classes. March 27 and 29th: learn to make cheese, butter and buttermilk biscuits
or enjoy a forage hike. They are also offering upcoming Felt hat burning
and decorating classes, April 19th at 1pm and May 23rd at 1pm. Call ahead,
716-353-0193. Lucky Day Homestead is located 10 min north of Ellicottville.
Book a group gathering in your rental or home or join a workshop at the homestead.
Carol Fisher-Linn
Astronomical spring (tied to the position of the sun and the earth) begins March 20 this year although meteorological spring (better for record-keeping) always starts March 1st. No matter how you look at it, spring is here. Yes, winters are long in our area. We like to say, “we have two seasons – 9 months of winter and the rest of the year.” This writer recalls a few snowy mother’s days (from WKBW – Buffalo – 11% of the time a trace of snow has fallen on Mother’s Day and it’s almost in 10-year increments! 1983 and 1984 were back-to-back and then again in 1996, followed by another couple close together in 2010 and 2013. The pattern would suggest we’re due for another trace amount of snow on Mother’s Day). So, if it gets to be Mom’s Day (May 11 this year) and snow is pretty much gone, it’s a sure sign spring is here.
But, for ski enthusiasts, the good news is that Holiday Valley is shooting for the final day of skiing AND the first day of golf on April 6. They continue to ski Monday through Friday, 9am-4:30pm, Saturday and Sunday, 8:30am-4:30pm. HoliMont has their fingers crossed and are shooting for a final ski day (weather permitting) on April 13, Monday through Friday, 9:30am-4:20pm and Saturday and Sunday, 8am-4:20pm, with a Pond Skim (also weather permitting) tossed in on April 5th. Find that waterproof costume!
Before you begin to frown too much, remember that the HoliMont Bike Park opens late May through October. And they even offer beginner friendly trails for new riders. The park provides comprehensive amenities to enhance your experience, including bike rentals, repair services, bike lifts (in summer), and rest areas. Holiday Valley provides direct access to 35 miles of exceptional cross-country trails in McCarty State Forest right at their doorstep. For those looking for a lift, take your biking to new heights with their Lift-Serviced Mountain Biking, but you must wait until June 29.
May 24. HoliMont Bike Park opens late May through October.
At Holiday Valley, you can enjoy the Sky High Mountain Coaster beginning May 24 on weekends until summer’s daily hours. The six-minute ride has a vertical rise of 283 feet. (By comparison, the Statue of Liberty on its’ pedestal is 305 feet tall and a Giant Sequoia is about 250 feet.) I’d say that’s an intimidating run.
For non-skiers or indoor folk, Lucky Day Homestead is holding some spring classes. March 27 and 29th: learn to make cheese, butter and buttermilk biscuits or enjoy a forage hike. Call ahead. 716-353-0193
In Chautauqua County, enjoy the Audubon Lights at Audubon Community Nature Center 1600 Riverside Road, Jamestown, beginning March 21 8-10pm, Fridays and Saturdays to April5. Reservations appreciated ($12) but walk-ins are welcome. Forest and ponds glow with lasers and spotlights along a luminary-lit trail to a fire, drinks, popcorn, other foods for sale, and live entertainment.
Have breakfast with the bunny at Chautauqua Harbor Hotel, 10 Dunham Ave, Celeron, on March 30, 9-11am. Reservations Required: 716.489.2800. The Athenaeum Hotel at Chautauqua Institution reopens in the spring. On May 19 through 25th, they are holding a genuine Cannes Film Festival! Kid you not! https://www.chq.org/event/chq-travels-cannes-film-festival/
Jamestown theaters and Farmer’s Markets start opening up, egg hunts are all over our neighborhoods, and Chautauqua Institution opens near the end of June. Lily Dale Assembly continues to hold their off-season, Zoom events covering topics like UFO’s, intuition, tarot, astrology, grief work, energy healing and more through to their mid-June opening date. You can book an appointment with a medium all year long. Visit www.Lilydaleassembly.org
All over NYS enjoy NYS Maple Weekends March 22-23 and March 29-30. Check online first to see who is participating – https://www.mapleweekend.com. Pick one or two and plan to have a delicious, fun-filled outing: watch sugar making, taste real maple syrup, and many farms offer pancakes with their own sweet syrup. And don’t forget to enjoy the snowdrops, tulips and daffodils poking up their cheery heads after the winter gloom. And watch for the forest trees to start showing off their blooms. Indeed, it is the season of rebirth and new growth. Get out in the sunshine, take a walk, breathe in the spring air and welcome this new season with open arms. Look for robins and bluebirds. They are back! Happy Spring!
slopes are beginning to close and the golf course
is beginning to open, you have the opportunity to
enjoy both in one day. That day this year is Sunday,
April 6. Pack your clubs and your skis – it’s always
an epic day at Holiday Valley!