Welcome to this week’s guide to events in Canandaigua! The Art and Music Festival takes over Main Street for three full days this weekend, and the rest of the calendar fills in around it nicely. There is free live music at a brewery, a big night at CMAC, a wellness festival out at the farm, an album release party, and a Sunday that starts with Pilates on the dock and ends with music on a terrace. Here is what is happening around Canandaigua from Friday through Sunday.
Canandaigua Art and Music Festival
Friday, July 17 through Sunday, July 19 | Main Street and the Central on Main area | Friday and Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM | Free
The festival is the anchor of the weekend. More than 150 juried artists set up along the historic sidewalks of Main Street with ceramics, pottery, jewelry, woodworking, fiber, glass, photography, and gourmet foods. Live music plays all three days, ranging from bluegrass and blues to rock, jazz, and singer-songwriter sets. It is free, family-friendly, and there are municipal lots throughout the city if you are driving in.
More info: Downtown Canandaigua BID
Permanent Jewelry Popup at The Lake House
Friday, July 17 | 5 PM to 7:30 PM | The Lake House on Canandaigua, Library Bar
Ember & Co. Jewelry takes over the Library Bar for a permanent jewelry pop-up. You pick a custom bracelet, anklet, necklace, or ring, and it gets welded on with no clasp, so it is a piece you can leave on. Appointments are recommended, though walk-ins are accommodated as availability allows. An easy, low-key way to start the weekend.
More info and appointments: The Lake House on Canandaigua
Classes at New York Kitchen
Friday, July 17 | Wine class 6 PM to 7:30 PM, Chef’s Table 6 PM to 8 PM | New York Kitchen, 800 S Main St
New York Kitchen has two options on Friday night. The wine class with “The Intoxicating Professor” runs $58 and is a guided walk through New York State pours. The Chef’s Table is $190 and covers two people, making it a solid date-night pick. Both fill up, so book ahead if you are interested.
More info and tickets: New York Kitchen
Legends of Pop: A Tribute to Prince and Michael
Friday, July 17 | 6:30 PM to 10 PM | Lincoln Hill Farms, 3792 NY-247
If you want a bigger Friday night, the farm has a tribute show honoring two of pop’s most iconic performers. Expect the hits, the showmanship, and a crowd on its feet under the open sky. Lincoln Hill is a general admission venue with the Silo Bar pouring local drinks, so come ready to stand and dance.
More info and tickets: Lincoln Hill Farms
Canandaigua Farmers Market
Saturday, July 18 | 9 AM to 12 PM | Mill Street Pavilion, Eastern Boulevard and Mill Street
Start Saturday the local way. As Ontario County’s only farmer-run market, this one brings together around thirty vendors selling fruits, vegetables, flowers, meats, eggs, baked goods, honey, and jams. Vendors can only sell what they produce, so everything on the tables is genuinely local. It pairs well with a walk up to the festival afterward.
More info: Canandaigua Farmers Market
Wellness Festival with Nahko and Medicine For The People
Saturday, July 18 | 3 PM to 10 PM | Lincoln Hill Farms, 3792 NY-247
The farm turns into a full-day wellness festival with yoga, a vendor market, and a sunset celebration, capped by a performance from Nahko and Medicine For The People with Chris Bronson. It is a different kind of Saturday than a standard concert, built to be a whole afternoon and evening rather than a single set. A good option if you want music with a slower, more communal feel.
More info and tickets: Lincoln Hill Farms
Gracie Abrams Release Party at Canandaigua Record Exchange
Saturday, July 18 | 4 PM | Canandaigua Record Exchange, 15 Coy Street
The Record Exchange is throwing a listening party for the release of Gracie Abrams’ new album, Daughter From Hell. They will play the album through, there are giveaways, and you can pick up a copy on the spot. A fun, easy stop for fans and a nice look at one of downtown’s independent shops.
More info: Canandaigua Record Exchange
Alyssa Trahan at Peacemaker Brewing
Saturday, July 18 | 6 PM | Peacemaker Brewing Company, 39 Coach Street | Free
Alyssa Trahan brings her set to Peacemaker’s taproom, and entry is free. She is a Rochester-area native, now based in Nashville, who plays over a dozen instruments and produces her own records, blending traditional country instrumentation with modern pop. Pair it with a flight of Peacemaker’s small-batch beer and you have an easy Saturday night without a ticket.
More info: Peacemaker Brewing Company
Death Cab for Cutie with Japanese Breakfast
Saturday, July 18 | Doors 6 PM, show 7:30 PM | CMAC, 3355 Marvin Sands Drive
The biggest ticket of the weekend lands at CMAC. Death Cab for Cutie headlines with Japanese Breakfast opening, a pairing that should suit the amphitheater’s open-air lawn perfectly. Seating ranges from covered pavilion spots to lawn tickets, and the venue is cashless with a clear bag policy. Traffic backs up quickly on show nights, so give yourself extra time and plan to arrive early.
More info and tickets: CMAC
Dockside Mat Pilates at The Lake House
Sunday, July 19 | 11 AM to 12 PM | The Lake House on Canandaigua
Start Sunday on the water. The Lake House hosts a dockside mat Pilates class in partnership with The Reformery, set right against the backdrop of Canandaigua Lake. It is an all-levels class built around controlled, low-impact movement to build strength and improve flexibility, so it works whether you are a regular or trying it for the first time. Reserve your spot ahead of time.
More info and reservations: The Lake House on Canandaigua
Tunes on the Terrace with Dave Turner
Sunday, July 19 | 1 PM to 4 PM | New York Kitchen, 800 S Main St
Close out the weekend on the Tasting Room Terrace. Rochester-based Dave Turner performs live, using looping pedals to build out his sound, and his sets range across rock, pop, reggae, hip-hop, and R&B from the 1950s through today. Add a glass of New York State wine and it is about as easy as a Sunday afternoon gets.
More info: New York Kitchen
Freedom’s Heart and Home at the Granger Homestead
Sunday, July 19 | 3 PM | Granger Homestead, 295 North Main Street
Spend Sunday afternoon on the front lawn of the historic Granger Homestead for a patriotic choral concert presented with Fort Hill Performing Arts Center. The Finger Lakes Choral Festival, accompanied by Ines Draskovic, performs selections from Howard Hanson’s “New Land, New Covenant” along with celebratory patriotic anthems. Pack a picnic and enter the patriotic picnic contest for prizes, and note that wine and beer will be available for purchase, so carry-in picnics should stick to food and non-alcoholic drinks.
More info: Granger Homestead
Before You Head Out
That is a full three days of events in Canandaigua, and most of it happens outdoors, from Main Street to the lawn at CMAC to a mat on the dock. Before you head out, take a minute to check current conditions on and around Canandaigua Lake. It gives you a quick read on conditions on and around the lake, so you know what the weather has in store and can dress for it. Have a great weekend, Canandaigua.