Paul Szmal: FLX Morning continues. It is 814. We have snow falling and we're right at the freezing mark at 32. Let's welcome in Carolina Taylor from Finger Lakes Visitors Connection for our monthly visit. Carolina, good morning. How are you?
Carolina Taylor: Good morning, Paul. Good. Excited to share some information with locals and visitors about what they can do around Ontario County this end of December and January.
Paul Szmal: Yeah, last go-round we talked about a lot of the Christmas events that are happening and have happened around the region. Let's flash forward a little bit now and talk about celebrating New Year's Eve in the Finger Lakes. A lot of people like to enjoy a nice New Year's Eve dinner out and there are plenty of options for that.
Carolina Taylor: Definitely. Well, we have a few options. In Geneva, Kindre Fair is celebrating its 10th year anniversary and they're offering a two-in-one celebration, a very nice dinner. And if people want to go and enjoy a more historic ambience, they can go to Waterfields in Clifton Springs or to Edgar's Restaurant at Bell House Castle, which is also offering a special dinner. And if they want to stay around Canandaigua Lake, they could go to Nolan's on Canandaigua Lake, which is offering holiday meals to go, which is very convenient because some people like to enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of like, you know, having a prepared meal but at home.
Paul Szmal: Yeah, that is a great option to have. Just make sure that wherever you decide to go, you want to make reservations early.
Carolina Taylor: Yes. Yeah, absolutely. There are some celebrations in Geneva as well.
Paul Szmal: Yes, Geneva on the Lake is offering its New Year's Eve gala. That one is offering live music, a four-course dinner, a champagne toast at midnight, and some other things also complemented with a selection of New Year's Eve packages. So if people want to stay overnight with the Seneca Lake overview and everything, that's definitely available. And they can also head to 41 Lake from Hotel. They're offering a New Year's Eve evening featuring live music, a special dinner, complimentary champagne for midnight toast, and they are also offering packages that people can...
Carolina Taylor: Yeah, and those packages include not only an overnight room but breakfast at the hotel on New Year's Day, which is always a good thing.
Paul Szmal: Yes.
Carolina Taylor: We're talking with Carolina Taylor from the Finger Lakes Visitors Connection going over some of the things that are happening on New Year's Eve and beyond here in the Finger Lakes region. In the Canandaigua area, plenty of options there as well for New Year's Eve.
Paul Szmal: Yes, very fun options. Hotel Canandaigua is offering a New Year's Eve bash. They are gonna have 80s music, signature cocktails, food, and more. And then the Lake Hills on Canandaigua is having a few activities around that week. They are having a New Year's Eve celebration that's gonna feature live music, a menu, and a midnight toast. And they're also offering something for the New Year's Day. So January 1st, they're gonna have a New Year's Day brunch, and they're also gonna have a New Year's wellness retreat on January 3rd. And that's gonna include a restorative yoga, meditation, creative stations, and other things.
Carolina Taylor: Yeah, there you go. And a way to start the New Year on the right foot, so to speak. Maybe the left foot, too. Who knows?
Paul Szmal: Speaking of left and right feet, if you're in the mood to dance and ring in the New Year, Bristol Mountain may be an option for you.
Carolina Taylor: Yes, they have fun activities. Some for the kids, some for the adults. You know, that you can enjoy a full day of skiing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing. And then at night, they're gonna have an area for the kids and featuring family-friendly activities. And they're also gonna have a DJ, fireworks. So it's great to end the year in the mountains with snow and fireworks in the sky.
Paul Szmal: You want to see a spectacular picture of what Carolina is talking about? If you go to the blog post, Ways to Celebrate the New Year on visitfingerlakes.com, you should see the picture of the fireworks going off over Bristol Mountain with a full moon in the background. I mean, that's like the best of everything right there.
Carolina Taylor: It's beautiful because you can see all the lights and the trails, so it's awesome.
Paul Szmal: Yeah, a fantastic picture. I don't know who took that, but kudos to them for sure. All right, now let's talk about some of the stuff that's happening once the calendar flips over here to 2026. And one of the things we touched on is the New Year's Day brunch at the Lake House on Canandaigua.
Carolina Taylor: Yes, this one's gonna be hosted at the Lakefront Rose Tavern. And they're gonna feature a winter-inspired menu with French toast, eggs benedict, seafood, and other things. Whoever has been to the Rose Tavern, they know that their food is fantastic. So this is gonna be a great way to start the year. And you can see more information in our recently posted blog. You can go to visitfingerlakes.com slash blog slash January events in the Finger Lakes. And there are a few other things happening in January. January happens to be Stout Month, if you are a fan of the brew.
Paul Szmal: Yes, some of the Canandaigua breweries come together to celebrate Stout Month, and they give you a punch card and you can go to each participating brewery. They are Peacemaker Brewing, Frequentant Brewing, Naked Dove, Twisted Rail, Other Half, and the newly opened Gem Creek Brewery. And then you go, they punch your card at each of them, and at the last one that you visit, if you have visited all the ones that are participating, then they give you a beer glass with the logos from all the breweries. So that's pretty fun.
Carolina Taylor: Yeah, a good way to stomp around and check out the craft breweries that are in and around the Canandaigua area, and get a little souvenir for your trip on the way on the way out.
Paul Szmal: We mentioned the New Year's Wellness Retreat. Again, that is at the Lake House on Canandaigua. It's going to be January 3rd and the 4th. They are offering special discounted rates. If you check out that blog that Carolina mentioned, there's a promo code that you can use to get that discounted rate if you want to stay there at the Lake House on Canandaigua for that event.
Carolina Taylor: Now here's a neat one that I think is pretty cool that's happening in Victor, the Sugar Makers Igloo Brunch.
Paul Szmal: Yes, this is going to be available between January 10 and March 8, and it's a very intimate maple-inspired five-course brunch that you can have inside of an igloo. So it's pretty cool because you can go with six people, I think minimum, to reserve a table. It's very different because the menu is secret, so they don't tell you what they're going to serve you because it's part of the fun. You only have to let them know if you have a few dietary restrictions, but they serve you everything, so you're going to go into a very winter-inspired experience with them.
Carolina Taylor: Yeah, you know, that sounds so cool going and not knowing exactly what you're going to get from the chef.
Paul Szmal: Yes, I've seen a few pictures on their website, so you don't know what they're going to serve you, but from the pictures you can tell that it's going to be good.
Carolina Taylor: Yeah, I'm guaranteeing you it's going to be delicious, too.
Paul Szmal: There is an event at Rooted by Amberg in Victor that sounds like a lot of fun. This is going to be on Friday, January the 2nd. Why don't you tell us about that one, Carolina?
Carolina Taylor: Yes, this is going to be a tribute to Cher, and they're going to play some of her music, and they're inviting people to just come and drink a glass of wine or a glass of beer and just sit down and enjoy some music. So a very relaxing event to enjoy the winter coziness as well.
Paul Szmal: Yeah, that's not something that rolls through the Finger Lakes area every day, a Cher tribute, so if you're a fan you want to check that out. And again, that's at Rooted by Amberg, Pittsburgh Victor Road in Victor.
Carolina Taylor: Oh, here's a good one. January the 17th at the Hotel Canandaigua, the Chaco Vino Festival.
Paul Szmal: Yes, this is very exciting, Paul. This is the first time ever that they're going to host this one. So they're going to invite dozens of vendors from across the Northeast, including wineries, breweries, and chocolate stores, sweets, crafts, and more. So people can go buy their tickets, and their tickets are going to include unlimited tastings of everything that's available. So that is pretty fun, because you never have enough with only one, right? And then there's also going to be food available for purchase and live music.
Carolina Taylor: Two of my favorite things that go together are wine and chocolate.
Paul Szmal: Oh yes, one of the best. Absolutely.
Carolina Taylor: And finally, we want to talk about the annual Bernstein celebration. This is at the Ravenwood Golf Club in Victor, coming up late in January.
Paul Szmal: Yes, this is their main annual event, and they're going to host a semi-formal dinner, followed by entertainment, cocktails, and some other activities. So people can go and enjoy an evening of commemoration for Bernstein celebration.
Carolina Taylor: Now, if you missed anything that we talked about, or you want to find out more information about something that we talked about, there are a couple of blog posts that you can check out. You can go to visitfingerlakes.com slash blog slash post, and then you can either put in with dashes, ways to celebrate New Year, or January events in the Finger Lakes. Finger Lakes, two separate words, and that'll take you to the information and the pictures of some of the things that we've talked about here this morning.
Paul Szmal: Carolina, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and the rest of the holiday season, and we'll talk to you in January.
Carolina Taylor: Thank you so much, Paul. You too, and happy holidays to everyone.
Paul Szmal: It is 8.25 as FLX Morning continues.
