By Abigale Krienheder
The annual 42 North Hilltap festival is back for a third year at Holiday Valley on Saturday, July 22. The festival will be held atop Spruce Lake for a full day of music, food, beer, and adventure.
This year’s Hilltap event is going to be epic! It’s all thanks to the amazing efforts of not just 42 North Brewing Company and Holiday Valley, but also a slew of local businesses that really came together to make this shindig a reality. So, get ready to party, because you definitely won’t want to miss out on all the fun and excitement that this year’s Hilltap event has in store!
Throughout the afternoon and into the night, local bands will be making you tap your feet and sing along to their tunes.
Kody and Herren are a multi-instrumentalist duo from Springville, New York. Their unique harmonies are inspired by roots music featuring sounds from the classic guitar, violin, harmonic, mandolin, and more. They will kick off the day with some good ol’ tunes at 1pm at the stage atop Spruce Lake.
Local Buffalo, New York band, Ten Cent Howl will take the stage at 3pm bringing some rock n’ roll, rockabilly, bluegrass vibes to the audience. Their unique americana sound is beloved in Western New York and impossible not to tap your foot to the beat.
Get ready to rock your socks off with The Probables at the end of the night. The rhythm-driven, folkcana/roots rock band jumped into the music world in 2016 in Jamestown, New York. They’ve expanded their unique blend of Americana, folk, contemporary, bluegrass, and rock music to create a sound that is both energetic and soulful.
Let’s talk food! By the end of the night, you’ll be stuffed after munching on Fat Bob’s Smokehouse BBQ and Villaggio’s Italian cuisine.
Fat Bob’s, located in Buffalo, is a staple in the Western New York community. Their award-winning barbecue is an all-time favorite.
Villaggio is local to Ellicottville, New York and right down the road from Holiday Valley. The Italian restaurant blends traditional cuisine with a fun pub-type flare for a dining experience everyone can enjoy.
Make sure to hydrate during the hot summer day with a nice cold beer from 42 North Brewing. The 20-barrel production brewery is located in East Aurora, New York. Their Tap Trekker Mobile Taproom will be on top of the mountain with a variety of brews to choose from. They have a diverse mix of artisan ales and lagers for every craft beer enthusiast. They will be pouring draft beers all day long so be sure to grab a pint (water and lemonade will also be available).
After a pint and a snack, head over to any one of the adventure activities or demos. Beer and axe throwing…what could go wrong? Hatchets and Hops will be at the event challenging anyone to throw a bullseye.
There will also be paddleboarding including SUP demos, Holiday Valley E-Bike demos, and Bike demos by Freewheel to engage any outdoor activity enthusiasts.
So, hop on the chair lift for an adventure-filled Saturday for the whole family to enjoy. Be in line at 12 noon for the first lift up, spend the whole day atop the beautiful Spruce Lake that overlooks Holiday Valley, but make sure not to miss the last ride down at 9pm or you’ll be sleeping in the woods.
Tickets can be purchased on the Hilltap Festival website: $40 (pre-sale), $45 (day-of-event), $50 if transporting a bike on the lift, and children under 10 are free. The ticket includes the ride up to Spruce Lake, adventures, vendor experiences and of course live music. If you want to bring your fluffy pals, no worries, but all dogs must stay on a leash and cannot ride on the chairlift, so be prepared for the hike up the mountain.
The next event at Holiday Valley you can catch 42 North Brewing Company is at the EA2EVL Fondo, September 30, 2023. This non-competitive charity bike ride covers 42 miles from East Aurora to Ellicottville, all to raise funds for the Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail (ECRT). The ECRT is a 27-mile rail trail that spans from Orchard Park to Ashford, NY and the funds raised from this event will go towards