By, Carol Fisher-Linn
It’s sure to be a wild time.
The Wild America Nature Festival at Panama Rocks will be back on Saturday and Sunday, July 29 & 30, 2023 – from 10am-5pm each day! Bonus: Exploring Panama Rocks is included with the festival cost! Although we have been unable to get an updated list of the 2023 participants, the trip to the rocks is worth the trip on many levels. There’s the Art and Craft Show spotlighting local artists, presenting paintings and illustrations, jewelry, ceramics, woodworking, glass art, metal-working and more than a creative mind can imagine. These artists are not hobby artists; they are creative geniuses, many of whom have won national and international awards for their art. Art collectors will be on the grounds, so if you want a meaningful, hand-crafted gift for a loved one, get there early before the very piece you may want will be gone. These items come in all price ranges and modern vendors generally accept credit cards. Bring cash or your check book just in case. This festival offers you a perfect opportunity to get some of your early holiday shopping done for those very special people on your list who deserve a one-of-a-kind gift. Gift giving season will be here before we can say “elf on the shelf.”
Come hungry. The Wild America Nature Festival celebrates locally sourced foods. Every food vendor is required to feature at least one item that is locally sourced from area farms. In years past, food vendors included fresh food and baked goods from local farms, BBQ, and several local and out-of-town restaurants. With food trucks being the rage, who knows who you will find scattered about the grounds? Bring your appetite.
Love animals? Especially the ones you can’t touch? Every year, the festival features individuals who rescue, raise and train wild animals for conservation, teaching, and entertainment purposes. Plan on being awed by having proximity to some of these creatures at the festival. Bring your camera.
You can purchase a one-day or two-day ticket for this event. The two-day makes the most sense because there is so much more to do at Panama Rocks. After you have your fill of shopping and eating, why not try or hand at Axe Throwing? Yes, you read that right. Go to “Axcellent Adventures” at Panama Rocks and throw axes in a fun, safety-first environment that is great for all ages: men, women, and kids 12 and up. They even offer traditional axe throwing matches and additional games in an outdoor environment that makes it a real adventure.
Of course, a trip to the Panama Rocks requires that you investigate every nook and cranny along the half-mile long ridge of the 60-foot-high rock forming crevices, passageways and caves hidden in an ancient forest. There is a designated, Class 1, easy to hike one-mile hiking trail, but many visitors prefer going off trail to do some personal exploration. Wheelchairs and strollers won’t work – there are roots, rocks and uneven ground that prohibits these wheeled personal vehicles. Also, please leave your pets home. They are not allowed at the festival.
One of the interesting parts of the Panama Rocks is its heistory. That was a typo, but that’s exactly what I am talking about. You see, these rocks and caves were used as hide-outs by bank robbers and counterfeiters in the 1800’s. The story goes that in the mid-1800’s a bank carriage carrying gold was robbed as it passed through Panama on its way to the bank in Clymer. It is believed that the loot was hidden between the rocks, with a plan to return and fetch. It allegedly was never found. Here’s the fun part that includes you. Guests to the Rocks are given a copy of a letter by a man (Panama Pete) who claimed to be one of the bad guys. He claimed his partner hid the gold, and Pete could never find it. But … he left clues so now you can try to find it. Not to be outdone, counterfeiters also used the caves for printing counterfeit money (there is a spot in the park called Counterfeiters Den named for these ne’er-do-wells). Who knows, maybe their spirits can guide you to the treasures?
If you are interested in staying longer at the Rocks, they are now offering Glamping at Camp at the Rocks. You will ‘rough it” in a fully furnished, luxury 19’ bell tent with the comfort and amenities you would expect from a boutique hotel yet with the fun of camping. Who can resist s’mores over an open fire and sleeping under the stars? Imagine what those ladies in the 1880’s in their long dresses, corseted waists, lace up shoes and outrageously enormous hats would have given to loosen up with the glamping experience? They couldn’t but you can.
Panama Rocks has been a popular attraction for locals and guests to Chautauqua County since its founding in 1885 and the park has been rated the #1-attraction in Chautauqua County on TripAdvisor since 2011 and Google since 2019! Take a weekend and enjoy both the festival and the Park. Ahhh, isn’t summer great? The Wild America Nature Festival at Panama Rocks Scenic Park is located at 11 Rock Hill Road, Panama, NY. 716.703.0021 For more information on the festival, go to https://www.wildamericafest.com