Ontario County Cooperative Extension is marking the 100th anniversary of 4-H Camp Bristol Hills with a full calendar of events throughout 2025, from a casual kickoff gathering this week to a formal gala in the fall.
Mo Tidball of Cornell Cooperative Extension Ontario County joined the FLX Morning Podcast to share details about the centennial celebration and what’s new at the camp this summer. The camp, located in the Bristol Hills, has a rich history documented decade-by-decade on the extension’s website at cceontario.org — including the surprising fact that the property once served as the site of the Ontario County Fair and featured a racetrack and barn.
The first centennial event takes place this Thursday, January 23rd, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Rebel Sailor in Shortsville. Attendees can learn about camp history, view historical fact sheets, and reconnect with fellow alumni. A raffle will also be held. Additional milestone events include a Family Camp Weekend on May 17th–18th, a trail race on September 13th, and a formal gala on October 4th. The camp’s dedicated website is 4hcampbristolhills.org, and it can also be found on Facebook and Instagram.
Summer camp runs July 2nd through 8th and is open to all youth — no 4-H membership required. Day and overnight programs are available, and new this year is a night camp for sixth graders and older, running from 5 to 9 p.m. Camperships (scholarships) are available, with more than 100 children supported annually through private donations. The application deadline is March 1st. The camp also employs up to 50 young people each summer and is currently hiring staff — applications are available on the website.
Tidball also highlighted a new 4-H dog obedience club that filled up quickly, a virtual Beekeepers Garden workshop hosted by Master Gardeners this Thursday evening, and a Spring Garden Symposium on February 9th. She also discussed her ongoing Wild Harvest Table research — in collaboration with Cornell — documenting the nutritional value of wild game, including findings that wild goose meat contains twice the iron of domesticated geese. More information and recipes are available at wildharvesttable.com. For all extension programming, visit cceontario.org.