14 reasons to explore the Finger Lakes in 2014

“Warehouse 53 — Adventure in the Cinema” will be on display through September at Glenn H. Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport. (Photo: PROVIDED PHOTO )

1

The area’s newest museum opens on July 1. The Finger Lakes Museum will focus on the ecology and history of the region, with hands-on exhibits on water conservation, natural resources and more. Eventually, there will also be exhibits on aspects of living in the Finger Lakes, such as wine produced there. The museum’s Discovery Center is on Keuka Lake in Branchport. fingerlakesmuseum.org.

2

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra will play three concerts at Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center on the campus of Finger Lakes Community College in Hopewell. The biggest draw is likely the Ben Folds Experience, in a concert the band has been doing all spring with different symphonies. The concert with the RPO is at 8 p.m. July 22; tickets are $35 to $55 for shell seating and $25 for lawn seating. The RPO also will be playing “Salute to America” at 8 p.m. July 3; tickets are $19 to $49 in the shell and $15 on the lawn (free for children). And if you’re a Beatles fan, the RPO will be playing the Classical Mystery Tour’s 50th anniversary of the Beatles at 6 p.m. July 20; tickets are $23 to $59. Tickets are available at (800) 745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

3

This is the last year for Elinor Freer and David Ying as artistic directors of the Skaneateles Festival, which runs Aug. 6 through 30 and has a star-studded lineup. Performers include Time for Three, Shanghai Quartet, Mimi Hwang and the Fireworks Ensemble, as well as Freer, Ying and other upstate New York standouts. Go to skanfest.org for information (ticket prices vary per concert).

4

Canandaigua LakeMusic Festival’s 10th anniversary season runs from July 11 to 20 with four free concerts and six ticketed ones, including the annual Classical Blue Jeans concert. Artists include Kevin Kumar, Audrey Andrist, Kristin Lee and several accomplished musicians. Go to LakeMusicFestival.org for a full schedule and ticket information.

5

Corning Museum of Glass is technically in the Southern Tier, but it’s a stop on any complete itinerary of a Finger Lakes tour. Through January, the museum has on display an exhibit of works by French jeweler and glass artist Rene Lalique, who lived from 1860 to 1945. Not only did he use glass in his designs, he also embraced industrial techniques that made glass affordable. There’s also a bus that takes you to the quaint downtown area and the Rockwell Museum of Western Art. The glass museum is free to those 19 and younger. For information, go to CMOG.org.

6

On the way down to Corning, exit I-390 at Hammondsport and immerse yourself in Warehouse 53 — Adventure in the Cinema, an exhibit of memorabilia from movies and TV shows, including Indiana Jones, National Treasure and The Mummy.It’s at the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport, where curator Rick Leisenring has worked as a historical consultant on films and collects memorabilia. His collection, plus items from other private collections, are on display through Sept. 1. Go to glennhcurtissmuseum.org for more information.

7

Bristol Valley Theater is celebrating its 50th year of providing summer stock productions. The season runs June 12 to Aug. 31, with the following productions: Oh, Coward!, June 12 to 22; Next Fall, June 26 to July 6; Deathtrap, July 10 to 20; Les Miserables, July 24 to Aug. 3; What the Butler Saw, Aug. 7 to 17; and A Year in Revue, Aug. 21 to 31. Season and individual show tickets are available. Call (585) 374-9032 or go to bvtnaples.org.

8

Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival has taken the summer stage history of Merry-Go-Round in Auburn and expanded it. At Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, in Emerson Park along Owasco Lake, are Mary Poppins, June 4 to July 2; Damn Yankees, July 9 to July 30; On the Town, Aug. 6 to 27; Will Rogers Follies, Sept. 3 to 24; and Church Basement Ladies: The Last Potluck Supper, Oct. 1 to 18. An added bonus for Rochesterians: The shows will move to the Kodak Center for Performing Arts (formerly Kodak on the Ridge), 200 W. Ridge Road, for a week after the Auburn runs. Go to rapatheatre.org for information on the Rochester runs. Menopause the Musical at the Auburn Public Theater, 8 Exchange St., which runs through Aug. 9, also is part of the festival. For more information, go to fingerlakesmtf.org.

9

Also in Auburn is a wealth of history. The Seward House Historic Museum (sewardhouse.org), 35 South St., has history on the Lincoln administration, Alaska purchase, Underground Railroad and more. William Seward, Lincoln’s secretary of state, was from Auburn. Partially because of his influence, Harriet Tubman settled in Auburn after the Civil War. The Harriet Tubman House (harriethouse.org), 180 South St., lays out her legacy.

10

Head about 15 miles west of Auburn to reach Seneca Falls and the Women’s Rights National Historic Park (nps.gov/wori), open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, with 90-minute guided tours that include the Visitors Center, 136 Fall St., plus Wesleyan Chapel and the Elizabeth Cady Stanton House. The programs are free. The National Women’s Hall of Fame (greatwomen.org), 76 Fall St., also is located in Seneca Falls, and is open the same days as the national park. Convention Days (conventiondays.com), commemorating the first Women’s Rights Convention in 1848, are July 18 to 20, with several special events in the village.

11

A long stretch of Routes 5 & 20 is known for its antique businesses, so it’s not a surprise that the Antique Wireless Association is located along it, in Bloomfield. Last summer, the group opened the Antique Wireless Museum (antiquewireless.org), 6925 Routes 5 & 20, with radios and other electronic equipment from across the centuries.

12

Finger Lakes Opera held its inaugural event with a concert last August. The group, which hopes to build a festival at the State University College at Geneseo campus, will stage its first full opera Aug. 8 and 10 with Carmen. Metropolitan Opera soprano Danielle Pastin will play the title role, and Penfield native Gregory Kunde will play Don Jose. Artistic director is Geneseo professor Gerard Floriano. Go to geneseo.edu/fingerlakesopera.

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Each summer, Richard Auldon Clark brings members of the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra and Manhattan Contemporary Chamber Ensemble upstate to form the base group for the Finger Lakes Chamber Music Festival, which is producing eight concerts this summer at various venues. The first is at 7:30 p.m. June 14 at Hunt Country Vineyards in Branchport and features Juilliard piano faculty member Audrey Axinn. At 7:30 p.m. June 21, the group will perform at the Keuka College Library. Go to FingerLakes-Music.org for a full schedule.

14

A trip to Canandaigua offers many options, from art galleries to specialty museums. Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion Historic Park has activities throughout the summer, including Rose Week June 8 to 14, with Roses and Rosés on June 9. Granger Homestead and Carriage Museum opens for the season today with an open house from 1 to 5 p.m.

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