Oktoberfest - It's Wunderbar!

The 17th annual Oktoberfest takes place October 4 & 5 at the Whiteface Mountain Ski Center in Wilmington. It's always a fun time, so come out and enjoy the music, dancing, German food, craft vendors, rides and kids activities. There may also be some beer available (!)

Admission is $14 per adult and $7 per junior/senior. Gondola rides are available at a discounted rate of $8 per person.

For more information and to see the full schedule of activities, click here. Or call Whiteface Mountain at (518) 946-2223.

To find places to stay close to the mountain, click here.

Here Comes Autumn

The end of the summer season is here and the weather is very summer-like (yeah!). But . . evidence of the coming Fall season is apparent. The leaves are definitely beginning to change, and as nice as the days have been recently, there has been a bit of a chill in the air at night. Great camping weather!

We celebrate the coming of the Fall season with the annual Festival of the Colors. This year the festival will be held on Saturday, September 13 in Wilmington at the field on Springfield Road (just off Route 86). It's a new location this year because the festival has grown and a larger space is needed. Each year local artists and craftsmen exhibit their work, and locally grown produce will be available.

New this year is a live children's comedy performance by "Pipsqueak" the clown and her assistants. Back again is local blues band Zip City. Be sure you don't miss the Pie Baking Contest, tug of war with local teams, art demonstrations, BBQ and children's activities. Admission is free.

Later in the season, Oktoberfest returns to Whiteface Mountain on October 4 & 5.

For more information, contact the Whiteface Mountain Regional Visitors Bureau at (888) 944-8332.

Wilmington Town Wide Yard Sale Aug. 16

Wilmington's 13th Annual Town Wide Yard Sale is on Saturday, August 16.

Residents from all around town will be participating. You can get a map of the official locations at any of the yard sale locations as well as area businesses. You may even find a few "unofficial" locations not on the map. It's always a fun day. Let's hope Mother Nature will be kind!

Jay Artists Studio Tour - Saturday, July 26

The annual Jay Studio Tour (in Jay, New York) is scheduled for Saturday, July 26 from 10am to 6pm. You can visit the showrooms and workplaces of at least 12 artists to view their works and discuss their techniques.

Each studio will have a map of all the participating studios, or you can visit www.jaystudiotour.com for a copy of the map and more information.

Summer Concert Series Begins

On Thursday, July 3, the first summer concert at the beach kicks off at 6:30pm with a performance by the Celtic dance band, Inisheer. Bring a blanket or a chair and enjoy the extended swimming hours at the Wilmington Town Beach, located on Bowman Lane just off Route 86 (look for the Lake Everest sign). Concerts are scheduled every Thursday in July and August. For a list of the concert schedule, click here.

On Saturday, July 5, the first JEMS summer concert takes place on the Village Green in Jay at 6:30pm with a performance by The Bill Stokes Ensemble, featuring dynamic swing music, standards and jazz. A different band or performer is scheduled every Saturday evening in July and August. For a full list of the JEMS series schedule, click here.

UPHILL RACE RESULTS ARE IN!

On Sunday, June 15, about 250 bicyclists pedaled their way 8 miles up to the top of Whiteface Mountain. Two weeks prior, many tried it on foot. Some participants tried both races.

Congratulations to super couple Robert Dunkin Douglas and Kim Douglas, of Honeoye Falls, New York, for being crowned this year's King and Queen of the Mountain. Robert posted the best overall combined times for both races, coming in first in the Foot Race and third in the Bike Race. Kim posted the best combined times in the women's division.

For all uphill bike race results and combined race results, visit click here.

For uphill foot race results, click here.

June is Race Month

The Whiteface Region is gearing up for a variety of races in the month of June.

First up is the annual Uphill Foot Race on Sunday, June 1, followed by the Uphill Bike Race on June 14. Both races follow Veterans Memorial Highway 8 miles up to the top of Whiteface Mountain - at an 8% grade.

On June 21, it's the first annual Wilmington/Whiteface Road Race, a US Cycling Federation-sanctioned event.

For more information visit www.whitefacenewyork.com or call the Visitors Bureau toll free at (888) 944-8332.