Treat Yourself: Head to Skaneateles for not one, but two, annual events

The summer months in Central New York are packed with festivals and special events.

Skaneateles has two you won’t want to miss.

Curbstone Festival and Sidewalk Sales – July 11-13

The first is the Curbstone Festival.

“I think of it as a really cool outdoor market,” said Hilary Fenner, executive director of the Skaneateles Area Chamber of Commerce. “You get to shop at the same places, but you get to do it at a time when you get to be outside and enjoy the beautiful weather…It’s also a chance to shop from businesses that maybe you have heard of but haven’t been able to see their products, or that you haven’t heard of but are local businesses.”

More than 50 of them will participate this year, offering shoes, jewelry, toys, home decor, and clothing at discounted prices.

“This is a wonderful way for us to highlight some of the businesses that maybe aren’t right downtown,” said Fenner.

Antique and Classic Boat Show – July 26-28

If you can’t make it into town for the Curbstone Festival (or even if you can), you’ll want to mark your calendar for the Antique and Classic Boat Show.

“It is a big year for the show; this is 30 years in Skaneateles,” said Fenner. “We have so much good shopping and dining around the event; people really loved this location, and so that’s how they ended up settling on Skaneateles. We have wonderful docks out all summer long, but they make a great opportunity for people to see the boats and learn the history of all the different boats that have been on the lake.”

You’ll find more than 80 of them on exhibit at the three-day event. But that’s just the beginning; there will also be live music, guided bus tours around the village, and sightseeing cruises on the Judge Ben Wiles.

And you don’t need to spend a dime on parking; attendees of both events can park for free at the Austin Park Pavilion lot (found at the intersection of Jordan and East Austin Streets) and in the lower lot at Skaneateles High School.

“We’re a small town, and we have these big events, so one of the things we’ve been working on is making it so people are able to come to our events without having the stress of parking or driving throughout the downtown,” said Fenner. “It’s so easy to park there and we have buses that will be making the rounds, so nobody should be waiting long…We’re hoping that that will be really welcoming.”

For more information about both events, visit skaneateles.com.