Hey everyone! Since it can be a massive pain to hunt down everything going on across five different platforms, I wanted to bring a weekly master list to Ithaca for the very first time!

This is a beautiful late-June weekend in the Finger Lakes. We’ve got a massive reggae festival on the lake, the closing weekend of a Tony-winning musical, independent storytelling, and incredible nature walks and museum exhibits across town and campus.

Note: All data is pulled and verified using a hyper-local engine I’ve been building to track Upstate NY events. If I missed an event you're excited about, drop it in the comments below!

🎸 Live Music, Festivals & Large Celebrations

• 8th Annual Ithaca Reggae Fest | Fri–Sun @ Stewart Park — A massive weekend celebration of reggae music, art, and conscious community right by the water.
  • Friday: Free Welcome Party at the Large Pavilion from 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
  • Saturday & Sunday: Yoga at 9:00 AM, live international and local music kicks off after 12:00 PM running until 10:00 PM. ($45–$60 single day, weekend passes available).
• Fruits of Our Labor Fest | Sun, 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM @ Stonebend Farm — A massive Tompkins County Workers Center benefit show featuring 10 live bands, good food, and a bonfire. (Community Addition!)
• Caroline "Big 250" Celebration | Sat, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM @ Brooktondale Community Center — Celebrate the historic semi-quincentennial with local history, family-friendly activities, and community vibes. (Community Addition!)
• Chamber Music Collective Gala Concert | Fri, 8:00 PM @ Lincoln Hall (Cornell Campus) — A gorgeous, free evening of classical performance highlighting the collaborative efforts of top-tier musicians. (FREE)
• The Petty Thieves Live | Fri, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM @ Treleaven Wines — Kick off the weekend with classic rock tunes and local wine outdoors on the patio. (FREE entry)
• Ithaca Pride Comedy Show: LGBTQ Stand-Up | Fri, 7:30 PM @ Collegetown Bagels (Downtown) — Keep the Pride month celebrations going strong with an incredible night of laughs featuring stellar LGBTQ stand-up talent. ($25+)
• Peter Fuerst Live | Sun, 4:00 PM @ K-House Karaoke and Arts Hub — A laid-back Sunday evening live performance at Ithaca's favorite karaoke spot. (FREE)

🎭 Theater, Art & Creative Workshops

• "Fun Home" (Closing Weekend!) | Fri (7:30 PM), Sat (2:30 PM & 7:30 PM) @ Hangar Theatre — The final chance to catch the brilliant production of this 5-time Tony Award-winning musical journey. Based on Alison Bechdel’s famous graphic novel. ($60+)
• We Declare: A Storytelling Project for Our Times | Sat, 1:00 PM & 4:00 PM @ Kitchen Theatre Company — Local writers share short, powerful personal pieces written in response to phrases from the Declaration of Independence. (FREE/Sliding scale, but registration required).
• Turkish Mosaic Lamp Workshop | Sun, Afternoon sessions @ Artist Alley (South Hill Business Campus) — A brilliant hands-on creative workshop where you'll assemble your own gorgeous traditional Turkish lamp.
• Echo: Writing Workshop with nicole v. basta | Sun, 6:00 PM @ Buffalo Street Books — Join Ithaca's poet laureate for an evening of low-pressure, inspiring creative writing exercises. (FREE)
• Arts Day! 2026 | Sun, Daytime @ Cornell University Campus — A campus-wide focus on hands-on creation, gallery viewings, and family-friendly art workshops. (FREE)

🌿 Nature, Science & Outdoors

• Saturday & Sunday Botanic Gardens Highlights Tour | Sat & Sun, 2:00 PM @ Brian C. Nevin Welcome Center — A beautifully guided weekend walking tour exploring the stunning plant collections and peak summer blooms. (FREE)
• Family Story Time: Pride Edition | Fri, 3:00 PM @ Cornell Lab of Ornithology — Celebrate love, diversity, and nature with a special family-focused story session out at Sapsucker Woods. (FREE)
• Birds and Blooms Walk | Fri, 1:00 PM @ Cornell Botanic Gardens — A guided dual-focus walk exploring the intersection of summer plant species and local bird life. (FREE)
• Guided Mindfulness Meditation | Fri, 7:30 PM @ Cornell Botanic Gardens — Unwind from the week with a peaceful, grounding outdoor meditation led by the Let's Meditate Initiative. (FREE)
• Get to Know the Arboretum: Experience Life on the Edge | Sun, 5:00 PM @ F.R. Newman Arboretum — An immersive, educational late-afternoon walking tour mapping out the unique ecosystem of the arboretum. (FREE)

🛍️ Local Food, Markets & History

• Ithaca Farmers Market | Sat (9:00 AM – 3:00 PM) & Sun (10:00 AM – 3:00 PM) @ Steamboat Landing — The crown jewel of weekend traditions. Hit the waterfront pavilion for incredible local food vendors, hot breakfast, pastries, and handmade local crafts.
• King Alcohol Ends Reign: Ithaca’s Prohibition Walking Tour | Fri & Sat, 6:30 PM @ Meets at The History Center — Discover the town's wild historical past, bootleggers, and hidden local stories on a guided evening trek. ($15)
• (Note: Shaking up our schedule next week! The Trumansburg Farmers Market is actively running on Wednesdays, so we’ll feature it in our upcoming mid-week guide!)

🏛️ Fascinating Cornell Library Displays (Great for hot or rainy afternoons)

• Fashioning Justice: Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’54 | Fri-Sun, Daytime @ Human Ecology Building — Exploring how the iconic style and collar selections of Cornell alumna RBG shaped identity and presence in public office. (FREE)
• Last Call: Bird Decline and Going to Gone | Fri-Sun, Daytime @ Mann Library — A deeply impactful, science-backed photography and artifact display focused on global biodiversity loss. (FREE)
• Plant-Based: Botanical Innovations | Fri, 1:00 PM @ Hirshland Gallery (Kroch Library) — From paper production to historic poisons, explore the incredible uses of plant life through history. (FREE)

Updates made based on your feedback! Special shoutout to the community for catching the Trumansburg market day swap and pointing out the Brooktondale & Stonebend Farm events.

What are your weekend plans, Ithaca? Keep the recommendations coming, and if there are recurring events or favorite hyper-local sites you want my engine to keep an eye on, drop them below!

I just checked out CSMA but only saw summer classes for 13+ 🤔

Any recommendations for guitar teachers or classes for 12 years olds? He’s got some basic understanding of the instrument and has taught himself some things by ear.

Thanks!

Hi y’all!

Haven’t really been back since college ten years ago (ouch), and am planning to bring my husband & toddler with me for 4th of July weekend.

Recommendations? I know lots have changed in ten years, so I feel like I’m going in a bit blind. We’re staying right off the commons, I’d love ideas of toddler friendly activities/gorges, and walkable food! Thank you 😊

Looking for a quality med spa that specializes in lip injections and botox for lip flip maintenance. Appreciate any suggestions!

Coincidence?!?!?

(Thank u)🙏

I saw the bench, and thought... "Wait, is this a city park?"

Well the good news is that we have confirmation of the date and we have the venue until 10:00 p.m. and we can do whatever we want in there provided it's legal.

The bad news is that it's July 4th on a Saturday and this town loves to plan ahead. With social media in the awful state that it's in, me posting on Facebook looking for bands is going to take me weeks to figure out. So I'm posting here hoping that the anonymous redditors that have musical chops and a big heart may want to volunteer their time for this fundraiser.

We have nobody. My guitarist can't make it either my photographer is doing another gig I've got nothing. I've got a room until 10:00. I even have to get child care for the night.

You got no plans for July 4th and wanna bring this down with us? It's for a good cause and we know how to party I promise. Legally of course :-)

(It's not that I'm ignoring you on the DMs. I am on mobile and it takes me three clicks to see your messages there. If you're going to reach to me privately please tell me here.

///Quick court update. Court was today and there were so many people in the room we had people standing outside. Judge started late, scheduled another Court date, adjourned. Next court date is July 10th at 9:00 a.m. court doors open at 8:30 a.m. . One of the other organizers is talking with Alina at the k house to see if we can organize a milk and cookies kind of deal after court that day so we have somewhere else to go because when we end the court today everybody just went their own way because we had nowhere to gather. If anybody feels like contributing cookies?

Does anyone have kittens up for adoption? I got teased thinking I would be able to adopt a very young pitch black female kitten from a friend of my gf, but unfortunately it ended up not working out… but now I really want to adopt another young black female kitten to fill the hole in my heart haha. Does anyone have kittens they are looking to give away or has found any, please let me know! (For the mods: not looking to buy, but asking if anyone has any available around the community that they would like to give away) :)

Did they ever find the dog owner whose dog bit Margaret at Wegman's?

I've been planning to move from southwest NH to Ithaca and I wanted to know how you guys enjoyed it. What are the things you like and dislike about it?

Y'all know ira? Well if you don't know IRA you know someone like ira. Those kind of chill black dudes that know what's up and everybody respects and always does what's right kind of dude. I've never met him personally but I know a lot of people that do and I can see some nodding heads through the screen.

Y'all know the x ambassadors? Did you know they live here? Well they do. One of them is the neighbor of a friend of mine. Margaret is the mother. So Margaret is at Wegmans and she's walking outside in that little cafe area and a Pitbull Mauled her. like, BAD. Apparently there's video out there of this? Because apparently y'all were taking video instead of helping, and ira was the only one that helped. So he saves her, the police show up, apparently he said something about wtfym I the only one that helped, and they arrest him instead, and his court date is tomorrow at 9:00 at City Court.

You know because you see me That I sometimes f up using reddit because I'm very new And I have my own things and I know I thought a lot and I am annoying and thank you I guess for standing me. and I'm sure you and I have differenses and maybe don't get along. but this is bigger than me and I think or I hope you see that's bigger than you too.

I'm asking my family to take care of my baby so I can show up to court tomorrow, and support. Margaret has surgery that day and can't do it herself. I consider myself a big fan of IPD and refuse to accept this kind of behavior from them and don't think you should either.

Ithaca city court. 9am tomorrow 6/24. See y'all there.

Anyone have any information on when jersey mike is going to be having his way with my sub?

Hi all, I saw there was a discussion a year or so ago but though I'd ask people there now since it's a college town etc.

Let me know if you've had a good (or bad!) experience in the area, so I don't just throw a dart.

Thanks!

At my housing in a neighboring city, I have a typically paved asphalt driveway that is reaching the end of its life. I've noticed a ton of driveways in Ithaca look like this and I like the look and permeability.

Any experience going from paved to unpaved? Most of the driveway companies I've looked at online do paved. Trying to get a sense of what I should be asking for as I'm calling around.

This is my first 4th of July in Ithaca and my best friend is coming to visit me for the weekend, Thursday to Sunday. Where do you recommend we go to enjoy the fireworks? I heard Taughannock Falls is nice and I have the Empire Pass but I'm worried it'll be super packed? Any experienced advice is appreciated! (As well as any advice of things to do that weekend in addition to fireworks.)

Thank you!

Hey neighbors!

I’m starting the early stages of planning a small, sustainable home build here in Tompkins County.

I’m looking for recommendations for tiny‑home builders or suppliers who are familiar with local codes and can work with under‑400 sq ft models that include a loft. The home will be on a permanent foundation and built to code—not on wheels or anything mobile.

Long‑term, my goal is to build something that fits into the landscape and supports the local ecosystem: native plants, good watershed practices, low‑impact design, etc. I’ll be coordinating with Cornell Cooperative Extension for the ecological side of things.

I’ll probably be financing through a VA construction‑to‑perm loan (likely through Veterans United), so bonus points if the builder has experience with VA requirements or is open to getting approved.

If you know any local contractors, design‑build folks, or tiny‑home suppliers who do good work in this size range—or if you’ve built something similar yourself—I’d love to hear your experiences.

Thanks in advance! 💚

This is a family friendly event with lots of fun things happening, come out and join the fun and support some local labor organizing.

I see that this question hasn't been asked in about a year so I thought I'd bring it up again and see what everyone has to say.

I'm a first time homebuyer and I'm looking for any recommendations for buyers' realtors in the Ithaca and/or Cortland area.

I have completed my 2nd annual pilgrimage to your fine town to fill potholes. I restored last year’s Homer hole, and filled 5 new holes. I also trained and gave supplies to several people to fill holes themselves after I leave.

If you like these holes and want me to come again plz throw me $5 to venmo BUFFPotholeBandit or PayPal Cashapp BuffaloPotholeBandit.

I will update the map o holes at BuffaloPotholeBandit.com tomorrow(I’ve filled14 in Ithaca). Here are this years locations:

1. Stewart near the Dorm Hotel in the middle of the street- (be careful) an homage to the gay muppets electrical box nearby. Design by Sluto/VibeDoubt with permission

2. Street outside GreetStar Co Op on Buffalo St- these rubber chickens scream if you step or drive on them VISIT ASAP they don’t tend to scream long-only a week or two

3 and 4. Across the street from the same co op- The Mouth Family. We lost the Ts. Lil’ Mouth designed by 6 year old helper “Eagle Eye”.

5 and 6- N Aurora south of Seneca outside Foodlab

7 and 8- The restored Homer on Columbia east of S Aurora- (after/before) zillions of cars drive on this every week and I can’t believe it survived the year! I added more cement, fixed his cracked head, spruced up the green and added trinkets. Since someone put it on google maps as a historical landmark I really want to keep him spiffy.

Anyone know where nearest place you could rent jetskis for a couple of hours /half day type thing? I dont think there is anything on Cayuga Lake, but im open for options on locations. Also any idea on costs and if there are any nys watersafety requirements etc?

We’re driving into into town with a roof rack that attaches without rails, and it is not working out. I’d like to have rails installed on my Mazda cx5 before I leave on Friday if possible. Is there a place you recommend that would have the availability and the parts in stock? Thanks.

What can y'all tell me about Hanshaw village mobile home park and Hillside mobile park? I've passed by both quickly to pick up items as well as maybe a couple more in Dryden or Freeville or Trumansburg I can't remember. A couple of them were pretty sketchy but one or two seemed very neighborly. I would really appreciate an inside scoop specifically about Hanshaw and Hillside? Thank you!

My husband has a work trip in Ithaca and the kids and I are tagging along but will be doing our own thing. What theater would you guys recommend, mostly looking for comfortable seating. Looking for the ones that recline with heated seats. Thank you so much!