Spotlight

Look no further then Cortland County for fun St. Patrick's Day events to bring out the Irish in you! Whether you're looking for whiskey, live Irish music or corned beef and cabbage - dress head to toe in green and celebrate the Irish culture at one of the county's local spots.   Pre - St. Patty’s Party  Friday, March 15th from 5:30pm-8pm @ Finger Lakes Tasting & Tap Room St.…

On the first day of March, let us momentarily forget about the never-ending snow and bitter cold, and celebrate that which tickles our taste buds and sticks to the roof of our mouths – peanut butter.  Today we celebrate National Peanut Butter Lovers Day, and Cortland County is spreading the peanut butter love with delicious treats.  Try one, or if you have no willpower, try them…

Edible alchemy is how Carly and Dave Dougherty describe their food fermentation. What began as a fascination became their passion in 2012 with the launch of Food & Ferments. What is food fermentation? When vegetables like cabbage are left to sit and steep, their sugars are broken down and promote the growth of bacteria. The bacteria converts sugar into lactic acid and that acts as a…

New York State is home to the most ski areas in the United States. Cortland County has 4 ski areas all within 30 minutes of each other. Take advantage of over 100 downhill trails in the beautiful Finger Lakes Region. So what other reasons do you need? Here are 5 reasons to make Cortland County your ski destination this winter.   Come for the skiing, stay for the food.   You are…

Art lovers rejoice! Cortland County has many art spots waiting for you. Explore a metal zoo, interactive art installations, impactful murals and so much more. Feed your soul and take a trip to Cortland County. Eric Kroot Art Trail at Lime Hollow Nature Center Eric Kroot Art Trail at Lime Hollow Nature Center Totem poles, incredible larger than life art installations can be found lurking amongst…

Cortland Repertory Theatre was awarded 9 Syracuse Area Live Theatre (SALT) Awards at a ceremony held on Sunday, November 11, at the Redhouse Theatre in Syracuse.   CRT received a total of 54 nominations from five of their summer productions in 2018.  The SALT Awards are divided into three categories: Professional, Regional and Community, with CRT falling into the Regional category. Nine…

Meghan Lawton graduated from Homer High School in 2003 and SUNY Cortland in 2007 and has found her way back to Cortland County. She recently took the Cortland County Convention & Visitors Bureau Executive Director position after Jim Dempsey retired after 25 years of service. Last week we turned over our Instagram account to Meghan and experienced Cortland through her eyes.   For…

Hollenbeck's Cider Mill celebrates its 86th cider season this fall. A trip to see the cider press, or to enjoy a freshly made donut is a fall must do in Cortland County. Check out the video below. Share your Cortland County adventures with us for a chance to be featured! Tag @experiencecortland and use hashtag #experiencecortland.

Ashley Pearson of Cheerful & Creative Art Studio took over the Experience Cortland Instagram and showed us her unique perspective on Cortland County.   Ashley owns and operates Cheerful & Creative Art Studio in Historic Downtown Cortland since July 2017. She has lived in Cortland her whole life receiving her undergraduate degree in Art from SUNY Cortland and her…

Trinity Valley Dairy Farm is a fourth-generation family farm in the beautiful East Homer valley. We got to explore it all from cows to their 2-mile long corn maze! Make a trip to Trinity Valley Dairy Farm a must do on your fall adventure in Cortland County.   Check out the video below. Share your Cortland County adventures with us for a chance to be featured! Tag @experiencecortland and tag…

Chocolate truffles, chocolate covered bacon, chocolate, chocolate CHOCOLATE! We visited owner and chocolatier Stacey of Sinfully Sweet Café in the Village of Homer to learn more about her inspiration for the sweet stuff.   Why not check it our yourself! Sinfully Sweet Café is located at 17 S. Main St. Homer, NY.   Check out the video below.   HUNGRY FOR is a series…

There’s a massive corn maze growing out in Truxton, NY in Cortland County! Trinity Valley Dairy Farm has created a 2-mile-long corn maze adventure that is sure to get the entire family excited for the fall harvest season.   Located on the farm, this maze takes you through twists and turns as you venture among the corn stalks. From above, your journey is in the design of a friendly…

Marlo Colletto, Tompkins Cortland Community College   We turned over our @experiencecortland Instagram account over to Marlo Colletto from TC3 to give us her unique perspective on how she experiences Cortland County.   See her posts below!   Hello from a hill overlooking Dryden! I'm Marlo Colletto with @tompkinscortland and I'll be taking over#experiencecortland this week.…

The Cortland County Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, the official Tourism Promotion Agency for Cortland County, is pleased to announce that Meghan N. Lawton has been selected as the new Executive Director of the organization.   “We had several candidates for retiring Executive Director Jim Dempsey’s position,” said Mary Coye-Robillard, Asst. Vice President/Branch…

We took an airplane over Cortland County for the Cortland Airfest.   The Cortland County Airfest at Gen. Levi Chase Field draws hundreds of people to see planes up close from small charter planes to a Black Hawk helicopter courtesy of the US Army's 10th Mountain Division in Watertown, NY. You can also take an airplane or helicopter ride. We took to the skies in one of these airplanes for some of…

Seedstock Music Festival is celebrating its tenth year! We were curious about the work that goes into building its custom stage.   Check out the timelapse! Share your Cortland County adventures with us for a chance to be featured! Tag @experiencecortland and tag #experiencecortland.

2 weeks, 360 hours, 40 actors, 10 technicians, 1 show...   Since 1972, Cortland Repertory Theatre has produced high-quality theatre in Cortland County. For two weeks, we took an inside peek at the hard work that goes into producing just one of these shows. Produced by: Max H Productions - https://www.maxhproductions.net/. Check out the rest of the summer season & see special ticket…

  How a community transformed a historic church into a multi-faceted performing arts venue better known as the Center for the Arts of Homer.   On any given day, walking into the historic old church building in Homer, New York you’ll hear violins, a rock band, and dancing feet. You find a crowd of people enjoying the art gallery or you watch a crew setting up for the next concert.…

Main Street Farms has been around for eight years, but they are still seen as beginning farmers. The USDA recognizes a beginning farmer as someone who has been in business less than 10 consecutive years. While Main Street Farms is still technically in its infancy as a farm, they have established a great presence and focus on building community through food. It is through their CSA (Community…

By Gabrielle DiDomenico Project Coordinator, Seven Valleys Health Coalition   It's that time of year when we celebrate the return of the sun and warmer temperatures--but that isn't the only reason to get excited by the arrival of spring and the coming of summer. Our local farmers' market season is upon us and that calls for a celebration in and of itself. How about three cheers for fresh…