Snowsports in Rochester are meant to be exciting and memorable. Ice hockey is filled with intensity and speed, while cross-country skiing will leave you feeling breathless, exhilarated, and eager for more fun. When you come to Rochester, be sure to visit these five locations. These are the best places to participate in snow sports while you’re in Rochester.
Blue Cross Arena
Commonly referred to as the War Memorial, the Blue Cross Arena opened in 1955 as the Rochester Community War Memorial. Flash-forward decades later, and the multipurpose indoor arena now serves as a wonderful place to play hockey or participate in all types of skiing, from cross-country to alpine. Considering that in 2021 there were 133,444 snowmobiles sold worldwide, with 59,234 being sold in the U.S. and 50,567 sold in Canada only insinuates you’ll find the equipment you need if you know where to look. In addition, you won’t have to worry about any unnecessary risks, as the park is known to safely host top-notch events, including Wrestlemania and the Rochester Americans hockey team.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park at Manhattan Square
The memorial lodge contains a full kitchen and seating for 230. A perfect opportunity to rent if you have $600 to spare. If not, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park itself can be found next to the Strong Museum in the East End District. It’s home to a huge concrete plaza that contains a 2,000-seat amphitheater and skating rink. Here, memories and photographs will produce happy memories for your family, as well as the opportunity to ice skate in the colder months of the year.
Lakeshore Hockey Arena
At the Lakeshore Hockey Arena, your family can learn how to skate for the first time, how to figure skate, and how to sign up for fun skating camps throughout the year. As the ice is home to one of the most exciting sports of all time, the Lakeshore Arena is a good idea if it’s hockey in particular that you’re hoping to have fun with. The Arena’s also a great spot if you need to get your kids involved in something fun during the summer. As long as you can keep up with the registration fees, this spot is sure to take up plenty of your time.
Black Creek Park
In Black Creek Park, you’ll be sitting about 10 miles southwest of Rochester. There you’ll learn that while there are more than 3,000 snowmobile clubs in the world involved in trail grooming or charity fundraising. The most memorable family activities begin when you become one with nature at Black Creek Park. There are plenty of hiking trails to peruse in the winter. With hiking comes opportunities to embrace nature and wildlife, but be sure to be respectful and mindful of your time spent in this park. The locals will know that cross-country skiing and sledding can be a lot of fun, so long as everyone takes the time to respect the park’s rules and regulations.
Genesee Valley Park
Genesee Valley Park is located on the eastern bank of the Genesee River and is one of the best spots to visit in Rochester if cross-country skiing captures your interest. While there are plenty of hiking trails, this park stands out for the challenge you’ll take on when you decide to put on your skis. Remember, while out and about, you need to warm up your equipment batteries to at least 40 degrees Fahrenheit before attempting to charge the device. As long as you put as much effort into safety as having fun, Genesee Valley might end up as more than a brief stop. Just think of the sports camps and lodges available. You’ll be glad you did.
Rochester, New York is a wonderful place to participate in snow sports of all kinds while having fun with your family. Whether you’re interested in cross-country skiing or figure skating for the first time, choosing the right snow sports arenas takes as much attention to detail as focus on entertainment value. Fortunately, the parks in Rochester will be sure to keep your family coming back year after year.
Crafting has taken on a whole new life. People are finding that they can make desired goods that will make them a little money along the way. Plenty of crafting groups have sprung up on social media that specifically look at helping people in the Rochester area find ways to sell their lovely products, but it goes beyond that as well. There are many great places in the physical space of Rochester that are also great for selling products and making some extra money.
Small, Community-Owned Businesses
World markets have been shaken at this time with trade overseas dropping by a total of 9.5% in the first half of 2020 as the global pandemic took off. The total drop in global trade during that year compared to the previous year (2019) was 16 percent. With supply chains rattled and a lack of clarity about where things are headed next, some communities have turned inward and propped up more community-based forms of trade.
Plenty of handmade goods can be found for sale in the Rochester shop Little Button Craft. Primarily, the crafts that are on display are from the owners of the shop itself, but they occasionally reach out to other local artists to work on collaborations and to purchase goods from them that they will use in their shop. You can see the fine craftsmanship that has gone into the various goods that are available.
Try to take a particularly close look at the wood goods that they have available from time to time. These goods are some of their most durable and most cherished because of their longevity and ability to withstand just about anything thrown at them. When asked in a survey, 92% of people said that they plan to keep the wood furniture that they own for at least 15 years. They know that this furniture is built to last, and they don’t throw it out like they might with furniture made from less durable materials.
Rochester-Made Goods
Creators will have a much easier time finding a market for their goods at a place like this. Roc Made Goods is a crafts market that is open to anyone who makes something that other people in their community might want to buy. They set up the market so that people can come and look at all of the different crafts at one time. They know that if they are hosting an event that requires an event tent (as these markets often do), it makes sense to also rent tables and other supplies from the same rental company, and that is precisely what they do. The creators of the various crafts can pay a small fee to occupy the space of one of those tables and put their goods out for everyone to check out and see what they might like to buy. It is a winning formula that works for everyone who participates in it.
Make sure if you want to participate in this crafts market that you pay close attention to the dates that they have available. This past year, they were only open for two weeks, and those who didn’t get in on the action were simply left out. You need to keep close tabs on what they have going on and when you can apply to get in. Failure to do so may mean that you have to wait until the next season to try to sell your goods at this particular location
The desire to purchase homemade crafts is not going away anytime soon. If you are particularly talented at making a particular type of craft, then you need to check out how to sell what you have created, and you need to figure out a way to get those goods out to the people who are eager to buy them from you.
There’s no doubt that the pandemic has severely impacted the way we live. From how we run errands to the way we work and learn, the threat of COVID-19 remains constant. And while the average American life expectancy is 78 years, our current national crisis indicates that if we don’t get things under control, we could experience thousands — if not millions — of lives being cut short.
But aside from the coronavirus’s impact on our survival rates, it’s also had major effects on the way we socialize and have fun. With the continued need to wear masks, practice social distancing, and reduce the inherent risks associated with public places, it’s no wonder that many of us are wondering whether we’ll ever really be permitted to have fun in a worry-free way again. Although Florida attracts more than 100 million visitors each year, the majority of New Yorkers need to stay put (and away from national hot spots) in order to reduce their risks.
With that in mind, you might be stuck in the area for the foreseeable future. And as the seasons change, what exactly can you do for fun? You might be pleasantly surprised with the fall activities that are still going on — with restrictions in place — in the greater Rochester area.
The months between the end of summer and the start of the hectic holiday season are ripe with opportunities to create wonderful memories with your friends and family. While the autumn weather gives you plenty of sunny days and the changing leaves create a beautiful backdrop, you can spend your weekends doing all of the things that make fall in upstate New York so special. In 2017, there were approximately 11.6 million youth participants (aged between six and 17 years) in fishing in the United States.
The summer festival season in Rochester continues this weekend with the 43rd edition of the Park Ave Summer Art Fest on Saturday, Aug 3 from 10a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Aug 4. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This annual celebration of arts and culture stretches for a mile and a quarter along Park Avenue from Alexander Street to Culver Road. Every year, this part of the picturesque Park Avenue neighborhood transforms into a mecca of shopping and entertainment. Better yet, admission is completely free.
There’s a lot to look forward to this weekend in Upstate New York; between the Rochester Pride Parade and the Ithaca Grassroots festival, we’re planning on spending a lot of time outside. Unfortunately, the heat might try to ruin your summer fun as temperatures soar into the 100s.
June is unofficially recognized in the United States as LGBT Pride Month, even if Rochester typically waits until July for Pride Week. This year, however, is sure to have a Pride Month to remember, as 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising that led to increased recognition and rights for LGBT people across the nation. However you plan to get involved this year, use these tips to make sure you’re celebrating Pride Month respectfully and supporting the LGBT community appropriately.
Even though most people know Rochester for Kodak or its signature garbage plate, more people have started to take note of Rochester’s thriving arts scene. From new featured art at the Memorial Art Gallery to the local artists showcasing their skills at its countless festivals each year, folks from across the state have indulged in the local art for which Rochester is known.
Warmer weather is finally starting to make an appearance in the city of Rochester and that can only mean one thing. Festival season is upon us.
To kick off a season filled with fun festivals for adults and kids alike, we have the 121st Rochester Lilac Festival. This iconically Rochester festival welcomes spring like no other event in the city with its array of fragrant blooms, lineup of performers, and gathering of food vendors. This year, the festival begins today, May 10, and runs through May 19. The festival grounds in Highland Park will be open from 10:30 in the morning until 8:30 at night every day in that period. Since roughly 40% of brides and grooms-to-be are looking for unusual venues that better reflect their personality — Highland Park could be the perfect location, so keep an eye out!
Now that we have the mundane details out of the way, let’s talk about the fun stuff. Read on to find out which events you have to go to and the tasty treats you can’t miss.
Tattoos are becoming more and more popular every year, with 47% of Millennials and 36% of Gen Xers saying they have at least one tattoo. In total, that turns out to be 45 million Americans with ink. This turns out If you have yet to get your first tattoo, your best chance might be quickly approaching, as local tattoo shop Love Hate Tattoo hosts the 11th annual Roc City Tattoo Expo. The expo features a variety of local and visiting tattoo artists, piercers, vendors, and more, and will take place between April 26th and 28th this year.
The City announced the Inner Loop RFP winners. The three proposals that won aren’t bad. No Great Wolf Lodge, at least. One of the sites is being held for a future RFP. Best of luck to all the winning proposals.
I don’t know of anyone in the world who loves parking—except maybe Lorraine Baines—but that’s not exactly the kind of parking I’m talking about here…
I’m talking about the hassle of cruising up and down the rows of a Wegmans parking lot, trying to squeeze in next to the hummer who decided he needed an extra couple of spaces, fighting the nine other drivers who won’t even entertain the thought of walking an extra twenty feet to pay $5 for a bottle of water.
Cuomo was in town to announce a sizable expansion of the Genesee Brewery. More details here. This is exciting for Genny and the region in general. One other small plug for a local firm – the design is being done by Pardi.
The Rochester Subway stopped passenger service on June 30, 1956. To mark the 60th anniversary of the subway’s closing the New York Museum of Transportation will host a two-day weekend event filled with talks, trolley rides, demonstrations of the Subway’s fully restored “Casey Jones” speeder, food, and vendors…
This fully restored vintage Greyhound bus appeared in the movie Race, the recent film about Jesse Owens’ fight to compete in the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games where he won four gold medals. The bus will be open for visitors and tales from the restoration and filming of the bus will be told next Sunday at The New York Museum of Transportation…
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After the Erie Canal was rerouted south of downtown Rochester, the Rochester
Industrial & Rapid Transit Railway (the subway) was built in
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