March
•Maple Sugar Festival & Pancake Breakfast – Saturdays and Sundays March 18, 19, 25 and 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Celebrate North America’s unique historical tradition with self-guided walks through the sugar bush, 19th-century sugaring demos, modern syrup-making demos and sample maple treats. Enjoy a pancake breakfast at the Meeting Center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day. Crafts, demonstrations and activities at the nature center and in the historic village.
April
•19th Annual Antiques Show & Sale – Saturday April 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Select antiques dealers from all over western New York participate in this exceptional show and sale. Browse through an extensive collection of furniture, paintings, militaria, books and ephemera, jewelry, porcelains and glassware. Preview Party on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m.
May
•Opening Day & Mother’s Day
– Saturday and Sunday, May 13 and 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
One of the nation’s largest living history museums opening day of its 42nd season with activities that take visitors back to 19th century Western New York. Festivities focus on fashion and chocolate. Moms admitted free on Mother’s Day.
•GCVM 5k Fundraiser: Race through History – Saturday, May 20 from 9 to 11 a.m. GCVM’s inaugural race through the Historic Village and Nature Center. Open to all ages.
•History on Tap – Friday May 26 from 5 to 9 p.m. Enjoy a unique happy hour experience with festival foods and samples of local craft beers, wines, ciders and more, all in a fun atmosphere that features the live pop music. Explore the museum grounds after hours. Costs $25/$20 online.
June
•Opening Weekend of Baseball – Saturday and Sunday, June 3 and 4. Celebrate the start of another season of old-time baseball at Genesee Country Village & Museum. Each season the museum’s vintage baseball teams unpack their woolen uniforms, brown balls and double-knobbed bats to play in Silver Base Ball Park, the first and finest replica 19th-century baseball park in the country. Most games start weekends at 1 p.m.
•Celtic Faire – Saturday June 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This special festival celebrates the culture, history and traditions of the Scots and Irish through musical performances by regional pipe bands, dance demonstrations from local schools and an array of authentic food and drinks.
•War of 1812 Bicentennial and Jane Austin Weekend – Saturday and Sunday, June 24 and 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The historic village at Genesee Country Village & Museum comes to life with re-enactors portraying shopkeepers, housewives, merchants and soldiers amidst the sounds of fifes and drums; cannons and muskets; Austen-era music and dancing.
July
•Independence Day – Tuesday, July 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Experience all the pomp, pageantry and rowdy merriment that marked July 4 observances of the past. Cheer on the grand parade, participate in the pie eating contest or play 19th-century games. In the morning, witness a grand and moving ceremony as some 50 people take the oath to become American citizens.
•Civil War Re-enactment – Saturday and Sunday, July 15 and 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hundreds of re-enactors converge on the museum for one of the largest Civil War re-enactments in New York. Enjoy two battles daily—at 11:30 a.m. featuring artillery and mounted cavalry in a large nearby field and the other at 2 p.m. in the historic village, where townsfolk will offer musical concerts, specialty shopping and vignettes depicting civilian life during the war. Special visit by “Abraham Lincoln.”
August
•Laura Ingalls Wilder Days – Saturday and Sunday, August 5 and 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Find out a lot more about Laura Ingalls Wilder and her ties to Western New York during a day of hands-on activities especially chosen to appeal to kids of all ages. Run a sack race, churn butter, play in a haystack and more. Come dressed as a favorite character.
•National Silver Ball Tournament – Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 11, 12 and 13. More than a dozen teams from across the Midwest, East Coast and Canada compete in period style uniforms for top honors using 1865 rules during the 10th annual tournament. Championship game is Sunday at the museum’s Silver Base Ball Park.
•Old-Time Fiddlers’ Fair – Saturday and Sunday, August 19 and 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Immerse in a day of traditional music rooted in New York State’s rich heritage. Hundreds of musicians! Non-stop entertainment! Bring fiddles for free admission and the opportunity to play on one of three stages; or jam under a tree in the historic village.
•German Heritage & Hop Harvest Festival – Saturday August 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Through food, performances and a look at shared history, Genesee Country Village & Museum celebrates the culture, history and traditions of these festive people with musical performances by regional bands, dance demonstrations, authentic food and drinks and a traditional harvest of hops that features hands-on hop-picking.
September
•Annual Fundraising Event – Saturday September 16 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Join in the village for a lobster and steak dinner. This premier museum fundraiser includes open bar, museum artisans at work along with spectacular auctions of unique items and vacation packages. All proceeds support the museum’s mission and programming. Reservations required. Costs $175 per person. Corporate tables available.
•Fall Festival featuring the Agricultural Fair – Saturday and Sunday, September 30 and October 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Autumn harvest ushers in this annual museum celebration with activities that hearken back to an earlier time; judged competitions from poultry to pies, livestock exhibits, fair foods and demonstrations of vintage farm machinery. The Farmer’s Market alone is worth the trip, but there is so much more, including a magic show, tractor pull, carnival games and the Mayor’s Cup Vintage Baseball Championship.
October
•Spirits of the Past Theatrical Tours – Five Evenings: October 13, 14, 19, 20 and 21 from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Take a guided lantern-light tour through the spooky streets of the historic village after hours to find costumed characters spinning tales from iconic horror literature of the 19th century and re-discover literary tales that Western New Yorkers were reading some 150 years ago. Reservations required.
•Trick or Treating in the Village – Saturday and Sunday, October 28 and 29 from noon to 4 p.m. Climb into a Halloween costume and collect treats from the townspeople in the safety of the historic village. Warm up by the campfire, listen to spooky stories and enjoy more family-fun activities on a colorful autumn afternoon.
November
•Preparing for the Holidays featuring Crafts at Christmas – Saturday, November 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. How did local families get ready for the upcoming winter? Watch as the village townsfolk butcher a hog for the holiday feast, plus cook, bake, make candles, preserve meats, spin wool, make gifts and decorate for the Yuletide season. Children free. Then spend quality family time creating traditional crafts to give to loved ones.
•Breakfast with St. Nick – Saturday November 25, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Start the day with a kid-delicious breakfast with the jolly old elf himself. After enjoying a special 19th-century treat, take a picture with the jovial 19th-century Saint Nick.
December
•Yuletide in the Country Tours & Buffet – Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, December 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18; Fridays from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturdays from 2 to 7:30 p.m. and Sundays from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. Journey back through time on the snow-covered streets of our historic village to meet characters from the past as they celebrate Christmas with festive holiday songs, lively music, seasonal refreshments and dance. Don’t miss the lighting of the candle-decorated Christmas tree. A delicious supper buffet available. Reservations required for tours and buffet.
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