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License to Thrill
For years, a visit to Turning Stone Resort and Casino has
felt like being in Las Vegas, sort of, except for one key missing
ingredient—a drink in hand while you’re playing the slots. Well, that
all changed on Tuesday, May 25, when the New York state Liquor
Authority officially granted C.D. Food & Beverage with liquor licenses to serve alcoholic beverages throughout the Verona facility.
“Having alcoholic beverages available is good news for the millions
of guests who visit Turning Stone annually and an exciting development
for the economy of Central New York,” said Vince Farrar, the
resort’s director of Food and Beverage in a statement. “This move gives
a boost to the area’s hospitality and tourism industry by making
Turning Stone even more attractive as a destination getaway by adding
to the guest experience and better positions us to go head-to-head with
other high-end resorts, including those in Las Vegas, Atlantic City,
Pennsylvania and Connecticut.”
Turning Stone is located off Thruway Exit 33 in Verona.
To Market
Syracuse’s only neighborhood farmers’ market changes locations this year from Lexington Park to the Westcott Community Center. The Eastside Neighborhood Farmers Market
opens Wednesday, June 9 at 2 p.m., followed by a 5 p.m. celebration
including live music, jugging and comedy by Nate & Kate. The market
will be open every Wednesday in the center’s parking lot, 826 Euclid
Ave., from 2 to 7 p.m. through the end of October. EBT cards are
welcome. For more information, call 751-1067.
Hail, Montezuma
Montezuma Winery and Hidden Marsh Distillery holds the Old-Tyme Rhubarb Festival and Classic Car Show
on Saturday, June 5, noon to 4 p.m. Food will include barbecue, fresh
rhubarb, rhubarb pies, crisp, chili and jams, frozen wine slushies and
wine. The Cayuga Lake Creamery will be on hand to serve homemade ice
cream and rhubarb wine sorbet. For fun, have a hand at the rhubarb
stalk throw or enter a hula-hoop contest. And there will be classic
cars to check out. Performing live will be The Acoustic Movers.
Stalk of the town: In-season rhubarb is the focus of a festival this weekend at Seneca Falls’ Montezuma Winery and Hidden Marsh Distillery. MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO
• Also at the winery, the Montezuma Winery Farmers Market is
open for business Fridays, June 11 to Oct. 8, from 3 to 7 p.m.
Everything for sale at the market must be New York state-grown or
produced, including the crafts vendors will be selling.
• On Father’s Day, June 20, the winery holds its annual Wildflowers and Wine
event, during which you can learn about the facility’s flowers and
grasslands and the creatures of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex that
need them. Activities include a guided nature walk from 8:30 to 9:30
a.m., bus tours of the nearby Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, educational activities, kids’ activities, live music and food. The event is free, but there is a fee for food and wine.
Montezuma Winery is located at 2981 Auburn Road (Route 20), Seneca
Falls. For more information, call 568-8190 or visit
www.montezumawinery.com.
Eat Locally
A little farther afield, New York Chiropractic College hosts a Local Food Conference
Friday, June 4, and Saturday, June 5, on the Seneca Falls campus.
Friday’s focus is a local wine and food tasting from 5 to 8 p.m. The
real fun begins on Saturday, including seminars on community-supported
agriculture, empowering wellness, a local food cooking demonstration
and chocolate sampling.
Admission to the conference is $5, or $20 for both the tasting and
the conference. New York Chiropractic College is located at 2360 Route
89, Seneca Falls. For more information, call (412) 657-3028 or visit
www.nycc.edu.
Wine Country Notes
It’ll be the dog days of early summer on June 24-27 when the Cayuga Wine Trail invites greyhounds and their owners to the Greyhound Wine Tour.
Each dog will receive doggie treats, greyhound adoption information
booths, concerts, food and an art trail. Each greyhound owner will
receive a commemorative wine glass and can partake in wine and food
tastings. Advance tickets cost $28, $33 at the door, with a designated
driver discount. The wineries will be open Thursday, June 24, 6 to 9
p.m.; Friday, June 25, noon to 5 p.m.; Saturday, June 26, 10 a.m. to 6
p.m.; and Sunday, June 27, noon to 5 p.m. To order tickets, go to
www.cayugawinetrail.com.
• The ever-popular Barbecue at the Wineries weekends take place Saturday and Sunday, June 12-13 and 26-27 along the Keuka Wine Trail. The
eight wineries will feature their own special barbecue dish, with
sauces, marinades and rubs all made in New York state. Hours for the
event are Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5
p.m. For more information or to order tickets, visit
www.keukawinetrail.com.
