Mark Your Calendars! August Is Bringing the Fun to One Crooked Lake

Mark Your Calendars!

August Is Bringing the Fun to One Crooked Lake

If you thought July was busy around Keuka Lake, apparently August looked at the calendar and said, "Hold my coffee."

Because from the very first day of the month until nearly the last, there is something happening somewhere around our wonderfully crooked little lake.

We have books and bicycles. Paddle races and pottery bowls. Honeybees and handmade treasures. Antiques and artists. Farmers markets and food trucks. Live music under the summer sky. BBQ. Wine. Beer. Ice cream. And, naturally, a few opportunities for shenanigans along the way.

In other words, you might want to grab your calendar.

And a pencil.

Actually, make that a pen. You're going to need it.

Saturday, August 1: Books, Bikes, Boats & a Keuka Roots Gathering!

We are kicking off August in a very big way!

Keuka Roots Gathering at The Windmill Farm & Craft Market | 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | Penn Yan

Come meet the Keuka Roots team, chat with visiting and local authors, enjoy book signings, and be among the first to discover our brand-new limited line of Keuka Roots Signature Products, specially created in collaboration with some wonderfully talented Windmill merchants.

And because we love sharing Keuka with our friends, there will be giveaways, too!

But books aren't the only thing moving around One Crooked Lake on August 1.

Over on the west branch of Keuka Lake, paddlers will take to the water for the Paddle Keuka 5K in Branchport, turning one of the most beautiful corners of our crooked lake into a course for kayaks, canoes and paddle craft.

There is something wonderfully Keuka about this one. No pavement. No track. Just paddlers, open water, surrounding hills and that unmistakable west branch stretching out before them.

Whether you're participating or simply cheering from shore, it's a beautiful reminder that some of our best adventures around here happen right on the water.

And then, down at the southern end of the lake, cyclists will gather in Hammondsport for the Tour de Keuka, a ride that takes participants through some of the most beautiful—and, yes, occasionally rather hilly!—countryside in the Finger Lakes.

This isn't just a bike ride. It's an opportunity to experience Keuka from an entirely different perspective: vineyards rolling across the hillsides, country roads winding through small communities, glimpses of blue water in the distance and the kind of scenery that might almost make you forget you're pedaling.

Almost.

Even better, Tour de Keuka is a ride with a purpose, traditionally supporting the work of the United Way of the Southern Tier and helping strengthen communities across our region.

So there you have it.

Books at The Windmill. Boats in Branchport. Bikes in Hammondsport.

One day.

One Crooked Lake.

And approximately twenty-seven reasons to get out of the house.

Sunday, August 2: Ice Cream, Pottery, Music & a Beautiful Keuka Afternoon

Sunday might just be one of those perfect Keuka days where you don't have to choose between great events—you can enjoy a little bit of everything.

Ice Cream Social & Barbecue at Sunny Point | 1–4 p.m. | Dundee

This one sounds delightfully Keuka.

The Arts Center of Yates County hosts its annual fundraiser at Sunny Point, where guests can choose a handcrafted pottery bowl created by a local artist, fill it with Seneca Farms ice cream and take the bowl home afterward.

Add barbecue, live music, art and a beautiful setting along Keuka Lake, and this has all the makings of a wonderful summer afternoon.

Honestly, handcrafted pottery, local ice cream and a beautiful Keuka setting?

That's a pretty hard combination to beat.

And if you're looking for another wonderful way to spend the afternoon, we'd love to see you just a few miles away.

Keuka Roots Meet-Up at Keuka Springs Winery | 1–4 p.m.

Join us for an informal Keuka Roots Meet-Up at the breathtaking Keuka Springs Winery, where one of the most spectacular views of One Crooked Lake provides the backdrop for a relaxing summer afternoon.

There is no agenda. No speeches. No registration.

Just good friends, great conversations, a glass of wine if you choose, and the wonderful sounds of States Apart filling the hillside.

Whether you've followed Keuka Roots since the beginning or have only recently

discovered us, we'd love to meet you. Bring a  friend, linger for a while, and simply enjoy everything that makes summer around Keuka so special.

Because sometimes the very best Keuka memories aren't planned at all.

They simply happen when good people gather in beautiful places.

Thursday, August 6: Music, Markets & Summer Evenings

Thursday nights were made for summer fun around Keuka.

In Hammondsport Village Square, Music in the Park fills the evening with live entertainment from 6 to 8 p.m.

Bring a chair, find a shady spot beneath those beautiful old trees and enjoy one of those simple summer evenings that somehow become favorite memories.

Just outside the village, the weekly Farmers Market at Point of the Bluff Vineyards offers another reason to get out and enjoy a summer evening—with local produce, artisans, wine, music and one very beautiful view.

The hardest part may simply be deciding where to go.

Then again, around Keuka, there's always the possibility of doing both.

Friday, August 7: First Friday Fun in Penn Yan

First Fridays | 5–8 p.m. | Downtown Penn Yan

Downtown Penn Yan comes alive with shopping, local businesses, food, friends and that wonderful energy that happens when a community gathers together on a summer evening.

Wander.

Browse.

Eat something delicious.

Find something you didn't know you needed.

That's half the fun.

And if you haven't spent a summer evening simply wandering downtown Penn Yan, perhaps August is the perfect time to change that.

August 8 & 9: A Weekend Made for Wandering

There may not be one giant festival dominating the weekend, but sometimes those are the best Keuka days of all.

The kind of weekend when you don't need a strict schedule. You just need a little curiosity, an open road and perhaps someone willing to say, "Oh, let's stop here!"

And around Keuka, there are plenty of places worth stopping.

Start your Saturday morning at The Windmill Farm & Craft Market, where more than 170 merchants fill four buildings and the surrounding grounds with local foods, handmade goods, fresh produce, sweet treats, antiques, crafts and enough interesting finds to keep you wandering for hours.

Honestly, you could arrive planning to stay for an hour and emerge several hours later carrying kettle corn, fudge, handmade soap, something you didn't know you needed and perhaps a Kool-Aid pickle.

Because that's The Windmill.

Or head into Penn Yan and stroll streets that sometimes feel as though they could have stepped straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting.

Wander downtown. Browse the shops. Admire the historic buildings. Stop for coffee or lunch. Watch neighbors greet one another on the sidewalk and enjoy the kind of small-town atmosphere that hasn't entirely disappeared—it is still alive and well right here at the northern tip of our crooked lake.

Visit a farm market. Wander through Hammondsport. Find a roadside stand piled high with sweet corn, peaches and whatever else August has decided to offer. Order an ice cream cone far too big to eat gracefully.

And while you're wandering, don't forget to leave a little room for lunch...and perhaps dessert.

Our Favorite Family-Friendly Bites

If your travels bring you to Penn Yan, make a stop at Seneca Farms, a Keuka tradition for generations. Their famous fried chicken has earned a loyal following far beyond the Finger Lakes, the corn fritters are practically a meal of their own, and no visit feels complete without a scoop (or two!) of their homemade ice cream. It's the kind of place where summer memories are made one delicious bite at a time.

Then make your way south to Hammondsport and settle in at Portside Bistro, where fresh, flavorful food, welcoming hospitality and a relaxed lakeside atmosphere make it one of our favorite places to gather around the table. Whether you're winding down after a day of exploring or catching up with family and friends, it's a wonderful place to savor a meal and toast another beautiful day around One Crooked Lake.

After all, wandering is always a little more enjoyable when there's something delicious waiting along the way.

And this weekend, we're also highlighting three favorite stops—one winery, one brewery and one distillery—because exploring Keuka sometimes requires a little sipping along the way.

Our Winery Pick: Weis Vineyards

Perched above Keuka Lake in a beautifully restored one-room schoolhouse, Weis Vineyards is a place where Germany meets Hammondsport, old-world winemaking meets Finger Lakes soil, and one couple's dream took root overlooking our crooked lake.

And now, just eight years later, Peter and Ashlee Weis are three-time New York State Winery of the Year winners.

Yes.

Three times.

And perhaps my favorite part?

It's practically in my neighborhood.

There's something especially wonderful about discovering that one of New York's very best wineries isn't hidden in some faraway destination. It's right here, along the shores and hills of One Crooked Lake.

Our Brewery Pick: Abandon Brewing Company

Tucked into the countryside overlooking Keuka Lake, Abandon Brewing is one of those places where the setting is as much a part of the experience as what's in your glass.

A beautifully restored 1800s barn. Sprawling lawns. Craft beer. And those gorgeous Keuka views.

It's the kind of place where you intend to stop for a little while...and somehow find yourself staying much longer.

And really, isn't that exactly what a summer weekend around Keuka should be?

Our Distillery Pick: Krooked Lyke Distilling

First of all, with a name like Krooked Lyke, how could Keuka Roots possibly resist?

This small local distillery brings plenty of personality to the Keuka sipping scene, offering handcrafted spirits and a distinctly local experience.

It's fun. It's unexpected. And even the name feels like a wink to our wonderfully crooked lake!

And if wine, beer or spirits aren't your thing, that's perfectly fine, too.

Find a cup of coffee. Grab some local honey. Pick up fresh peaches at a farm stand. Discover a little shop you've driven past twenty-seven times but never entered.

Or simply find a quiet spot beside the water, sit for a while and remember why people fall in love with this place.

Sometimes the best Keuka days aren't the ones packed with plans.

They're the ones where you simply start driving and see where One Crooked Lake takes you.

Thursday, August 13: Another Keuka Summer Evening

Music returns to Hammondsport Village Square from 6 to 8 p.m., while the weekly Farmers Market at Point of the Bluff offers another evening of local flavors, makers, music and wine.

By this point in August, summer seems to have found its rhythm.

The days are warm. The farm stands are overflowing. The lake is sparkling. And there always seems to be music playing somewhere.

And then comes one of the busiest weekends of the month.

Saturday, August 15: Honeybees, Handmade Treasures & One Very Busy Crooked Lake!

Oh, this is going to be a fun one.

Honeybee Festival at Keuka Trail Farm Market | 11 a.m.–5 p.m. | Branchport

In honor of National Honey Bee Day, Keuka Trail Farm Market is hosting a celebration filled with art, handmade goods, unique finds, live local music, drinks, a food truck and community fun.

And perhaps the sweetest part?

You can taste honey from around the world!

Yes, please.

The festival takes place at 3554 Darbys Corners Road in Branchport, and vendors are also being welcomed.

But wait.

Because over in Hammondsport...

The Festival of Crafts | 10 a.m.–5 p.m. | Hammondsport Village Square

Artists and makers fill the village square with creativity, handmade treasures and plenty of reasons to wander beneath those beautiful old trees.

So, yes.

You could absolutely begin your morning surrounded by artists in Hammondsport, make your way around the lake, spend the afternoon with the honeybees in Branchport and call it a perfectly wonderful Keuka day.

Because apparently, that's just how we do August around here.

Sunday, August 16: The Festival Fun Continues

The Festival of Crafts returns for its second day in Hammondsport Village Square from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Another chance to browse, shop local, meet talented artists and perhaps find one of those treasures you absolutely weren't looking for but somehow couldn't leave without.

You know how that happens.

You go to "just look."

And then somehow you're walking back to the car carrying a bag.

It's one of life's great mysteries.

Thursday, August 20: Music Around the Lake

Music in the Park returns to Hammondsport Village Square from 6 to 8 p.m., while Point of the Bluff continues its Thursday Farmers Market.

It is one of those wonderful things about summer around Keuka: on almost any given Thursday, you can find music playing, people gathering and something delicious nearby.

No complicated plans required.

Just pick a direction and go.

Saturday, August 22: Antiques, Paddles & Stories Waiting to Be Found

Annual Antique Show & Sale | 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. | Yates County Fairgrounds

Now, this one has Keuka Roots written all over it.

Because every antique has a story.

Some are known.

Some are forgotten.

And some are sitting quietly on a table just waiting for someone curious enough to ask, Where did you come from?

For those of us who believe history doesn't only live in museums or old books, an antique show is a room filled with possibilities.

Perhaps there's a photograph with no name written on the back.

An old postcard sent from Keuka Lake a century ago.

A piece of furniture that once sat in a farmhouse kitchen.

Or simply something that catches your eye for reasons you can't quite explain.

And then, later that evening, the Blueberry Moon Paddle takes to the water in Branchport from 6 to 9 p.m.

Antiques by day.

Paddling beneath the evening sky by night.

Only around Keuka.

Thursday, August 27: One More Summer Night in the Village

Music in the Park returns to Hammondsport Village Square, while the Thursday Farmers Market at Point of the Bluff gives us another opportunity to soak up one of those late-August evenings we wish we could somehow tuck into a jar and save for January.

Because we all know what's coming.

But we are absolutely not talking about that yet.

There are still summer evenings to enjoy, music to hear, farm stands to visit and ice cream cones to eat.

January can wait.

Saturday, August 29: Smoke on the Water!

Smoke on the Water BBQ Competition | Hammondsport

BBQ.

Competition.

Hammondsport.

Do I need to say more?

There will be smoke in the air, wonderful smells drifting through town and, I suspect, plenty of friendly debate about who deserves bragging rights.

And let's be clear: people have opinions about barbecue.

Strong opinions.

Sauce or no sauce? Sweet or smoky? Ribs or pulled pork?

I am simply saying there may be some serious decisions to make.

This one is definitely going on my calendar.

And Then September Arrives in a Burst of Color...

Just when you think summer around Keuka might be winding down, one of the lake's most colorful traditions is waiting just around the corner.

Saturday, September 5: The Palettes of Keuka Auction

Throughout the summer, 28 beautiful, whimsical and wonderfully creative artist-designed palettes have been displayed at locations all around Keuka Lake.

From Hammondsport to Penn Yan and destinations around the lake, these works of art have been part of the Keuka landscape all summer long.

They've been hanging in wineries and museums, restaurants and shops, inns and businesses—each one telling its own story through the imagination of a local artist.

Then, on September 5, they come together for the grand finale: the Palettes of Keuka Auction.

Art.

Community.

Creativity.

And 28 completely unique interpretations of this place we call home.

Yes, Keuka Roots has been following their journey all summer.

And yes, you will definitely be hearing more about this one!

So...What Are You Putting on Your Calendar?

Maybe you're a festival person.

Maybe you'd rather spend the day searching for antique treasures.

Perhaps live music is calling your name.

Or honeybees.

Or books.

Or BBQ.

Or ice cream served in a handcrafted pottery bowl—which, frankly, is going to be hard to beat.

Maybe your perfect Keuka weekend means spending a Saturday morning wandering The Windmill, strolling the Norman Rockwell-like streets of Penn Yan, discovering an award-winning winery tucked into an old schoolhouse, sipping a craft beer in a restored 1800s barn or stopping at a local distillery simply because the name Krooked Lyke made you smile.

Or perhaps you don't need an event at all.

Maybe all you need is an open road, a farm stand you've never visited, a village you've been meaning to explore and enough time to see where the day takes you.

Whatever your idea of a perfect summer day may be, August is offering plenty of reasons to get out, explore and celebrate the communities, businesses, artists, musicians, makers, farmers and wonderfully interesting people who make this crooked little corner of the world so special.

So mark your calendars.

Grab your friends.

Fill up the gas tank.

And perhaps leave a little room for something completely unexpected along the way.

Because around here, the best stories often begin when you weren't looking for them at all.



Why Keuka? Because No Other Lake Spells Y Like This.™

Stay Rooted. Stay Keuka.™