Peruse vendors offering everything from original artworks to artisanal honey at one of the nation's top farmer's markets. *Parking has been recently remodeled but fills up fast, additional parking just down the road makes for a short walk.
The heart of Ithaca, you can't visit town without spending time on the Ithaca Commons! Over 100 shops, restaurants, and bars with live music and outdoor entertainment daily. *Many of the recommendations on this page are located on The Commons.
An absolute must-try! This is THE spot for a quick breakfast or lunch in Ithaca. Jess and Van always stoop at Ithaca bakery on their way out of town. *Close to the venue. *There are several Ithaca Bakery/Collegetown Bagels locations, this one is close to the Family Home and Venue. *Downtown Location-400 N Meadow St, Ithaca NY 14850
An Ithaca staple. America may run on Dunkin' but Ithaca runs on Ithaca Coffee. *Close to the venue.
An amazing independent bookstore with a cool, basement vibe, great lighting, friendly staff and unique and niche titles.
A quaint and cozy bookstore on the Ithaca Commons featuring a huge selection of used and rare books across every topic imaginable. Upstairs a small cafe offers refreshments while the basement houses a vinyl collector's dream.... *Professors often offload their personal libraries here, many good finds in the Archaeology section.....
Are you a papyrophiliac? Suffering from stationeryphelia? Head down to Mockingbird Paperie and they will sort you out!
Looking for that slabbed and graded vintage Spiderman comic? Miss out on that MTG set from last year? How about a vintage Star Wars figure mint on card? They'll have that and more at Comics for Collectors.
It absolutely does not get better than the offerings at Willow Floral. Need a cute planter pot for your collection? Bespoke Bonsai gardening tools? Head to Willow and see the shop behind our weekend floral designs!
Great Thai food for every palate and plenty of vegan/vegetarian options. A second location at 209 S Meadow St, Ithaca, NY 14850 (607-272-8424) offers drive through pickup! *Jess' personal favorite is the Yellow Curry Chicken.
Some of the best food in town, the sesame chicken is unlike any you've tried, it's better. Many authentic dishes to choose from, always a hit.
An Ithaca staple offering a wide range of elevated bar and tavern foods, and every beer and wine the region has to offer!
An Ithaca Classic and your one-stop for steaks and seafood. *Jess and Van had their first official dinner date here in 2014!
One of the reasons you come to Ithaca. Award winning craft brewery offering an excellent outdoor space with garden dinning and lawn games. *The Apricot Wheat Ale is a seasonal staple for Van.
Just downtown between the Ithaca Commons and the venue. You know you want to.....
A quaint roadside ice cream stand just minutes from the family home.
An absolute favorite of Jess and Van, the wine you are enjoying this weekend is from Six Mile Creek Vineyard! *This is probably the most accessible winery for those that do not want to travel far. Located on the east side of the lake just 15 minutes from the venue you will pass Cornell University on your way.
When you visit the Finger Lakes you think of wine. When you think of Finger Lakes wine, you think of Americana. Just 20 minutes from Downtown Ithaca on the west side of Cayuga Lake. We highly recommend the shop and wine tasting here! *Many wineries are on the west side of the lake, most are within 20-40 minutes of downtown, but the views on the way are unbeatable!
A quant family-run winery 30 minutes from Downtown Ithaca.
One of the many iconic waterfalls and gorges in Ithaca just a few minutes from downtown. Cant be missed. *The trailhead starts with a climb, but once you are up the gorge the walk is leisurely. About 45 minutes round trip.
This is THE iconic waterfall on Cayuga Lake. When you look up "Ithaca, NY' you'll see Taughannock Falls. Located on the west side of the lake, about 20 minutes from downtown. *This is an easy trail with almost no elevation gain. Van does this trail barefoot regularly when visiting home. About 1 hour roundtrip.
Just a few minutes south from Downtown Ithaca, Treeman State Park offers incredible views as you descend into the gorge. The trailhead and parking lot are adjacent to historic mill now a quaint museum. *This trail can be challenging, the gorge views are incredible but not for those with vertigo. This is an out-and-back trail like many of the gorges in Ithaca, so expect to tackle several hundred stairs on your way back to the car. About 1 hour roundtrip.
Easily accessible scenic park within Ithaca City limits, just south of the Ithaca Commons.
Bird nerds rejoice! The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a destination for any birder. The incredible nature reserve provides shelter for many rare and endangered species. *Just 10 minutes from the venue.
One of the best paleontology museums you will find outside a major city housing one of the world's largest collections of invertebrate fossils. The Museum of the earth has become an international destination for researchers. Incredible displays and a great interactive museum that will take you 1-2 hours to enjoy. *The Groom's mother served as the Volunteer Coordinator here for several years, and Van's first lab-gig was sorting paleosol samples from the Hyde Park Mastodon excavations. He was 13.
Feel like perusing Greek and Roman statues before taking a stroll through the Asian and Pacific Art Gallery in a brutalist architectural icon? The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art has you covered. Don't miss the South American Indigenous Art Collection on the bottom floor, or the Frank Lloyd Wright glass panels in the Modern Art Exhibit!