they thought it would be a one-time effort.

Downtown Olean will gain a splash of color October 1st as local organizations host a chalk art contest, encouraging all to beautify sidewalks and pavement with messages and images of hope, resilience, suicide awareness and prevention.

Fall festivities begin in October at the Tri-County Arts Council with a full pallet of creative art classes for everyone. Information and sign-up can be found on the Arts Council website.

Over 300 Afghans will resettle in the Buffalo and Western New York area. They are refugees by definition, but not in the eyes of the government. Because of the urgency of their evacuation, those coming are labeled “humanitarian parolees.”

A Celebration of Life for Chuck Crist will be held this Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021 at the Ray Evans Seneca Theater from 4:00-6:00pm. The public is welcome to join his family and share some memories of Chuck.

Among festivities at the Tri-County Arts Council’s 2021 Celebration of the Arts! Sept. 19th will be the presentation of the Tom Barnes Lifetime Achievement Award to local artist Peg Bothner.

The final edition of the three StrOleans is set for Friday, October 1st. Event-goers can saunter, amble, wander, walk; and able to enjoy food, music, fine arts, classic cars and fun for all ages. 

The 2nd Annual Allegheny River Running Fest was another success in the race books. Coming into year two, the ARRF committee was looking for another repeat of the event 2020 even with COVID last year. 

The contenders have been set, location booked and rivalries high as we head into the kick-off event of the fall season, Meatball Street Brawl. The game will be on a large screen. The meatballs will be many. There will be beer and wine and bread and antacid.

As a senior in high school, one often spends their free time reflecting on the previous years. It has come to my attention that people (not only high school students) tend to take the present moment for granted.

The Tri-County Arts Council is delighted to bring back its popular monthly Creative Clay Classes. The first class will be offered Tuesday, Sept. 14th and Tuesday, Sept. 28th in the arts council gallery studio.

The GOACC Corporate Golf Classic pits businesses against businesses in a heated competition to be deemed corporate winners. This year, the golf classic was able to donate $750 to the Michele Krahe Peace Scholarship Fund with the Catt. Region Community Foundation.

The Bemus Point Golf Club & Tap House will be hosting a Labor Day Weekend Celebration including a public fireworks display, live music, Kallie’s Krusade Fundraiser, Mikey’s Famous Chicken BBQ, and The Great Golf Ball Drop.

Tri-County Arts Council is delighted to offer “Brushes and Brews,” an afternoon of social creativity with renowned artist Samila Sosic. It will be a fun afternoon blending a social event with the best in art instruction.

Celebrate Colden, Inc., the folks who put on the Colden Festival each year, are excited to announce the festival dates for 2021: Sept. 11th-12th. The Festival is free to attend and has been described as a "Small town festival with a cool vibe."

This year, GOACC officials are stating, “ARRIVE • RUN • STAY” as a slogan for its Allegheny River Running Fest. It will feature two races: a 10K and Half Marathon, both will start/finish at War Veterans Park in Olean.

An annual event, the 716 Golf Classic has been bringing golfers together for many years. Area golfers and numerous members of the basketball community will come together for a great afternoon on the greens to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

There is something about the woods at night … murkiness shrouds and moonlight dampens every nook and cranny. Once per year, Griffis Sculpture Park allows Doug Sitler and his team to light up the larger than life pieces of art into a field of neon dreams. 

The Tri-County Arts Council will host an artist talk and opening public reception for an extraordinary exhibit of two artists’ works, Same Inside by Karle Norman, and Ruminations Rising by Michelle Capizzi from 7:00-9:00PM this Friday, August 20th.