Area Attractions

Annual Events

Eldridge Park Carousel

Take a spin on the restored Eldridge Park Carousel. The Eldridge Park Carousel Preservation Society reopened the Carousel in 2006 with over 60 new or restored hand-carved wooden animals. Enjoy a ride on the fastest carousel in the world, spinning at 18 miles per hour, and see if you can grab a brass ring from the ring feeder as the world spins by. Tickets for a ride the carousel are only a dollar. There is also the Merry-Go Eatery where you can enjoy a foot-long hot dog or ice cream after your ride.

The Eldridge Park Carousel is open from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day on Saturdays, Sundays, and the Fourth of July. Spend a summer day in the park fishing, playing catch, walking the trail, enjoying a picnic, and riding the carousel. Weekly activities include classic cars, music, outdoor movies, and dancing at the new dance hall pavilion.
»more on the Eldridge Park Carousel...
»check the Community Calendar for events at Eldridge Park
»more on Eldridge Park...
»more on the Preservation of Eldridge Park...

Trolley into Mark Twain Country

Take a one-hour narrated tour of historic Elmira, NY aboard "The Elmiran." Sponsored by the Chemung County Chamber of Commerce, points of interest on the Elmira tour include sites where Mark Twain lived and wrote, the beautiful Maple Avenue District, Woodlawn National Cemetery (honoring fallen Civil War Union and Confederate Soldiers, and modern era Armed Services Veterans), Woodlawn Cemetery (Mark Twain's final resting place), the Near Westside Neighborhood Historical District, the site of the Elmira Civil War Prison Camp (aka "Hellmira"), Dunn Field- home of the Elmira Pioneers baseball team, the Arnot Art Museum, the Chemung Valley History Museum, the Clemens Center ... and more! Your tour guide will take you back to the good old days and regale you with stories about Elmira and its history such as the origin of the pen name Mark Twain.

Trolley tours depart on the hour from the Holiday Inn Riverview. Tours are offered from 10:00am to 2:00pm during July and August, Tuesday through Saturday only.
»display a map to the Holiday Inn
»more from the Chemung County Chamber of Commerce website...

Wisner Market

Downtown Elmira is the hotspot every Thursday during the summer and early fall as vendors, farmers, entertainers, and customers gather at Wisner Park for Elmira's weekly farmer's market. Sponsored by Elmira Downtown Development, Wisner Market takes place every Thursday from 10:00am to 2:00pm in Wisner Park at the intersections of Church Street and North Main Street. Parking is available on city streets or in the Centertown Parking Garage.
»check the Community Calendar for Wisner Market
»display a map to Wisner Park and the parking facilities nearby
»more from the Elmira Downtown Development website...

Brand Park Summer Concert Series

Spend Sunday afternoons at the Brand Park bandstand on Elmira's Southside at one of the weekly concerts sponsored by the Brand Park Beautification Committee and local merchants. Bring a lawn chair or your dancing shoes as local bands such as Swing Street, Steve Southworth and the Rock-A-Billy Rays, Autumn Wind, Sgro Brothers, and T and the Goodtimers entertain families and friends. Concerts are from 3:00pm to 5:00pm.
»check the Community Calendar for Brand Park Concerts
»display a map to Brand Park

Olde Tyme Summer Festival

The Olde Tyme Summer Festival takes place at Brand Park on the last weekend of August and features crafts, antiques, a flea market, children's activities, a tour of historic Maple Avenue, music, and a classic car show.
»check the Community Calendar for the Olde Tyme Summer Festival
»display a map to Brand Park

Chemung County Fair

The Chemung County Fair runs from the last Tuesday in July through the first Sunday in August at the nearby Chemung County Fairgrounds in Horseheads, New York, just a few miles outside of Elmira. The fair features a 4-H exposition, horse show, harness racing, demolition derbies, live entertainment from local bands, tractor and truck pulls, and much more.

The Fairgrounds are located in Horseheads on Grand Central Avenue, 1 mile south of Interstate 86.
»check the Community Calendar for the Chemung County Fair
»more from the Chemung County Fair website...

Strong Kids, Safe Kids

Strong Kids, Safe Kids is a full day of family entertainment and educational activities aimed at promoting awareness of children's health and safety issues and the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Over 75 community agencies and businesses have joined forces over the years to stage the event, which is attended by thousands of Chemung County families. Strong Kids, Safe Kids is not a fund-raising event...all activities and services are provided free to children and their families. One of the most beneficial outcomes of the event is that it provides families with a fun filled day to spend together without having to worry about money- everything at Strong Kids, Safe Kids is Free! Strong Kids, Safe Kids takes place on a Saturday in late August and runs from 10:00am to 3:00pm at the Chemung County Fairgrounds.
»check the Community Calendar for Strong Kids, Safe Kids
»more from the Strong Kids, Safe Kids website...

Octagon Fair

Octagon Fair is Elmira College's Homecoming weekend and is sponsored by the Elmira College Alumni Association. It features interaction between student clubs and the public including interactive art, children's games, live entertainment, group exhibitions, food, and much more. The Octagon Fair takes place on the Elmira College campus, located on Park Place between Fifth Street and Washington Avenue. Octagon Fair occurs each year on a Saturday near the end of September.
»check the Community Calendar for upcoming events at Elmira College
»display a map to the Elmira College Campus
»more from the Elmira College Website...

Homes for the Holidays Tour

Sponsored by the Near Westside Neighborhood Association, this is a self-guided tour of the homes in and around the Near Westside Neighborhood Historic District. It is Held annually in early December. For information on the tour, call (607) 733-4924