The summer season is upon us and there’s no shortage of things to do, places to go, and people to see in Chautauqua County. Summertime here is not just for tourists, there’s plenty for residents as well.

The Chamber’s First Friday series in Westfield kicks off Friday, June 7 on Main Street in that village. First Friday highlights local restaurants and retailers as well as bringing in a variety of street vendors, food trucks, art, and live music. There is no charge to attend First Friday, just come and enjoy from 5-8pm and support our local businesses in Westfield. First Friday on June 7 is sponsored by AHN Westfield Memorial Hospital, Brooks-TLC Hospital System, Westfield Boatworks, and Community Bank. The First Friday series continues through the summer with additional dates as follows: July 12 (Reunion Weekend in Westfield), August 2, and September 6.

With a focus on highlighting local businesses, the Chamber’s committee in Hanover is planning a Beach Bash Showcase on Thursday, June 13. This event from 6-8pm will be held at Sunset Bay Beach Club in Irving. Local businesses will set up vendor tables to show off their products and services, there will be food, acoustic music, a basket raffle, and a cash bar. Tickets are $12 for Chamber members or $15 for nonmembers and are available through the Chamber’s web calendar at www.chautauquachamber.org. The Beach Bash Showcase is sponsored by Farrell Roofing, Financial Trust Federal Credit Union, M&T Bank, ADD Lumber True Value, and Brooks-TLC Hospital System.

In Mayville the annual Summer Concert Series begins June 27 at the gazebo at Lakeside Park. Concerts are from 6-8pm, are free to attend and family-friendly, and are all sponsored by the Town of Chautauqua. There will be food trucks available. The lineup for the season is: June 27th – Bill Ward & John Cross; July 11th – Daniel Cecil; July 18th – Patsy Cline Performed by Pat Cook; July 25th – Water Horse with Sue Tillotson & Jim Cunningham; August 1st – PJ Jammin’ with Pat Cook and John Savage

August 8th – Adam McKillip; August 15th – Daniel Cecil; and August 22nd – 23 Skiddoo.

Dunkirk’s Music on the Pier summer concert series begins June 6 with an opening act each Thursday at 5:25 and a headliner to take the stage at 6:45pm. Music on the Pier continues through August 22.

In downtown Jamestown, Third Thursdays hosted by the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation kicked off in May with a Shakespeare company at Wintergarden Plaza. Additional live acts are set for Third Thursdays June 20, July 18, and August 15.

The Chamber’s committee in Jamestown brings the always popular Jamestown Cruise-In to downtown Jamestown August 11, featuring custom, classic, and souped-up cars, live music, and more.

Festivals Fredonia will hold its annual Fredonia Italian Festival June 22 at the Fredonia Beaver Club. The event will include children’s activities, craft vendors, food and wine vendors, live music, a meatball contest, and more. For details visit festivalsfredoniany.org.

The Great Blue Heron Music Festival is set for July 5-7 at the Heron Farm & Event Center in Sherman. The full lineup of performers is available online at greatblueheron.com.

Chautauqua Institution celebrates its 150th summer season this year with a full schedule of performances, lectures, classes, and services running June 22 – August 25. Learn more and find tickets at chq.org.

The summer season at Lily Dale Assembly gets underway June 23 with events and activities that continue through August 30. That schedule is also available online at www.lilydaleassembly.org.

The National Comedy Center has announced two of the headliners for its annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival the first weekend in August. Nicole Byer is set for August 1, with Jeff Ross on August 2. A third confirmed artist will be announced mid-June for August 3.

This is just a quick overview of some events and festivals coming up this summer. To find even more, visit the online calendar at www.tourchautauqua.com.

Chamber to Host Award-Winning

Filmmaker for Workshop

The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce a special guest presenter for our next Business Builder Workshop coming up in July. Travis Carlson is an award-winning filmmaker and writer based in Buffalo. A native of Gerry, he worked for five years with the Buffalo Bills and Sabres as a cinematographer before co-founding Pan-American Film Division. Pan-Am partners with local and national businesses to help them communicate with their customers or other businesses. Their original work includes the one-shot feature film Mother’s Day, as well as dozens of shorts; three of which earned screenings at the Cannes Film Festival SFC.

Pan American’s latest project is the book Mafia: Buffalo -vs- the Multiverse. It’s a true fantasy adventure that incorporates AI-developed images into the ultimate Buffalo Bill’s Mafia fan journey in a graphic novel style. A portion of book sale proceeds benefits the Pancho Packs initiative which provides school supplies to students in need.

This Business Builder Workshop will focus on Branding Through Storytelling and Images and promises to be an engaging session for all local businesspeople. It will be held Monday, July 22 from 1-3pm in the Key Auditorium at the SUNY Fredonia Science Center. There will be plenty of time for a question-and-answer session with Travis at the end of the event.

Chamber Business Builder Workshops are free for all to attend, but we do request advance registration for planning purposes. These workshops are designed to provide growth opportunities for local businesspeople as they work to navigate the challenges of operations, marketing, and learning about resources and emerging technologies that can help them work smarter, not harder. As with most Chamber events, there will be networking opportunities built into the occasion. Save the date now or register online through the Chamber’s web calendar at www.chautauquachamber.org.