What are you doing this summer?

Around these parts, that question starts popping up almost immediately once the weather finally turns. And while some people are planning vacations, many others are looking forward to something far simpler — local concerts, festivals, fairs, lake events and all the traditions that make summer in Western New York feel like summer.

The good news is there will be no shortage of things to do.

Summer 2026 is already shaping up to be a busy one across Chautauqua County and New York State, with packed event calendars stretching from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

The season gets rolling quickly in June with the Merritt Winery Strawberry Festival, returning June 5-7 with live music, craft vendors, food and the winery’s famous strawberry wine slushies. The same weekend, Dunkirk hosts the annual Walleye Festival along the waterfront, bringing fishing tournaments, food vendors, music and large crowds to the city pier area.

On June 13, the Audubon Community Nature Center hosts its annual Dragons and Fairies Festival, which has become one of the county’s more popular family events.

Chautauqua Institution officially opens its 2026 season on June 27 and runs through Aug. 30. This year’s weekly themes include topics focused on food culture, media, democracy, women changing the world and Smithsonian partnerships. Along with lectures and discussions, the Institution’s summer lineup again includes, as always, major musical performances, theater, dance and symphony events.

The popular Rock the Lake concert series also returns this summer to Hartley Park in Lakewood. Tribute bands featuring the music of Fleetwood Mac, Chicago, ABBA and Bob Seger are scheduled throughout the season, continuing what has become one of the lake’s biggest free outdoor music attractions. It will only get better year after year! Thank you to the organizers for bringing music to the lake again.

Fair season will again be a major draw throughout the region. The Chautauqua County Fair returns later this summer with its usual mix of livestock competitions, midway rides, demolition derby events, tractor pulls, food vendors and live entertainment. For many families, the fair remains one of the signature traditions of the season.

Several communities around Chautauqua Lake are also preparing for Fourth of July celebrations, fireworks and community festivals that traditionally draw large crowds to lakefront villages including Bemus Point, Mayville and Lakewood.

The Roger Tory Peterson Institute will again host summer exhibits and events, including its Plein Air Festival, which brings artists from around the country to paint scenes throughout Chautauqua County. Go dig out your oil paints and join in.

Outside the county, Western New York’s summer calendar is equally packed.

Buffalo’s waterfront concert schedule continues expanding, with major shows planned throughout the summer at the Outer Harbor and Canalside areas. Food festivals, ethnic festivals and art festivals will again fill weekends across the city.

The Taste of Buffalo returns July 11-12 and remains one of the nation’s largest food festivals, drawing thousands downtown every year.

Artpark in Lewiston has another full concert lineup planned this summer featuring national touring acts and outdoor performances overlooking the Niagara River.

Further east, Saratoga Race Course opens another season of thoroughbred racing in July, while the Finger Lakes region prepares for busy wine trail weekends, music festivals and lake tourism season. If you’ve never been to that iconic, quaint and timeless racetrack, this is your year.

One of the biggest statewide topics this summer will also be preparations connected to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with New York and New Jersey serving as major host locations. Fan events and tourism activity tied to the tournament are already beginning across parts of the state.

Even with all the larger attractions, though, summer in Western New York often comes down to smaller local traditions. Farmers markets. Craft fairs. Little League tournaments. Church festivals. Community events still matter in places like Chautauqua County because they bring people together in ways that increasingly feel rare the rest of the year. And after spending months indoors navigating another long winter, many people are more than ready for it.

Summer here has always moved fast. One minute people are complaining about snowbanks and the next they’re trying to squeeze every possible event into twelve short weeks of warm weather. That’s probably why Western New Yorkers take summer so seriously. We know exactly how quickly it disappears.

Enjoy it.