Big events, recreation, culture: CNY has it all and more

Whether it’s to attend a college basketball game before a record crowd, organize a major business conference or convention, enjoy the area’s world-class gaming options, or take in its vast recreational opportunities, visitors to the Central New York region come for many different reasons.

The area includes Greater Syracuse and the Finger Lakes, the Mohawk Valley, the Thousand Islands and Lake Ontario, and Greater Binghamton.

The region offers picturesque natural attractions, outdoor sports and recreation, culture, big events, a central location, ease of travel, affordable and spacious accommodations, and many interesting places to see and things to do. 

Central New York is a major destination for conventions, conferences, business meetings, annual festivals such as Oswego Harborfest, and special events like athletic competitions.

In short, the region has no shortage of places and opportunities to meet, stay, and play.

So if it’s action you’re seeking, Central New York is in the middle of it all.

We turned to area tourism agencies and convention and visitors’ bureaus to help us detail what their parts of CNY have to offer visitors.

Here are some of the highlights in our region.

Greater Syracuse
Strategically situated in the center of the state, Syracuse is easily accessible for most meeting attendees, with more than 63 million people located within a 350-mile radius of the city. Syracuse offers a variety of accommodations including more than 6,700 hotel rooms with 2,100 available to conventions. New to downtown Syracuse is a combined 78-room Residence Inn and 102-room Courtyard by Marriott which offers meeting space, a fitness center, bar, and pool. Additionally, Syracuse offers a wide variety of flexible meeting facilities ranging from the spacious Oncenter Convention Center and NYS Fairgrounds to the new facilities available at Destiny USA and the SRC Arena & Events Center, to the historic Landmark Theatre, onward to the iconic Carrier Dome and more. 

In Syracuse, meetings and events don’t always happen in traditional venues. The area’s first-class natural resources, including more than 50 state, county, and city parks and excellent waterways continue to draw national, regional, and statewide athletic events such as the Ironman 70.3 and Iron Girl Syracuse triathlons. 

Syracuse continues to capitalize on its repeat customers and the growth of those events, in addition to securing new business opportunities such as those in the expanding sustainability meetings market segment thanks to the community’s leadership in that arena showcased by the Syracuse Center of Excellence and Destiny USA, the largest LEED Gold certified retail building in the country.

In addition to excellent accommodations and meeting facilities, the Syracuse Convention & Visitors Bureau (SCVB) rolls out the red carpet with award-winning and complimentary services (based on hotel room usage) which include 24-hour availability during events. “Syracuse’s commitment to the customer experience brings event planners back over and over again,” says Tracey Kegebein, SCVB’s vice president of sales and services.

As Syracuse’s list of tourism assets continues to expand, customers are treated to unsurpassed fun outside of the meeting room. Destiny USA, the sixth largest mall in America, offers visitors a unique mix of traditional and outlet retail, entertainment, and dining options. These include WonderWorks, OptiGolf, and Pole Position Raceway on the fun/recreation side of things. Gordon Biersch, P.F. Chang’s, Texas de Brazil, and Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill provide fine dining and nightlife. And, Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th, BCBG, and Michael Kors attract shoppers.

Additionally, the Greater Syracuse area is home to more than 40 golf courses and an abundance of museums and galleries, including the nationally known Everson Museum of Art and the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology. The Syracuse Opera is Central New York’s only year-round professional opera company, and the Syracuse Stage is the region’s premier professional theatre. 

And, Syracuse Hancock International Airport, featuring a newly renovated terminal, makes it easy for visitors to get here and return home after their trip is complete.

Mohawk Valley
Utica, Rome, Verona, and Sylvan Beach are centrally located just off the New York State Thruway, providing a convenient location for conventions, meetings, and other gatherings. Whether you need space for 10 people or 10,000, Oneida County has a meeting facility for you. Event planners have a variety of locations to choose from, including The Beeches Inn & Conference Center and the Radisson-Utica Centre. Those planning large conventions and seeking gaming options will find that Turning Stone Resort Casino and Vernon Downs Casino Hotel will meet their needs. The region offers more than 2,800 rooms at AAA Four Diamond resort hotels, national chains, and independently owned properties. 

Whether it’s a meeting, conference, group tour, reunion, or social event you are planning, the region offers no shortage of attractions and things to do. Take in a Broadway show at the historic Stanley Theatre in Utica or enjoy dinner theater at The Beeches. 

Visitors can also take in behind-the-scenes factory tours at places such as the Saranac Brewery, Harden Furniture, and Meyda Tiffany Lighting. Experience the Revolutionary War at Fort Stanwix National Monument. Meeting planners might also want to try something unique like a “Learn to Curl” Ice Breaker event at the Utica Curling Club for a memorable teambuilding opportunity. Need to add a golf outing? Choose from 29 public courses, including the championship courses at Turning Stone ranked among the “Top 40 Best Casino Courses” by Golfweek magazine.

Thousand Islands/Lake Ontario area
The Thousand Islands region of northern New York has been attracting visitors in search of a relaxing vacation among its scenic islands, crystal-clear water, and endless shorelines for more than 100 years. Today, it draws everyone from boaters to history buffs, diving enthusiasts, anglers, and families seeking “cottage country.”

The 1000 Islands is all about getting visitors onto the water to cruise among its namesake features. All told, 1,864 islands dot the two sides of the international border. Boat-tour companies are located in almost every community and offer narrated tours of the islands and their history of Gilded Age wealth, pirates and bootleggers, and famous guests. Boldt and Singer castles give visitors a chance to tour the palatial island homes once used by the wealthy at the turn-of-the-century.

Waterfront communities like the kitschy Alexandria Bay, with its souvenir shops, family dining, drive-in movie theater, and free events like Pirates Days attract 

visitors trying to escape traffic, strip malls, and fast-food joints. Others head to Clayton, known for its Antique Boat Museum, waterfront Opera House, riverside dining, and parks.

Lodging runs the gamut from waterfront resorts and conference centers with riverside dining to cottage colonies, mom-and-pop motor lodges, and campgrounds. 

Anglers flock to Oswego County for fishing opportunities ranging from trolling on Lake Ontario for trophy trout and salmon to angling for steelhead and brown trout on the Salmon and Oswego rivers. An experienced fleet of charter-boat captains and river guides provide complete fishing packages for all ages.

If big events are your thing, Oswego’s annual Harborfest attracts thousands to see national, regional, and local acts performing a wide range of music, including jazz, country, folk, big band, and rock. 

Greater Binghamton
At the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers lies Greater Binghamton, a region rich in scenic beauty, enchanting villages, and lively cities. Its central location, at the junctions of I-81, I-88, and NY 17 (future I-86), makes it easily accessible within New York state. Add that to its 2,500 first-class, affordable overnight accommodations, modern meeting/exhibit facilities, and top-quality sports venues, and you have all the ingredients for a successful event. 

The area offers more than 250 restaurants, from locally owned and operated eateries to nationally recognized chains. You can choose to frequent quaint antique stores, specialty shops, or top brand names. Attractions in the area include the Roberson Museum & Science Center, The Bundy Museum of History & Art, the Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park, the Discovery Center of the Southern Tier, the Phelps Mansion Museum, Windy Hill Candle Factory/Candyland, and the Cider Mill. 

AHL hockey (Binghamton Senators), AA baseball (B-Mets), Champions Tour golf (Dick’s Sporting Goods Open), USTA tennis (Binghamton Tennis Challenger event), and more than a dozen top-quality golf courses await the sports enthusiast. Parks, campgrounds, and hiking and biking trails are sure to please outdoor fans. 

The Southern Tier also welcomes you to Tioga County. This is River Country, in the beautiful southern Finger Lakes Region. Nestled among lovely hills and valleys, the county has the Susquehanna River winding its way through 33 miles.

Enjoy dining at some great restaurants, have a glass of wine or beer on top of a 3-story rooftop beer garden, or eat and drink wine in an old jail cell; or sip some Finger Lakes wine overlooking the Riverwalk. Experience the excitement of harness, auto and motorcycle races, challenge yourself with outdoor sports such as hiking, biking, fishing, hunting, golf, or cross-country skiing. Shop downtown Owego, where you can purchase a Russian Matryoshka Nesting Doll, one of the largest collections in the state, local artisan-made crafts, clothing, art, and jewelry from a number of artists’ collective stores. You can purchase homemade fudge, have a vanilla latté, make a stained-glass hanging, or buy unique children’s toys.