Spotlight

“Watch for Low-Flying Dragons” is just one of the signs you’ll encounter at Dragonfyre Distillery. Nestled in the rolling hills between Marathon and Willet, Dragonfyre Distillery is a family owned distillery by Vince and Donna Pedini. Dragonfyre takes great pride in using local grains for the whiskeys and moonshine. The rye and barley come from Willet Hop & Grain, just down…

Frosted Bakery is a delicious must stop for locals and non-locals alike. Serving up delectable baked goods, Frosted is family owned and run by third generated bakers (who remembers Lou’s Donut Shop?). Frosted Bakery has grown from a home kitchen to their shop in Historic Downtown Cortland. Check out Experience Cortland's latest video as we learn more. HUNGRY FOR is a series giving an…

You know Coffee Mania for…well.. the coffee! But do you know about their baked goods? From creative cupcakes to the scones (the scones!) and the delicious focaccia bread, we visited to learn more! We sat down with Bakery Manager Kate Smith and learned more about the bakery from her favorite thing to make, where she gets her inspiration from and more! See our latest Experience Cortland video…

Nestled in the Historic Village of Homer is the Three Lil' Birds Cakery. Owner and founder Debby Starinsky grew up with a family of bakers and uses inspiration from her art background to create eloquent and elaborate cakes. The name for her cakery was inspired by her three children. From cakes, french macaroons, loaves of bread, eclairs, and baked (never fried!) donuts, Three Lil' Birds is a…

Cortland's Italian-style bakery, East Side Bakery has been creating fresh, homemade, decadent treats for nearly 15 years. Owners Christine and Tim Armstrong started the bakery and have grown it into a local favorite on Cortland's east side. From traditional Italian loaves of bread, cannoli's, cakes, and cupcakes, East Side also makes pizza, and the classic favorite half-moon cookie. Check out our…

Recently Experience Cortland learned a new snow skill: snowboarding. Greek Peak Mountain Resort has partnered with Snow Operating and completely revitalized the learning experience. Snow Operating uses the terrain to help you learn to ski or snowboard. It’s called terrain-based learning. Different styles of terrain teach you how to ski or snowboard naturally. The traverse track carves out…

Did you know that it take on average 70 gallons of maple sap to get 1 gallon of maple sugar?   How does it work?   The excess water is boiled from the sap. It usually takes about 10 gallons of sap to make one quart of syrup. Most maple syrup is made using reverse osmosis. There is an average amount of 2% sugar content in the sap. The reverse osmosis system is considered the brains of the…

Experience Cortland talks with CNY Living History Center Executive Director Luke Biondi about one of the more interesting artifacts on display.   The incredible story of four men's journey from Argentina to Upstate New York is remarkably true. When they finally reached Cortland, New York in May 1960, thousands lined the streets to applaud an adventure that had gripped the imagination of the…

Looking for outdoor winter fun that is away from the ski slopes? For the families that love the winter months, there are plenty of enjoyable activities in the Finger Lakes that will get the whole family excited for snow.   Tubing Slide down the mountain in a tube   Tubing can be great winter fun for all ages. Greek Peak Mountain Resort Adventure Center makes tubing even easier with…

Cold brews, chairs that hang from the ceiling, deconstructed coffee, lattes out of an avocado…yes, the hipster coffee bars have swept the nation and even Cortland, New York. With its industrial aesthetic, BRU 64 took inspiration from the west coast trends, a few coffee conventions and brought the best ideas to Main Street Cortland. Spoiler Alert: they don’t serve you deconstructed…

There’s a “bomb cyclone” in the forecast and if you are already not a huge fan of winter this doesn’t help. But before you retreat to your couch and re-watch that Netflix series (again) try staying warm and avoid cabin fever with these winter activities.     Get cozy at BRU 64. Whether you fancy a coffee or one of their many rotating beers, you can admire the…

Snowshoeing is a great and inexpensive way to get outside during the winter months. Whether you seek trails that are off the beaten track or are looking for family fun between snow covered trees, there are plenty of snowshoeing options in Cortland County. Here are some tips to help get you started on your great snowshoeing adventure this winter. Easy to learn. The expression, “If you can…

Wintertime in the Finger Lakes is relatively quiet, but visitors to Cortland County will find mountains of winter activities to enjoy. Whether you seek family friendly fun or search for a rush of outdoor adrenaline you can find it all here. Visitors will find four family friendly ski areas all within a 30-mile range of each other in Cortland County. Here are some ski tips to help you get the most…

Did you know that there is a wonderful, interactive and immersive exhibition of an impressive train collection left to the Homeville Museum (located at the CNY Living History Center) by Ken Eaton.   When volunteer Doug Deer became involved just over a year ago, his passion for model trains helped to make the incredible collection left by Ken a focal point for the Homeville Museum at the CNY…

Colder temperatures have finally arrived in Cortland County but that doesn’t mean you should stay in every night! Over the coming winter months we’ll share some suggestions for hearty, soul warming food. Utica might have invented chicken riggies but Hairy Tony’s perfected this delicious dish. It’s creamy sauce with just enough of a spicy kick will definitely warm you up on…

Song Mountain is excited to announce it has replaced its Thunderbird T-bar with a new triple chairlift. The T-bar, installed around 1965, had seen many years of dependable service. The new triple chair that replaces it was relocated from Northern Minnesota and is from the Riblit Tramway Company. Riblit built its first lift at Mount Hood, Oregon in 1938 and was once the largest ski chairlift…

Family owned and operated since 1933, Hollenbeck’s Cider Mill is one of Cortland County’s hidden gems. It is a place locals remember fondly visiting as children and where people from out of state and even Germany have come to get pies and cider. One year after purchasing the business from his cousin Bruce, Matt Hollenbeck continues to produce quality cider and look to the future. We sat down…

Cortland County is known for its rich agriculture. The event Cortland Harvest: a Taste of Fall, sought to bring local farmers and producers together with local brews from Cortland Beer Company and NYS wine from the Finger Lakes Tasting Room for one evening. This unique food pairing came together with local music from Molly & the Badly Bent Bluegrass Boys, Local Farmers Union, and Chris…

Fall pumpkin picking is a tradition for many this time of year. The leaves on the trees have started to change, it's almost sweater weather, and hot chocolate is replacing ice cream. Picking your own perfect pumpkin is the thrill of the hunt. Whether you want the largest one you can carry or the perfect shape for your carving, half the fun is finding it!   This past weekend we visited…

You have your ticket for the concert that evening at the Center for the Arts in Homer, NY. The show is sold out, and you would probably arrive about a hour an half before showtime to make sure you got a good seat. But 12 hours earlier, at 8 a.m. on Saturday, September 16 when you might have still been sleeping. That was when the day began for the Big Bag Voodoo Daddy concert.   There are many…