Welcome To New York State Festivals!

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!”

OUR FESTIVAL WEBSITE IS CLOSED!

When we started this website my partner, Dan Cassavaugh, and I had a great time traveling the state researching and enjoying New York Festivals.  More than 150,000 people have viewed our website since the beginning.  Now, we are “temporarily” shutting down the site.

Dan has decided to move from New York to Georgia to pursue a wonderful job opportunity so I will miss him.  But not too much.  Dan has also decided to marry my daughter, Frances.  So I am losing a Festival Fanatic and gaining a son-in-law.

I will let you know if we are able to get another partner on-board and rekindle this website.

Enjoy our state!

 

Sincerely,

 

Chuck D’Imperio

 

Inlet, N.Y. Brings You Frozen Fire and Ice Festival!

Inlet has it all with this festival…author readings, food, cardboard sled races, live music plus fireworks at night over the frozen lake.  The festival is Saturday, February 28.  All activities are at Fern Park and Arrowhead Park.  Inlet is in Hamilton County.

Get the details here http://inletny.com/wp/?page_id=5327

Here It Comes….Saratoga Chowderfest This Weekend (1/31)

Don’t miss it.  This is fun, I go every year and it is one of the biggest food festivals you will find in the Capital District/Adirondack area!

Details here http://www.saratoga.com/winter/chowderfest.cfm

Even Long Island Celebrates Winter with a Great Festival!

From the end of February all through March they celebrate Old Man Winter on Long Island’s East End with a big festival throughout the area.  More than 20 different venues participate in this great festival which highlights food, wines and live entertainment.  More than 16 wineries are involved and over 100 performances are scheduled.

http://www.liwinterfest.com.php53-18.ord1-1.websitetestlink.com/

Hanford Mills Invites You to Help in the Ice Harvest!

 

The Ice Harvest Festival is held the first Saturday of February. Save the Date: 2/7/15.

Ice harvests were once an essential part of winter in rural communities. Before there was refrigeration, ice was needed to preserve agricultural products and to keep food cold in the warmer months. Ponds like our Mill Pond were the source of this winter crop.

Take part in a traditional ice harvest as you walk out on the frozen mill pond to help cut and maneuver blocks of ice using historic tools. The ice will be transported by sled and then packed in the Museum’s traditional ice house.

For details CLICK HERE!

“Warm Up Oswego Festival” is a Fun, Family Affair!

Warm Up Oswego for 2015, the 10th anniversary of the event, is a fun winter event for the whole family.  Check out the great treasure hunt in the snow, a costume sled race, music and outdoor performances, scavenger hunt, board breaking by Master Pryor Taekwondo, snowman making contest, snow bowling, chili-chowder cook-off, craft vendors and the annual Hot 2k run.

The festival is February 6-7.  For more details click here

“WingBowl” to Decide the Hudson Valley’s Best Wings!

Saturday January 24th at the Ramada Inn in Fishkill…get ready to get your wings on!  Lets see who has the best chicken wings in the Hudson Valley.  This is a fun event and a “must see” for lovers of hot wings.  Tickets usually sell out so CLICK HERE and get the details now!

Winter Festivals All Month Long in Lake George Village (February)

Lake George Village offers a month long celebration of winter during this annual family-friendly event at Shepard Park! The Winter Carnival takes place each weekend throughout February, so mark your calendar and take part in the fun!

Relish the warmth of tasty samples during the chowder, chili, BBQ and chicken wing cook-offs. Enjoy the always hilarious and fun outhouse races – a crowd pleasing favorite! – as well as dog sled, ATV, snowmobile races and more.

Kids can explore the ice castle, play on the giant ice slide, participate in children’s activities, enjoy a tethered hot air balloon ride or snowmobile ride and visit a historical reenactors’ encampment of the 1700s. And that’s just a sample; there’s so much fun for everyone! View the complete list of activities below.

Click here for details!

Syracuse Winterfest to Attract 100,000 +

Syracuse Winterfest attracts over 100,000 visitors each year.  This is a family event with lots to enjoy including a great lineup of food and live entertainment.  Events take place at a variety of locations in Syracuse.  CLICK HERE FOR A FULL CALENDAR!

Winterfest runs from February 12-22.

Saratoga’s “First Night Festival” is Upstate’s Largest!

First Night Saratoga is the largest New Year’s Eve event in New York outside of NYC. As one of the oldest and largest First Night celebrations in the country, the event is the most affordable, accessible, family-friendly, safe and exciting way to spend New Year’s Eve in the region!  This year, Saratoga Arts brings over seventy regional and touring performing groups to over thirty venues throughout Historic Downtown Saratoga Springs for this evening of live music, dance, comedy and other performances.  Annually, over 10,000 people ring in the new year with Saratoga Arts and First Night Saratoga!

Click here for details!