CAYUGA COUNTY OFFICE OF TOURISM

131 GENESEE STREET AUBURN, NY 13021

315-255-1658
CAYUGA COUNTY EVENT LISTING
Wednesday, March 23- Sunday, May 1 – Two Hundred Years of Partnership: First Presbyterian Church and the Community – Cayuga Museum, 203 Genesee St., Auburn. The exhibition, features photographs, paintings, documents and mementos from the Church dating back to 1811. The show traces the important people, places and events that defined the institution from when it first opened on North and Fulton streets, to when the steeple came down on the second building in 1973, to its modern facility on South Street. www.cayuganet.org/cayugamuseum (315) 253-8051

Wednesday, March 23 – Book Author Visit – Seymour Library, 176-178 Genesee St., Auburn. Visit by children’s book author and illustrator Debra Frasier from 4:30 to 6pm. Frasier, author of “On the Day You Were Born”, will talk with children and sign books. Free, no registration needed. www.seymourlibrary.org (315) 252-2571

Thursday, March 24 – Simple Solutions: An Introduction to Less Toxic Living – The Center 4 Wellness, 1 Hoffman St., Auburn. Be in charge of your own health! Topics to be covered will be Air, Water, Food, pH balancing, and body systems care. Pre-register by contacting The Center at 315.704.0319 or register online. Instructor: Diane DelPiano, R.N., CNHP, Reiki Master. www.thecenter4wellness.com (315) 704-0319

Thursday, March 24 – Making Movies: A Contemporary Film & Video Series – Auburn Public Theater, 108 Genesee St., Auburn. Film screening by Geoffrey Alan Rhodes, from Rochester, NY. His experimental films & video installations have been screened & exhibited internationally and combine the media of cinema, music, photography, video art, and new media. Film at 7:30PM. Suggested donation $5. www.myartcenter.com (315) 255-1553

Thursday, March 24 – Sunday, March 25 – When I Come to My Senses, I’m Alive – Cayuga Community College, 197 Franklin St., Auburn. Harlequin Production Spring Show. An experiment allowing the recording and playback of emotions goes awry due to government interference and the awakening of an artificial intelligence within the web. Tickets $1/students, $5/general admission. http://www.cayuga-cc.edu/news_a (315) 255-1743

Friday, March 25 – Music of the Romantic Greats – First Presbyterian Church, 112 South St., Auburn. The Auburn Chamber Orchestra presents Music of the Romantic Greats. Hear the beautiful sound of Symphony in C Minor, In the Steppes of Central Asia, Coriolan Overture, My Home Overture and Adagio for Strings. 7:30pm – free. http://auburnfirst.org/news_events.html (315) 252-3861

Friday, March 25 – Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams – Auburn Public Theater, 108 Genesee St., Auburn. Dubbed simply one of the finest American bands by the All Music Guide, Gandalf Murphy and The Slambovian Circus of Dreams have been performing together since the late 90s both nationally and abroad. Known for electrifying live performances, and strong original music, they have a devoted and ever expanding fan base. Mar. 25th at 8pm. Tickets $20. www.auburnpublictheater.org (315) 253-6669

Friday, March 25 & Sat., March 26 – Film – 127 Hours – Auburn Public Theater, 108 Genesee St., Auburn. A triumphant life changing true story, about Aron Ralston, who while hiking through Utah’s Canyonlands National Park, falls into a crevasse. Aron’s right hand becomes stuck between a heavy bolder & the side of the cavern. To stay alive and escape he eventually severs his arm. From the Academy Award winning Director of Slumdog Millionaire, it comes off as a dazzling and perpetually surprising film. Mar. 25th 1pm & 8pm. Mar. 26th 8pm. Advance tickets $4, at the door $5. www.auburnpublictheater.org (315) 253-6669

Saturday, March 26 – A Concert by the United States Navy Band – East Middle School, 191 Franklin St., Auburn. The Italian Heritage Society proudly presents its spring gift to the Community – a concert by the United States Navy Band from Washington, D.C. Free admission, ticket required, available at Cayuga Co. Tourism Office or at door. No reserved seats. Ticket holders requested to be seated by 6:45pm.

Saturday, March 26 & Sunday, March 27 – “Say Cheese” – Cayuga Lake Wine Trail. Savor the spectacular tastes of artisan cheese & fine wines along the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail. Photo contest – prizes. 10AM – 5PM. Advance tickets $15, designated driver tickets $10, at the door tickets $20. www.cayugawinetrail.com (800) 684-5217
Saturday, March 26 – May 29 – Made in NY – Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, 108 Genesee St., Auburn. Annual juried exhibit of NYS artists. Exhibited works typically include painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, and sculpture created within the last three years. Suggested adult admission $3. Members/Children under 12 Free. www.myartcenter.com (315) 255-1553

Sunday, March 27 – Make-Up Demonstration – Aurora Arts & Design Center, 371 Main St., Aurora. Ever wonder how to accent your eyes on stage or highlight your best features during the day? Learn from a pro! In this two hour demonstration, you’ll learn the basics of theatrical makeup the first hour and personal application the second. Ed Easter, a make-up artist for nearly fifteen years, has worked on fashion shows from Toronto to Miami. He has worked with groups such as Aerosmith, Brazilian Girls, Jane’s Addiction, Punjabi Hit Squad and was a key make-up artist for the 40th annual Country Music Awards. Call to register. 2-4pm, $15/person. www.auroraartsanddesign.com (315) 364-5408

Sunday, March 27 – Tie One On! with Kris Minster – Rural Life Museum, Route 34B & Route 90, King Ferry. A program about the history of aprons & hankies. Participants encouraged to bring a favorite item, story or collection to share. Kris Minster (of Sew-Surprised) will also have her wares available for purchase. 2-4PM. www.genoahistorical.org (315) 364-8202

Sunday, March 27 – Family Hour – The Absolute Dance Company – Auburn Public Theater, 8 Exchange St., Auburn. Join Artistic Director Yvonne Hassett and her professional company of dancers for an hour of dance, song and storytelling! Children are encouraged to get up on stage and move along with the performers. It’s an interactive show for the whole family. All ages are welcome where a variety of noise levels will be expected – from Absolute Dance and young audience members alike! Tickets: $5/family( up to 4) at the door. www.auburnpublictheater.org (315) 253-6669

Sunday, March 27 – Mall Crawl: Books Alive at the Fingerlakes Mall – Fingerlakes Mall, 1579 Clark St. Rd., Auburn. Every 15 minutes, guest readers will be reading in front of the stores. Children earn one raffle ticket per book they listen to. A mall prize package will be raffled off. 1-3pm. www.fingerlakesmall.com (315) 255-1188
Sunday, March 27 – Artist Reception and Award Presentation – Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, 205 Genesee St., Auburn. Opening reception from 3pm – 5pm for the Made in NY 2011 exhibit at the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center. Held at the same time will be an opening reception in the Gallery Julius of the collaborative paintings of Noma and James Bliss. www.myartcenter.org (315) 255-1553

Wednesday, March 30 – Last Wednesday Poetry Read – Auburn Public Theater, 8 Exchange St., Auburn. Relax in a comfortable atmosphere, share your work with other poetry lovers and enjoy creative discussion and feedback. Wine/beer cash bar for those with proper I.D. $2 suggested donation at the door. 7:30 PM. www.auburnpublictheater.org (315) 253-6669

Thursday, March 31 – Lemberger, Lemberger – Bet The Farm Winery, 381 Main St., Aurora. Wine class – 6:30pm. $15/person. Small bites included. A study in Lemberger, taste a few from around the area & world – maybe a blend or two. Review aroma & introduce the Mouth Feel Wheel. Sure to be fun! www.betthefarmny.com (315) 364-5643

Friday, April 1 & Saturday, April 2 – Film – Cool It – Auburn Public Theater, 8 Exchange St., Auburn. The documentary Cool It presents itself as the ’alternative’ view to Al Gore’s award-winning An Inconvenient Truth on the issue of global warming. Cool It is a must-see for anyone interested in the science, and politics, of global warming. Apr. 1st 1pm & 8pm. Apr. 2nd 8pm. Advance tickets $4, at the door $5. www.auburnpublictheater.org (315) 253-6669
Saturday, April 2 – 2011 Kids Choice Awards – Auburn Public Theater, 8 Exchange St., Auburn. wards broadcast and party. Join them for live entertainment and a broadcast of the show! There will be pizza, soda, popcorn and snacks for sale. Dress in whatever makes you feel fabulous and come WALK THE ORANGE CARPET. Doors open at 7pm – awards from 8-9:30pm. Tickets $5. www.auburnpublictheater.org (315) 253-6669

Saturday, April 2 – Speaking for Themselves: Women of Seward House – Seward House Museum, 33 South St., Auburn. See the Seward House through the eyes of the Seward women. Using original family correspondence and journals, the tour enables visitors to hear the words and feelings of the nineteenth-century women of the Seward family and reveals the significant contributions they made during their lives. 1pm. Reservations required. Fee. www.sewardhouse.org (315) 252-1283

Saturday, April 2 – Life in a Vernal Pool – Sterling Nature Center, Jensvold Rd., Sterling. Join Interpretive Naturalist Jim D’Angelo for a look into the vernal pools of the Sterling Nature Center. Vernal pools are small wetlands that temporarily fill with water providing essential habitat for frogs, salamanders, turtles and even a few snakes!!! We will explore these unique wetlands looking for spotted salamanders, fairy shrimp, tadpoles and other wildlife that utilize them. A short slideshow presentation will be conducted before the hands-on outdoor nature study of the vernal pools. Please dress for the weather and wear boots if you would like to wade into the wetland. Free at 1pm. www.cayuganet.org/sterlingpark (315) 947-6143

Sunday, April 3 – The Adams Foundation Piano Series Featuring Ian Hobson – Westminster Presbyterian Church, 17 William St., Auburn. Westminster Presbyterian Church & Saint Mary’s Church present The Adams Foundation Piano Series Season 10 featuring Ian Hobson. Hobson is well-known for his interpretations of Chopin, Schumann and Lizst. Sunday at 3pm. Tickets $20/adults, $10/students. Additional information and ticket order forms are available on the web site above. www.westminsterauburn.org (315) 253-3331

Sunday, April 3 – Drop-In Family Art Making – Line Drawings – Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, 205 Genesee St., Auburn. Children and their accompanying adults are invited to drop-in art making experiences. Projects are inspired by basic art principles, materials, or techniques and will encourage participants of all ages to make art collectively. Stop in between 1-5pm to complete a project. $5 per project. www.myartcenter.org (315) 255-1553
Sunday, April 3 – Frozen Ocean Motorcross 2011 Races – Frozen Ocean, 4415 Vanderstous Rd., Auburn. CNYMRA District 3/WNY Racing. AMA Sanctioned Event. Practice 8:30am, racing 10am-dusk. Admission $10 gate fee. www.frozen-ocean.com (315) 784-5466

Auburn_Musical_Theater

Musical Theater Festival Agreement Moves Forward

More plans are falling into place for the use of a performing arts center project in downtown Auburn. According to an announcement released by Cayuga Community College, the college and organizers of an annual musical theater festival have reached a 25-year agreement to share the 384-seat theater on State Street.

Under the agreement, the school will use the facility from September through the middle of May for acting and technical courses. The building will then become one of the multiple festival venues during the summer.

However, CCC will still have a presence during the festival season, as the festival will offer internships for students in areas like performance, design, lighting, management, marketing and other operations.

“This community partnership will help attract (theater) students through expanded learning and production opportunities, while our entire region becomes a cultural destination for high-quality shows ranging from experimental to classic,” college president Daniel Larson said in a written statement.

Earlier, the Cayuga County Legislature approved a resolution authorizing the purchase of the State Street building that formerly housed Kalet’s department store. The property currently belongs to the city of Auburn, and the city plans to demolish the building in the spring before transferring the property to the county. That transfer must take place for the college to build the theater.

Half of the $4.8 million project will be funded by the state, with the remaining funds coming from the festival organizers and investors. The City agreed to pay for the demolition, with local foundations paying back half those costs.

The festival is expected to begin spring 2012, though the theater will not host a festival show until the second season, organizers have said. CCC officials said that construction is expected to take approximately a year once demolition is completed, depending on weather, with a goal of opening the facility for the fall 2012 semester.

The theater is expected to be one of four venues for the festival, which organizers say will offer multiple musical theater productions every year. The other venues include the 500-seat Merry-Go-Round Playhouse at Emerson Park, the 200-seat Auburn Public Theater on Genesee Street and the 115-seat carriage house theater located at the Cayuga Museum.

—Staff writer Christopher Caskey, The Citizen

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Comedian SCOTT BLAKEMAN
A liberal dose of Polical Humor
Saturday, January 8, 2011 at 8:00pm

“An astute, funny political observer who loosed his
darts in a tone that remained suave and smilingly
ironic.” New York Times

Scott Blakeman is “The top political comedian working in
New York today”(NBC-TV). Scott performs regularly at
Laughing Liberally shows in New York and he hosted
Breaking Convention: A Liberal Dose of Political Humor
in Denver and St. Paul during the 2008 Conventions.
Blakeman was a guest panelist on MSNBC’s live coverage of
the 2010 White House Correspondents Dinner. Scott appears
regularly as a liberal pundit on The Strategy Room, a live
webcast at FoxNews.com, where he takes a pragmatic
approach to try to find common ground with those he disagrees with.
Scott hosts a political comedy talk show The End Of The Week As We
Know It at The Tank in New York, with a panel of liberal and
conservative pundits. Blakeman tours with Palestinian-American
comedian Dean Obeidallah in Standup for Peace: The Two Comedian
Solution to Middle East Peace. Scott was the warmup comedian for the
Late Show with David Letterman. Blakeman teaches the
Standup Comedy Workshop at The New School
and his past students include Jon Stewart and
Caroline Rhea.

Watch Scott: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9DiXaRE_wc

See more Scott here

$12 advance at auburnpublictheater.org or at the box office

“Join in on the Spirit of Holiday Traditions” Auburn: History’s Hometown Free Holiday Celebration December 12, 2010

Holiday Traditions is an event that was created by the Seward House over 33 years ago as a token of appreciation to the Auburn community. Since that time, other local cultural attractions and sites have opened their doors for free the second Sunday in December for residents to enjoy during the holidays. Now, the “open house” is a tradition, and again this year, participation has expanded to include churches and other organizations.

Auburn’s Historic & Cultural Sites Commission
To ensure communication between the many Holiday Traditions’ partners, the City of Auburn’s Historic & Cultural Sites Commission coordinates publicity and advertising for this event. The Commission site members include Auburn Public Theater, Auburn Schine’s Theater, Cayuga Museum & Case Research Lab, Harriet Tubman Home, Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, Seward House Museum and Willard Memorial Chapel.

The Cayuga Museum
203 Genesee Street
(315) 253-8051
http://cayuganet.org/cayugamuseum/

Open from Noon to 5PM – come tour the Cayuga Museum beautifully decorated for the holidays. On display will be “Visions Past: Paintings from the Collection of the Cayuga Museum.” The exhibit will include portraits and landscapes by local artists including: Edward Gohl, George Clough, Charles Petersen and Frank Barney. The selected works give insight into the social and physical landscape of Cayuga County during the turn of the 20th century. This exhibit opens November 20th and will be up through December 31st. At 2PM, enjoy a special performance by the Roosevelt Memorial Baptist Choir.

The Harriet Tubman Home
180 South Street
(315) 252-2081
http://www.harriethouse.org/

Although only open by appointment this time of year, the Harriet Tubman Home will be open from Noon – 5PM. Please call the Home directly for details on that day’s program.

Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center
205 Genesee Street
(315) 255-1553
http://www.schweinfurthartcenter.org/

Open from Noon – 5PM, come tour the 30th annual juried quilts exhibit Quilts=Art=Quilts, on display through January 9, 2011. The exhibit features 95 quilts by 81 artists from all over the world. This year’s jurors, Jeannee Beck, Elizabeth Busch & Erin Wilson, reviewed 358 entries by 207 artists and selected quilts for their overall visual impact, design and originality.

Enjoy a quilt trunk show by Priscilla Kibee, which starts at 2PM. Priscilla loves to travel shopping for textiles to add to her wearable art collection. She has taught quilting to school children in Nepal, taught Seminole patchwork to seamstresses in Thailand, and jackets and embellishment to quilters in Turkey. She’s created garments for five Fairfield and Bernina Fashion Shows and teaches classes on embellishment and wearable art.

Seward House Museum
33 South Street
(315) 252-1283
http://www.sewardhouse.org/

Area florists have adopted the Seward House this year to provide an array of holiday decorations. Visitors will be welcomed from Noon – 5PM and admission is free. Live musical performances throughout the day will add to the holiday splendor.

St. Francis of Assisi Church
303 Clark Street
(315) 252-7593
http://www.catholic-church.org/stfrancis-auburn/

The Church will be open from 3 – 5:15PM. The Auburn Chamber Orchestra will perform from 4 – 5:15PM, coffee hour to follow.

St. Mary’s
17 Clark Street
(315) 252-6343
http://www.stmaryauburn.org/

St. Mary’s will host their open house from 1:30 – 5PM. Enjoy a concert by the Finger Lakes Camerata, singers from CCC, who will perform at 3PM. The gift shop will be open, and refreshments will be served.

Ward O’Hara Agricultural Museum
Route 38A
(315) 252-5009
http://cayuganet.org/agmuseum/

Celebrate the holidays during the 1800s from Noon – 4PM. Tour the museum and take part in trimming the tree. Enjoy horse drawn-wagon rides, Christmas cookie decorating and holiday musical presentations.

Westminster Presbyterian Church
17 William Street
(315) 253-3331
http://www.westminsterauburn.org/

From Noon – 5PM, visitors can view a display of hand-sewn Advent banners that tell the Christmas story in needlework, and tour the historic church. Children’s activities from Noon – 2PM include decorating a Christmas ornament and a Christmas storytelling program at 1PM. The MasterWorks Chorale will perform selections from its holiday concert at 2PM in the sanctuary.

Willard Memorial Chapel
17 Nelson Street
(315) 252-0339
http://www.willardchapel.org/

The Chapel will be offering guided tours from Noon – 5PM. Children can read with Santa, sponsored by the Literacy Volunteers, at Noon and at 3PM. The Literacy Volunteers will also offer a Holiday Book Sale. Enjoy listening to the Herman Ave. Elementary School Chorus winter Concert – performance at 1:30PM.

For more information about Holiday Traditions, call the Cayuga County Office of Tourism at 255-1658. If you have questions regarding a specific venue, please phone them directly.

The Best Small Cities to Raise a Family

http://www.forbes.com/2010/10/25/small-cities-family-lifestyle-real-estate-quality-of-life.html

“Auburn, N.Y., a tiny Finger Lakes, takes the top spot for the Northeast region, and comes in at No. 18 in the nation.”

Big, bustling cities are magnets for adventure-seekers and ambitious young people. But the grit and flashiness that attract singles to New York, Los Angeles and Miami aren’t necessarily what parents look for in a place to settle down. Young people looking to start a family might do well to look past the bright lights of the big city.

Instead, maybe consider a place like Dubuque, Iowa, Manitowoc, Wis., or Marquette, Mich. These places boast solid average incomes, good educational prospects, low costs, short commute times and high rates of home ownership–all reasons why they rank as the top three small cities in America to raise a family.

So what is so special about these places? Our top-ranked city, Dubuque, Iowa, is much smaller than a place like New York, with a population of 92,139, but still one of the larger cities on our list (we only ranked cities with a population under 100,000). Dubuque’s size puts it in a kind of sweet spot: large enough to be a center of industry, small enough to not be overcrowded.

An economy that successfully diversified after the collapse of the local manufacturing industry contributes to an unemployment rate that’s nearly half the national average, at 6.5%, and a median household income of $48,779. That means most families have the jobs they need. They also don’t have to spend a lot of time getting there: Only 2.6% of the population spends an hour or more getting to work.

Our top three cities are all in the Midwest, and the region is home to 12 of the top 15 cities. It would seem that mountains, big skies and open plains lend themselves to family life. But while the small towns in Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota and Illinois dominate the list, there are small cities that shine in every region of the country. The rugged mountain town of Casper, WY, is the highest-ranked family-friendly small city in the West, and ranked eighth overall in the nation. The city does particularly well providing residents with affordable housing–families there spend only 17% of their income on housing costs.

Auburn, N.Y., a tiny Finger Lakes town probably best known for its correctional facility, takes the top spot for the Northeast region, and comes in at No. 18 in the nation. Prison jobs boost the local income, which ranks 20th among small cities at $48,991.

The best Southern small city for families? Tiny Frankfort, Ky., with a population of only 69,659. It ranks No. 20 on our nationwide list. Frankfort may be small, but the few families there are well off: The median household income is $50,671.

To pinpoint the best small places to raise a family, we looked at quality-of-life measures that make living easier for families. We started with the most recent data available from the U.S. Census Bureau on all Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas with a population under 100,000. That left us with 126 cities, which we ranked on five measures.

Short commute times improve family life because they give working parents more time at home with their kids, so we scored cities on the percentage of residents that spent an hour or more getting to work in the morning: the lower the better. Since educational outcomes are a key consideration of families looking to relocate, we ranked cities on the percentage of adults aged 25 and older that had at least a high school degree.

We also scored cities on median household income, the rate of home ownership, and housing affordability, for which we used median housing costs as a percentage of income as a proxy. We averaged the rankings across these measures to arrive at final scores. When cities were tied in rank, we used the rate of homeownership to break the tie.

The choice of where to settle down and bring up youngsters is based on a number of complex and personal factors, many of which can’t be measured in a ranked list. But things like affordability, education and jobs are often among them–and these off-the-radar metros have a great deal to offer.