During your visit to Finger Lakes Wine Country, we want to ensure you take in everything our wine trails, small towns, and lakes have to offer. We would be remiss if we didn’t also suggest a unique farm experience to complement your visit. Here are some of our favorites:
Every fall, Apple Barrel Orchard in Penn Yan opens its rows and rows of orchards to residents and visitors looking for a day of apple picking. From Gala to Northern Spy and so many other favorites, you are sure to find the perfect fruit. But apple-picking is not the only reason to visit. They also have their very own cidery where they produce cider from apples that are grown, harvested, and fermented here on the farm! Enjoy a glass in their tasting room, where you can select from 11 different ciders on tap. Other u-pick experiences include cherries and grapes. Visit their website for a full list of events.
Sunset View Farms in Odessa, NY, is an artisan cheese farmstead and production facility. Their on-site creamery doesn’t just serve up some of the most delicious ice cream in the region; they also have 12 varieties of raw and pasteurized milk cheese, thirteen varieties of cheese curd, Cream on Top milk, raw milk, locally sourced beef, pork, and chicken, free-range eggs, and so much more! And if that isn’t special enough, how about cow-cuddling? Hug, rest against, and hang out with the ladies – and in the process, learn something new! Visit their website for more information on this and other farm experiences.
If you are interested in learning more about the conservation efforts happening across the region, an experience at Sweet Farm, a non-profit animal sanctuary in Himrod, NY, gives visitors insight into how they are working towards those efforts. You can book a tour to meet the different animals they have rescued and learn more about their educational programs, which cover topics such as plant-based living and sustainable regenerative agriculture. Want to rest after walking through the farm? Be sure to visit Vineyard View Winery right next door! Tip: You can purchase a wine tasting ticket with your farm tour. Also, for more farm animal rescue goodness, visit the Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, NY.
For a winter farm experience that you won’t forget, visit the Highland Tree Farm in Branchport, NY! If you are celebrating a holiday stay in wine country, this sweet little farm has gorgeous Christmas trees to choose from. But, if you are simply looking to envelop yourself in holiday joy and visit a Christmas market, with some views of Highland cows for extra cuteness, this is the place to be! They are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Saturday starting November 29 to December 21. Visit their website for more information.
Thinking about a trip to Finger Lakes Wine Country, New York? Good news — it’s super easy to get here! Whether you’re coming from a big city like New York or a smaller one like Harrisburg, there are major highways and interstates that lead straight to beautiful Finger Lakes Wine Country.
Here’s how you can get here:
From Boston (Approx. 6 hours)
Route: Take I-90 West (Massachusetts Turnpike) across Massachusetts into New York State.
· Stay on I-90 West (New York State Thruway) until you reach an exit near Syracuse or Rochester, depending on which lake or town you want to visit.
From New York City (Approx. 4 hours)
Route: Take I-80 West across New Jersey.
· Merge onto I-380 North toward Scranton, PA.
· Continue onto I-81 North toward Binghamton, NY.
· From Binghamton, head west on NY-17/I-86 West into eastern Tioga County — perfect for starting your journey to Finger Lakes Wine Country!
From Philadelphia (Approx. 4.5 hours)
Route: Take I-476 North (Northeast Extension) toward Scranton.
· Connect briefly to I-81 North near Scranton.
· Stay on I-81 North into New York.
· Near Binghamton, merge onto NY-17/I-86 West.
· Take the exit for Owego, NY — a great starting point for your trip!
From Washington, D.C. (Approx. 6 hours)
Route: Take I-270 North to I-70 West.
· Then hop onto I-76 West (Pennsylvania Turnpike).
· Near Harrisburg, pick up US-15/I-99 North.
· Stay on I-99 North into Corning, and you’ve arrived!
From Harrisburg (Approx. 3 hours)
Route: Take US-15/I-99 North straight into New York.
· You’ll pass through beautiful countryside and end up in Corning, right at the doorstep of Finger Lakes Wine Country.
From Pittsburgh (Approx 4.5 hours)
Route: Take I-376 East to connect to I-76 East (Pennsylvania Turnpike).
· Exit onto I-99 North near Bedford.
· Stay on I-99 North into New York, where it becomes US-15.
· Continue north to Corning — you made it!
From Cleveland (Approx. 4.5 hours)
Route: Take I-90 East across Ohio toward Erie, PA.
· Near Erie, switch to I-86 East.
· Follow I-86 East into New York, arriving in western Steuben County.
· Get off at exits for Hornell, Bath, Hammondsport, or Corning, depending on where you want to start your adventure.
From Buffalo (Approx. 2 hours)
Route: Take I-90 East toward Rochester.
· Then head south into the Finger Lakes region, using local highways to reach towns like Penn Yan, Watkins Glen, Corning, and Elmira.
No matter where you’re coming from, it’s mostly major highways and easy drives. Once you’re here, you’ll be rewarded with gorgeous views, charming small towns, and, of course, amazing wineries!
Pack a bag, cue up your favorite road trip playlist, and come enjoy Finger Lakes Wine Country!
As a farming community, we appreciate rainy days, but we understand rain may dampen your plans. Here is a little inspo for days better suited for indoor activities. We’ve shared the Finger Lakes museums to visit on a rainy day. Here are even more fun ideas that help you stay warm, dry, and entertained when raindrops fall over Finger Lakes Wine Country.
Attend a Workshop Series or Class
There is no better way to connect with locals and have fun than by joining a class at one of the region’s maker spaces. Here are some fun ways to get creative and even learn something new.
Rabbit Row Yarns & Haberdashery in Corning, NY, is the region’s only sustainably sourced needle and fiber craft product shop. It is tailored for knitters, crocheters, weavers, dyers, spinners, felters, and stitchers. They offer one-on-one and small group lessons for knitting, crocheting, embroidery, mending, darning, and felting.
FLX Studio and Maker’s Space in Montour Falls, NY, offers a variety of classes and workshops throughout the year for all ages and skill sets. Their courses, from fiber arts, drawing, and painting to jewelry and mixed media, are designed to help you express your unique creative voice.
Pixie Moss Meadows in Corning, NY, offers a variety of workshops featuring a new set of classes monthly designed to inspire creativity and community. They also host a unique DIY garden bar with beautiful succulents, decorative pots, dirt, moss, gravel, and sand.
Tioga Arts Council in Owego, NY, presents various artist series throughout the year and workshops on multiple skills, from writing to metalsmithing. They also often showcase artists’ exhibitions and sales. Equally, the Arts Center of Yates County hosts exhibitions, workshops, and a series of classes for those looking to do something creative on a rainy day.
Attend a Winery Event
Rainy days are a perfect backdrop for winery events and gatherings. Follow the Seneca, Keuka, and Cayuga Lake Wine Trails for all the happenings, from holiday-focused events and markets to wine pairing events, private dinners, and live music. Winery events are an excellent opportunity to meet the region’s winemakers and tastemakers and explore the wines that continue to elevate the Finger Lakes as a premier wine destination.
Enjoy a Concert or Theatrical Production
You don’t have to be in a big city to enjoy the performing arts. The Clemens Center in Elmira, NY, hosts a Broadway Series featuring many blockbuster theater productions, concerts, and other family entertainment. A visit to Powers Theater, one of two theater performance spaces, is an experience. The architecturally stunning space has been restored to its vaudevillian-era grandeur, displaying magnificent murals, gold-leaf details, and reconstructed opera boxes, reviving its 1925 glory.
The Civic Music Association has hosted performances in the Corning Museum of Glass (CMoG) Auditorium since 1951. Visit their website for information on concerts in jazz, choral, and other popular music genres.
A Little Something For the History Lovers
On warmer, sunnier days, the Schuyler County Historical Society hosts free walking tours around Watkins Glen’s prominent landmarks. But for days when it’s best to stay inside, definitely check out their open houses hosted at various locations, including the Brick Tavern Museum, Wickham Rural Life Center, and the Lawrence Chapel. The Chemung County Historical Society not only hosts a series of exhibits to walk through, but they also host a variety of programs for adults throughout the year, including book talks, art workshops, and other events.
Visit a Local Library
The Southern Tier Library System is comprised of 48 member libraries, each with its own unique feel and look. Some are large, contemporary buildings, while others are in historic buildings with refined details—such as Tiffany stained glass windows! You can find the complete list of libraries here and check out what family-friendly events they are hosting throughout the year.