Paul Szmal: Jessica Vandermaar joining us now from Finger Lakes Visitors Connection. The website is visitfingerlakes.com. As we look at events coming up here in the summer, including a sneak peek at what's going on for the 4th of July. Hi, Jessica. Long time. No speak. How are you?
Guest: Yes. Good morning, Paul. I'm good. How are you?
Paul Szmal: Good, good. And let's start out with Canandaigua in Bloom. This is an event that happens in historic downtown Canandaigua.
Guest: Yes, this event is a great kickoff to spring and really showcasing, um, flowers and all things, um, getting ready for the summertime. So it's going to kick off the season for the outdoor Canandaigua farmers market. And these happen right in downtown Canandaigua, and it will also be the start of outdoor dining and live music at the Central on Main, which has been going on going six years now. So it's a great way to get out, hopefully enjoy some sunshine and some beautiful flowers in downtown Canandaigua.
Paul Szmal: Yes. And this event will take place by the way, on Saturday, June the 6th from 9 AM till six. That's also opening day of the Canandaigua farmers market. If you want to grab some good, fresh local fruits and produce, uh, already we're planning for some of the America 250 events in the area. One of them is the Freedom Festival of 2026. This is going to take place on Flag Day weekend, June 13th through 14th. As we prepare this year is the America 250. And so we're going to be seeing events starting, as you mentioned, um, in June and going through July and other months as well. So this Freedom Festival is being put on by the Bristol Hills Historical Society. And there will be some revolutionary war reenactors, um, some vintage games for children and adults. So it's a great way to go and experience history, um, in a different version outside, um, outside of the museums and really kind of kick off celebrations ahead of the 4th of July.
And as spring turns into summer, that means that live music starts to kick in and high gear across the region. The final concerts of the Geneva Music Festival will be happening in the beginning of June. The Geneva Music Festival is such a great way to also experience different venues throughout Geneva. Um, we've got some locations such as Hobart and William Smith, also local wineries, and that's going to be running through the 14th of June. So there's still time to get out and enjoy music at this local music festival that happens every May and June.
And believe it or not, you know, we're on the doorstep to June and that means Father's Day weekend is coming up.
Guest: Yeah, I know. We feel like we just got done with Mother's Day, just got done with Memorial Day. Here comes another one.
Paul Szmal: Uh, but this means the Father's Day car show at Sonnenberg Gardens. This is, uh, one of the, uh, nice events that Sonnenberg hosts every year.
Guest: Yep. Every year Father's Day weekend. So this year it's going to be on June 21st from 10 AM to 3 PM. And they'll have a car show. There's also usually special deals, um, for fathers attending and getting entrance into the park and into the museum. So it's a great way to get out, um, get into downtown Canandaigua. You can add on breakfast or lunch, uh, while you're in town too. So a good celebration for those dads, um, that really enjoy seeing some antique cars.
And there's a silver anniversary of a celebrated event coming up at the end of June, also at Sonnenberg Gardens. Arts at the Gardens is a great event to really showcase different, uh, local art vendors from throughout the Finger Lakes region. So that's going to happen at the end of June on the 27th and 28th, 10 AM to 5 PM. There's going to be jewelry, pottery, painting. Um, again, such a nice way to celebrate the arts in the Finger Lakes region, um, outside at Sonnenberg.
Paul Szmal: Jessica Vandermaar joining us here on FLX Morning from Finger Lakes Visitors Connection. The website is visitfingerlakes.com. Now we did touch on one of the America 250 events that's happening in the Freedom Festival. That's again, June 13th through the 14th in Bristol Hills. But there are plenty of other things that are happening as part of the America 250 celebrations. Uh, one of them is at the Geneva History Museum, and that's a special exhibit called Parades, Pageants, and Progress.
Guest: Yeah. With the America 250, as I mentioned, there's going to be a lot of different pop-up events as well as pop-up, um, showcases as well at a lot, at the different museums throughout the area. And so Historic Geneva is going to be doing a, they already kicked off an exhibit that's going to really showcase Geneva history from the last 250 years. So when you get a chance, stop into Geneva, learn more about Geneva history, as well as how it relates back to the 250th birthday. And then you have the folks at the Ontario County Historical Society. They have an exhibit that is running through the end of the year that is called the America 250 Exhibit Changemakers of Ontario County.
Paul Szmal: Yes. They again, um, will also have a exhibit. A lot of the museums are getting ready for this and they'll have a section that changes out, um, often when they showcase these different exhibits. So this year, um, really showcasing the America 250, uh, Ontario County Historical Museum is located right on Main Street in Canandaigua. And it's also a great museum. Um, if you ever need any sort of research or genealogy, um, great place to go to for that as well. I want to add in one event that does have historical significance and reference, uh, that's coming up on Saturday, June the 6th. This is down in the village of Naples at the Naples Historical Society and it's called Watkins Town Day.
Guest: Yes, this is a new event and the village of Naples is going to be celebrating its roots and they are putting together Watkins Town Day. There's going to be some cemetery tours, historic Naples walking tours. Um, the start of it's going to be at the Cleveland House and then there's going to be a lot of different locations throughout Naples that are tied to it as well. And in preparation for it, there was a group of community members that went out and recently, um, revived some of the historic markers throughout town too. So you can certainly find more information on them if you follow Naples Historical Society on Facebook.
Paul Szmal: Now we talked about giving a little sneak preview of some of the July 4th events coming up, one of which is a traditional event at CMAC, the Red, White and Boom. Every year we have the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra at CMAC and it really is such a great time. And anybody that has seen the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra knows that you're going to be having a wonderful night full of live music and hopefully great weather. So yes, July 2nd, there are still tickets available. And also on July 2nd, not too far away from CMAC is the America 250 celebration in Victor. As we get into July 4th weekend, there's going to be different events happening in, uh, the areas throughout Ontario County. So the town of Victor, uh, right at the Victor Municipal Park on July 2nd, we'll be doing some live music, a maker's market featuring small businesses and vendors, um, and they will have fireworks that evening as well.
And one of the traditional July 4th events on the holiday itself is the annual 4th of July parade in downtown Canandaigua. That's set to go again this year.
Guest: It is, it will start downtown at 10 AM and it will be on the 4th. And as always, there's going to be floats, live music, um, lots of great energy there to really kick off the morning. And the fireworks in the Canandaigua area this year are going to be at the Richard P. Outhouse Memorial Park. This is on outhouse road. So this is a change from the traditional activities at Kershaw park. So again, uh, it's going to be at the outhouse Memorial Park, more than just fireworks happening though, um, at that location.
Paul Szmal: Yes, they're really turning it into a full 4th of July festival. So it'll be starting in the afternoon and there's going to be different, uh, family activities, sack races, pie eating contest, tug of war, all sorts of games going on throughout the day. Um, along with food trucks to serving. So all sorts of fun activities leading up to the fireworks display at Richard P. Outhouse Memorial Park. And if you want to find out more information on these events, again, you can go to the website, visit finger lakes.com. That's visit finger lakes.com. Jessica, good to have you back on the air with us. Thanks for joining us.
Guest: Thank you so much. As always a pleasure to represent what we have going on in Ontario County.
