This weekend in Finger Lakes, NY

Catch country newcomer Zach Top live as part of the Cold Beer & Country Music Tour. The show will bring a high-energy set of original songs and classic country vibes to the Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center in Canandaigua.

Volunteers will work with Inclusion in Motion to wipe down equipment and tidy areas around the Motion Junction playground. The effort is open to everyone, with tasks available for any level of participation. Attendees may stay for the entire event or for a shorter time. Participation can count toward community service, and verification is available. Organizations interested in arranging a different day or time can contact the organizers to coordinate.

Set in the open air at the pavilion at Steamboat Landing, this market invites friendly connections as visitors catch up with familiar faces and meet new ones while browsing an array of stalls. It celebrates local agriculture, art, and food, featuring goods that are grown, crafted, and cooked within 30 miles of the member-built pavilion.

Discover the vital role of pollinators during a Drop-In Discovery Days session focused on these powerful garden helpers. This free summer series welcomes nature lovers of all ages to explore interactive, themed activities at their own pace, with staff and supplies available for support. No registration is required. The new Discovery Cart will be available, and a sign at the main entrance will help direct visitors. Sessions continue in light rain and are canceled in storms or heavy rain. Themes may change based on weather, materials, and staffing. This program is supported by the Tompkins County Tourism Program and the Legacy Foundation.

A community celebration of sound and unity brings together experienced practitioners and newcomers to sound healing for a collective Himalayan singing bowl experience aimed at a world record, with a focus on wellness, positive vibration, and connection. Set within Historic Downtown on Main Street in Canandaigua, the day features handmade artisan goods, opportunities to meet wellness and holistic practitioners dedicated to mind, body, and soul alignment, uplifting live music, and accessible workshops with a schedule to be announced. Family-friendly activities offer mindful fun for all ages, and a Tea Trail is planned with more details to come. The centerpiece is a shared singing bowl experience, and participants are encouraged to bring their own Himalayan singing bowl to contribute to the unified sound. Presented in collaboration with the Mystic Mermaid Artisan Collective, Amazing Mind Body Soul Center, the Canandaigua Business Improvement District, and additional partners. Admission is open to all with registration required, and vendor opportunities are available.

Finger Lakes Farms, a distributor based in Seneca Falls, will be at the tasting bar offering samples with a BBQ and lake day theme. Taste the selections, choose what you like, and purchase those items in the Taste NY market.

Art Saturdays is a one-hour youth workshop series for children ages 6 to 12, with supportive instruction in a small-group setting. Each session focuses on a stand-alone creative project taught by artists and art educators, and kids work at their own pace. Supplies and materials are provided as part of the workshop fee, and the projects can include things like paper weaving, polymer clay sculpting, foam printmaking, collage, painting, puppet making, drawing, or assemblage. The space is accessible, with an automatic door opener, elevator, and accessible restrooms.

Swing by Sulfur Books for the August Second Saturday Coffee Pop-Up, featuring Café Cómodo. Pick up a hot or refreshing coffee treat from their menu, with options like espresso, lattes, spiced chai, and matcha. Café Cómodo will be set up in their cozy window nook at the store during the monthly Second Saturday event.

Enjoy live music from Two for the Show, with food available throughout the day.

Lucky Hare Brewing presents a community day fundraiser in support of the Watkins Glen fire department at Lafayette Park. Expect a family friendly atmosphere with food trucks, local vendors, and plenty to do, including bounce houses, a dunk tank, and a kids area featuring Nate the Great, a juggling magician. Live music comes from Cast Iron Cowboys and PA Line. Refreshments include Lucky Hare beer along with local wines, ciders, and more. Celebrate community spirit while helping a vital local service.

This event takes place at Star Cider in Canandaigua, New York.

Join an adults-only book club focused on discovering new horror authors, with Stephen King not included. Each month, the group picks a horror subgenre, selects a book to read, and then meets to discuss it. Registration is required, and registration closes on August 8, 2026 at 1:00 PM.

Stop by for free live music on the Bagg Dare bandstand featuring local artists. Music runs from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM, weather permitting.

Returning with an expanded schedule, the Barrow Gallery offers guided walks through the village. This outdoor experience covers roughly 1.5 miles in about an hour, with stops at landmarks that illuminate Barrow’s perspective as both artist and citizen. Trained docents lead each group, and participation is limited to 10 people to keep the tour personal. The fee is $20 per person, payable by cash or Venmo, and members attend at no cost. Tours gather at the gallery before setting out. Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring water. Docents are available to answer questions and share additional insights.

Explore how a modest waterway along the southern edge of the Ithaca Commons, running east to west, has powered industry and infrastructure since the city’s early years and helped shape the downtown landscape. Historian and HistoryForge Project Director Eve Snyder, PhD, will illuminate the stories held in the waters of Six Mile Creek while demonstrating how to use HistoryForge, a historical records mapping platform, to uncover local history. The program features a talk followed by a Q&A and is geared toward curious residents, college students in technology or history, and anyone interested in a new tool for researching the past. The event takes place at The CAP Gallery within The Center for History and Culture.

At the Canandaigua Rising in Unity Gathering, Witches of the Water’s Edge will lend their support to a Guinness World Record attempt for the largest gathering of singing bowls and will also perform during the event. The effort is being coordinated by the Mystic Mermaid Artisan Collective. Performance time is to be determined. Participant registration is available for those who wish to take part in the singing bowl record attempt.

Laurentide Beer Company hosts the return of Jackson Cavalier for a live performance. The upstate New York musician, performer, advocate for musicians’ rights, and music booker is known to appear as a one man band as well as fronting The Big Dead Waltz, rooted in Americana and roots rock while venturing beyond those styles. His discography includes Barefooted and Still Breathing with The Fevertones, the solo albums Half-Moon and Spellbound, and Defend Your Illusion, his first full length with The Big Dead Waltz. Away from the studio, he has played extensively across New York State and beyond, averages 100 to 200 shows a year, and is widely recognized as a busker. He also operates Voidyear MGMT, founded to help artists connect with ethical venues that pay fairly. There is no cover charge, seating is first come, first served, and reservations are not accepted.

This two-day running event at the Finger Lakes Welcome Center features a newly added 5K along with a half marathon and a relay, presented by Red Jacket Orchards. The 5K takes place on the first day, followed by the half marathon and relay on the next.

Join us at Aurora Brewing Co for The Pin Drops, a live event running from early evening into the night.

The Empire Street Stock Series reaches its sixth round with a championship night featuring a 30 lap main event that awards $1,000 to the winner. The program is presented by Close Racing Supply with support from I-Freeze. Special honors include the Buds Apple Pie Hard Charger, the Big Mike’s Auto Hard Luck recognition, and a WIX Filters random finish bonus. Additional backing comes from MadSkins and NG Promotions.

Experience a soothing sound journey that aims to calm the nervous system as layered music clears the mental clutter and carries listeners through hypnotic grooves, entrancing melodies, and cinematic soundscapes. Matt Venuti leads with a dynamic blend of electronic and acoustic instruments shaped by decades of appearances in high-profile venues and immersive spaces. Largely improvised, the set is built in real time with an advanced looper and the EVI, a breath-controlled synthesizer. He also features the Hang, the instrument that inspired modern handpans, as well as Waves instruments, the Huaca triple-chambered ocarina, the newly created Gemini Bells, and a curated array of large Himalayan bowls. The result is an expansive sonic experience that is not only heard but deeply felt.

Experience the powerful solo show Resilience by Samite, a multi-media one-man performance that blends urgent, today-feeling music with a timeless journey toward healing. Samite shares his life story, from escaping the dangers of life in 1980s Uganda to learning how music can help others heal. Both performances include an extended post-performance Q&A so you can connect with the artist after the show.

Betty’s Ghost returns to Landon’s Pub and Pizza with a high energy show built around a continuous mix of pop, dance, and rock. Expect an upbeat set that keeps the crowd moving from the first song to the last.

Gain a solid foundation in safe, responsible boating with a beginner friendly class that emphasizes core skills, awareness, and courtesy on New York waters. Participants must be at least 10 years old, and those who complete the course earn a safe boating certificate. Instruction covers navigation right of way rules, the safety equipment every vessel must carry, guidance for specialized boating activities, and other essentials that help everyone share the water with confidence and respect.

The Waterfront weekend series returns with a vibrant mix of agriculture, art, and food vendors. Browse booths, meet makers and producers, and sample a variety of bites as you explore. This recurring gathering offers a relaxed way to discover new finds and enjoy the waterfront atmosphere.

At the pavilion, a lively market brings together familiar vendors from the area. Meet artisans, farmers, and chefs offering products they make, grow, and cook within 30 miles of the pavilion. It runs on weekends and continues in any weather, rain or shine.

Experience a dockside mat Pilates session in partnership with The Reformery beside Canandaigua Lake. This welcoming class suits every level and centers on core strength, flexibility, and mindful movement. Gentle, controlled exercises support better posture and build strength, helping you leave feeling recharged. Whether you are new to Pilates or a regular practitioner, it offers a peaceful way to move, breathe, and enjoy the lakeside setting.

Join South Hill Cider for a guided workshop on how to taste cider like a professional. You’ll start with an overview of the cider basics, including acid, sugar, tannin, and alcohol, plus how fermentation and production transform apples into what’s in your glass. Then you’ll explore two South Hill ciders in different styles and learn how those components show up in what you see, smell, and taste. The session wraps up with a cider pour of your choice and a snack plate, along with time to use the included Cider Tasting Journal or take a break.

Join a hands-on somatic workshop series focused on rebuilding your sense of personal space through somatic practice and creative exploration. Each session follows a Sunday rhythm with a welcome circle to set the theme, a short snack break to move from thinking to sensing, an artistic mapping activity to explore the inner self, and a closing integration to carry the “blueprint” into the week ahead. Bring a dedicated journal and sketchbook for documenting your progress.

Catch Blues Traveler live at Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center, featuring Gin Blossoms and Spin Doctors as part of the lineup. The show starts at 6:00 PM, with local venue time noted on the listing.

Lamar Williams Jr. is performing at Lincoln Hill Farms. The show is scheduled for the evening with doors and ticket details available through the ticket listing shown on the page.