The Beat

Chautauqua County, N.Y. – Chautauqua County is preparing for great summer season. Many attractions and experiences are reopening and are creating new and exciting ways for you to enjoy Chautauqua this summer.

Lake Erie Wine Country is hosting a new event – Red, White & BBQ

Lake Erie Wine Country is home to 23 wineries throughout Chautauqua County and Pennsylvania. This summer they are introducing a new event featuring patriotic pairings and summer favorites to help you impress your guests at your upcoming Fourth of July gathering.

Visit Two Hotels & Get a Portable Mini-Cooler Stuffed with Goodies for the Drive

Buffalo, NY (April 6, 2021) – The Harbor Hotel Collection features the Empire State Road Trip designed to showcase three of New York State’s most popular regions and all the fun stops in between. Formerly housebound couples, families and friends, will enjoy a one-of-a-kind mini-vacation that includes outdoor recreation, cultural attractions, alfresco dining, and stays at AAA Four Diamond waterfront hotels: Chautauqua Harbor Hotel on Chautauqua Lake, Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel, located on Seneca Lake within the Finger Lakes, and 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel on the shores of the Saint Lawrence River. All hotels have adopted enhanced cleaning procedures and protocols per CDC guidelines for safety.

National Comedy Center’s Archival and Preservation Department to be Named in Reiner’s Honor

Jamestown, NY – March 19, 2021 – The National Comedy Center, the United States’ official cultural institution dedicated to the art form of comedy, announced today that it will become the home of comedy legend Carl Reiner’s archives. The Reiner family is donating the archives to the Center, where rare creative papers, scripts and artifacts spanning Reiner’s seven-decade career in comedy as a writer, director, producer, author and performer will be preserved.

Building Closed for Repairs

Jamestown, NY – December 7, 2020 – The Roger Tory Peterson Institute experienced a fire on December 3, at approximately 10:25 a.m.

The fire occurred in the attic, likely due to a faulty light fixture. There were no visitors in the museum at the time. All staff and maintenance personnel exited safely. The sprinkler system extinguished the fire quickly, resulting in minimal fire and smoke damage. Jamestown Fire Department arrived promptly to assist.

Ellicottville, NY. (Dec. 7, 2020) -- Thanks to Mother Nature’s cold temperatures and snowmaking technology, Dennis Eshbaugh, the President and General Manager of Holiday Valley Resort announced today that the 2020-21 winter season will begin on Thursday morning, December 10th, 2020.

This most recent run of snowmaking has taken place since Saturday on over 12 of Holiday Valley’s 60 slopes, with up to 245 snowguns running simultaneously. As of 11:00 AM Monday morning, over 144 acre feet of snow has been made. (An acre foot of snow equals one acre covered by a foot of snow). In order to open the slopes, the newly made snow needs to “cure” for a period of time, then be spread over the slope by grooming machines to make a smooth skiing surface.

Lewis Black to Host “Lewis Black Friday” Online Store Celebration 

Jamestown, NY – November 24, 2020 – The National Comedy Center, the nation’s official cultural institution and museum dedicated to the art of comedy, today launched a new national hub for comedy-themed products and gifts called The Comedy Shop (ComedyShop.com). The Comedy Shop, which exists both online and at its physical brick-and-mortar location in Jamestown, NY, celebrates the legacies of comedy’s most iconic brands with a broad array of gifts and exclusive products that will bring smiles and laughter to anyone who loves to laugh. All proceeds from sales at The Comedy Shop support the non-profit mission and operations of the National Comedy Center and its museums.

The 1891 Fredonia Opera House was named the 2020 WNY Arts Organization of the Year in the 7th annual Arts Services Initiative of WNY (ASI) Spark Awards competition. The awards are presented annually by the ASI to honor outstanding artists and cultural organizations in five counties of western NY, and were presented in a virtual ceremony which live streamed on YouTube Monday, Nov. 16.

The Opera House was recognized for “enhancing the cultural landscape of Chautauqua County since its grand reopening in November 1994 and creating a niche for itself as a year-round presenter of varied and quality entertainment amidst a thriving arts community.”…

Ellicottville, NY -- Holiday Valley Resort has announced plans to construct a new chairlift in 2021. The new lift is a state of the art high speed detachable quad chairlift that will replace the fixed grip Yodeler Quad, built in 2001. The new lift will be supplied by Doppelmayr USA, based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Including installation, the cost of the new Yodeler High Speed Quad is $4 million. 

As compared to the existing lift, the chairs travel uphill at a much faster rate, but they detach from the cable and go slower for loading and unloading, making it much easier for skiers to get on and off the lift. Holiday Valley currently has 3 other detachable chairlifts; Mardi Gras, Tannenbaum and Morning Star.

Ellicottville, N.Y. – The SKI Magazine Reader Resort Survey once again named Holiday Valley Resort one of the top resorts in Eastern North America. According to Dennis Eshbaugh, President and General Manager, “This is the 14^th time since 1999 that skiers ranked Holiday Valley in the top ten of over 150 resorts. Our 6^th in the East rating is a testament to our guests’ appreciation of the commitment to our continual reinvestments to maintain a top quality ski resort. We are humbled and honored by their loyalty.”…

99% of Guests Feel Safe and Recommend Visiting the Museum

Jamestown, NY – The National Comedy Center, the nation’s official cultural institution and non-profit museum dedicated to comedy, has surveyed guests who have visited the Comedy Center since it reopened its doors nearly four weeks ago and the results are in. Visitors are giving the Comedy Center high marks for LaughSafe, its new, state-of-the-art health and safety program, which has transformed one of the most interactive museums in the country and revamped the experience with new health and safety protocols specifically designed for the COVID era. The post-visit research results confirm that National Comedy Center guests feel comfortable and safe during their visit, and report that their museum experience has been worry-free, stress-free and touch-free.