The Beat

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.

Featuring Jimmy Fallon, Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Tiffany Haddish, Jay Leno, Kenan Thompson, Howie Mandel, Aidy Bryant, Margaret Cho, Roy Wood Jr., and More

Virtual Festival to Recognize National Comedy Center Advisory Board Member Carl Reiner, Featuring an Interview with Never-Before-Seen Footage from the Archives

National Comedy Center Virtual Festival Photos and Graphics: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/lbf0p423d071v25/AABdZRcDR2y5gD-cIJsaVItIa?dl=0

Jamestown,  NY – August 12, 2020 – The National Comedy Center, the nation’s official cultural institution dedicated to comedy – recently named the “Best New Museum” in the country by USA Today --  is presenting its acclaimed Lucille Ball Comedy Festival virtually this year, featuring conversations with a diverse lineup of artists, starting this Friday, August 14, 2020 and streaming over three weekends throughout August.

Chautauqua, N.Y. (July 10, 2020) — Voters in the latest USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice contest have spoken: Chautauqua, New York, boasts America’s “Best Small Town Cultural Scene.” The announcement was made at 10best.com at 12 p.m. EDT today.

“It’s a tremendous honor for Chautauqua to win this national contest, especially among such an amazing array of fellow nominees. We’re so grateful to all of our dedicated community members here in Chautauqua County and all over the country for helping in this effort,” said Michael E. Hill, president of Chautauqua Institution. “We’re immensely proud of the cultural scene we provide at Chautauqua Institution: We explore the best in human values and uplift art and voices that our world needs to see and hear. This is further affirmation that the work we do matters.”
Town of Chautauqua Supervisor Don Emhardt agrees. “This recognition is extra special because it suggests Chautauqua is not only a great place to visit, but it’s also a wonderful place to live year-round,” Emhardt said.

Chautauqua, N.Y. -  Chautauqua Institution is pleased to share that a panel of experts and USA Today 10Best editors have chosen Chautauqua as a nominee for their 2020 Readers' Choice award for the “Best Small Town Cultural Scene” category.

The public is invited to vote daily from June 1 to June 29 for Chautauqua, one of 20 nominees. All votes can be submitted by individuals who are at least 18 years old by going to vote.chq.org…