The Independence Day weekend is here and there are so many ways to celebrate locally with something for everyone!
The annual Chautauqua County 4th of July parade will step off at 10am Monday, in Mayville. There are community celebrations featuring great food and live music at terrific outdoor parks in Dunkirk, Lakewood, and Mayville. You can watch the rubber duck race in Findley Lake at 10:30am and the Boat Parade at 2pm. Cherry Creek’s celebration will be held Saturday, with amusement rides, and a parade at 5pm.
For runners there are a couple of races on tap: the Marauder 5K in Dunkirk at 9am Saturday and the Firecracker Run at 9am Monday in Lakewood. For music lovers the Great Blue Heron Music Festival runs all weekend in Sherman. Baseball fans can enjoy the Jamestown Tarp Skunks at Russell E. Diethrick Jr. Park on Sunday or Monday. Take a ride on the historic Bemus Point-Stow Ferry. See Art in the Park at Miller Park in Chautauqua with free Sunday admission to the grounds.
If you’re looking for pyrotechnics, there are plenty of options. Flares will line the Cassadaga Lakes, Chautauqua Lake, and Findley Lake on the 4th of July. Fireworks displays will be held Saturday in Cherry Creek, Sunday in Bemus Point and Silver Creek, and on Monday in Dunkirk, Lakewood, and Mayville.
While all of these great events are unfolding for the holiday weekend, there is even more to come through the rest of the summer. Both Chautauqua Institution and Lily Dale Assembly have a full slate of programming through the season. Music on the Pier in Dunkirk is scheduled for every Thursday through the summer, while numerous other communities also offer free concerts in the park weekly including Cassadaga, Fredonia, Jamestown, Lakewood, Mayville and Silver Creek, while many local venues also feature live musical performances regularly. The Roger Tory Peterson Institute hosts Art After Five Wednesday evenings featuring live music and refreshments. Enjoy auto racing at Stateline Speedway Saturday nights.
Festivals and special events are also plentiful. The Scandinavian Folk Festival will be held July 16-17 at Northwest Arena in Jamestown. The Chautauqua County Fair returns to full strength this year July 18-24 at the Fairgrounds in Dunkirk. The Wild America Nature Festival returns to Panama Rocks July 29-31. The annual Gerry Rodeo is set for August 3-6. The National Comedy Center presents the 30th annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival August 3-7 in Jamestown. Jamestown Cruise-In is August 12.
This may look like a complete schedule, but it’s not. To find the most comprehensive listing of local events, concerts, and more, we urge you to visit the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau online events calendar at www.tourchautauqua.com/events. For those who lament that there’s ‘nothing to do here’ this calendar will change your mind.
In addition to enjoying all of the special programming and productions, we remind you to always support our small local businesses and attractions. It’s the restaurants, specialty retailers, and attractions and museums that really create a sense of place in our communities. We are fortunate to have so many wonderful options and hope you’ll seek them out, whether you’re looking for a quick sandwich or ice cream cone, or a fine dining experience.
TUESDAY TALKS: GET YOUR BUSINESS NOTICED
The Chamber of Commerce is continuing its series of Tuesday Talks based on marketing avenues for small businesses. Coming up in July we will focus on how to get your business noticed through the use of local media as well as some other pointers. This session may be valuable for all types of businesses, whether you’re in a retail or a service setting.
We hope you will join us online at 8:30am, Tuesday, July 19 for this informative panel discussion. Our panelists will include Andrew Hill from Media One Radio Group and Meredith Patton from the OBSERVER in Dunkirk. Register now through our online calendar at www.chautauquachamber.org. This event is sponsored by LaBella Associates, OBSERVER, The Post-Journal, and the Small Business Development Center at JCC.
Tuesday Talks provide a convenient online forum for learning in a casual, panel discussion format. They are held via Zoom so attendees from all over the county can log on, learn something helpful, and then get back to their busy day. We hope you can join us.
SIGN UP NOW FOR THE 30TH ANNUAL SILVER CREEK YARD SALES
Registration is open now for the popular Silver Creek Yard Sales, scheduled for August 8. Homeowners that want to get listed on the map for this event can submit their registrations online through the Chamber’s web calendar at www.chautauquachamber.org or can register in person at either of two Silver Creek businesses: Den’s Antiques, 8 Main Street, or at Silver Creek Optical, 41 Main Street. The cost to register is $10 per sale. Sales must be registered by August 1st in order to get on the map.
Yard sale maps will be sold in the village park in Silver Creek the morning of the sale day. Proceeds from the yard sale events help support scholarships from the Hanover Community Chamber of Commerce to graduating high school seniors at Forestville and Silver Creek High Schools.
EARLY BIRD PRICING ENDS JULY 15 FOR THE CHAMBER GOLF TOURNAMENT
The annual Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament is scheduled for August 18 at Peek’n Peak, featuring early bird pricing when golfers register by July 15. This special offer gets each golfer a $10 discount. The Chamber Golf Tournament is a great opportunity to entertain clients, reward employees, network with fellow golfers, and enjoy a round of golf on a beautiful pro-level course. The Chamber’s 2022 Golf Tournament is sponsored by A Automotive, AES/Empire Solar, Blackstone NEY Ultrasonics, Brooks-TLC Hospital System, Chautauqua Patrons Insurance Company, Community Bank, Dahlstrom Roll Form, Dave Warren Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM, DFT Communications, Express Employment Professionals, Jamestown Container Companies, Jamestown Kitchen & Bath, Jamestown Mattress Company, Koester Associates, LaBella Associates, Lake Shore Savings Bank, Lawley Insurance, OBSERVER, The Post-Journal, and Shults Auto Group. Register online now through the Chamber’s web calendar event at www.chautauquachamber.org.
