Spring is Almost Here in Ellicottville

It’s almost that time…

The sun is shining; the snowstorms have subsided (we hope!); and before you know it, we will be surrounded in an array of colors.

Finally, spring has arrived in Ellicottville!

To kick off the season, snow-lovers enjoyed what’s left of winter at the Chamber Ski Day at HoliMont on March 12. And as a final salute to the cold months, partygoers celebrated at the Mardi Gras Parade & Winter Carnival on March 14.

April showers bring Mayflowers—and that means summer is right around the corner.

Kick off the 2009 bathing-suit season by honoring and celebrating women at Women’s Weekend June 19-21. Women’s Weekend features events targeted at a healthy lifestyle for females like hiking and yoga, and, of course, spa treatments—something no woman should go without. For more information, visit http://ellicottvilleny.com/index.php/events.

The Summer Festival of the Arts will run July3-5. The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra will perform alongside a fireworks display on July 4. A national rock act will play on July 5 on the slopes of Holiday Valley. Stay tuned for the big announcement! Rounding out the weekend will be an arts and crafts show, pet parade and the Strawberry Festival. Visit http://ellicottvilleny.com/index.php/events for more details.

Yoga and strawberries might not be for everyone, but who can say no to free? On July 18 and 19 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., you can come down and check out the Antique Farm Fair. Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Ellicottville, this fair will feature some of the most unique antiques in Western New York. The fair will close on a musical note with a bluegrass concert on July 5 at Noon. For more information, visit http://ellicottvilleny.com/index.php/events.

Even though the snow will have long since melted, you can still make a trip to Holiday Valley this summer for The Ellicottville Golf Classic July 21-22.For a foursome fee of $1,200, you will receive a chairlift ride to top of the mountain to enjoy a wine and European beer tasting, Hors d’oeuvres and entertainment. You will return to the bottom of the mountain for an uptown barbeque and Fantasy Casino Night at the Main Club House. On July 22, tee off will be at 1 p.m. Following golf you will be treated to a spectacular demonstration chef’s dinner with a seafood bar, open bar and lots of great prizes. Call (800) 349-9099 for more information.

So come down to Ellicottville this summer and enjoy the activities this wonderful town has to offer. And don’t forget to reserve your stay now at the Black Dog Lodge!

So it’s about that time again. The days start getting shorter, the temperature starts to cool and the beautiful hills of Western New York start turning their brilliant shades of yellow and red.

The Autumn is one of the most spectacular seasons around here at the Black Dog Lodge and its arrival means it’s almost time to start hitting the slopes (but not quite yet!). The month of September is the beginning of this transition and brings with it a number of fun activities in Ellicottville for the whole family.

For all you architecture and history buffs, the Literacy Volunteers of Cattaraugus County is holding its 5^th annual Tour of Interesting Homes Saturday, Sept. 6 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The tour will kick off at the Ellicottville Memorial Library at 6499 Maples Road. If you’re looking for something to do that day, join the group for a laidback, self-guided tour of some of the area’s most unique homes. For tickets, call (716) 372-8627 or email olean1@aol.com, or you can purchase tickets the day of the event starting at 10:30 a.m. Tickets are $25.00 if ordered in advance and $30.00 if purchased the day of the tour.

A must-visit during the Fall season in Western New York – Pumpkinville – kicks off its season on September 13. New in 2008 is Di’s Pie & Bake Shoppe, where you can pick up some scrumptious home-baked pies and goods, and the Ducky Derby, where old fashion water guns and plastic ducks combine for an exciting race among family and friends!

And of course, you can’t go through the fall harvest season without the ever-fun fall attractions of hayrides, barnyard animals, pony rides, the cornmaze, goat mountain, corn cannon shoot, and the other attractions that are waiting for you at Pumpkinville! Be sure to come hungry, as Pumpkinville serves up a variety of edible delights (who can pass up that pumpkin ice cream) and features locally produced jams and jellies, maple and honey products, fresh picked apples and pumpkins. For more information, visit Pumpkinville’s website here.

September 19^th kicks off a weekend of “Finger-Poppin’, Hip-Shakin’ Oldies Entertainment in Ellicottville’s Cool Bars and Restaurants” - as the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce likes to put it. That’s because this is the first day of Rock N Oldies Weekend. Come stroll through a show of over 200 antique and custom hot rods and enjoy games and entertainment for the entire family.

You won’t want to miss all these exciting, end-of-summer festivities! Top off your visit in Ellicottville with a stay at the Black Dog Lodge. We’d love to see you!

Attention mothers, daughters, sisters and girlfriends! We welcome you to stay at the Black Dog Lodge during this year’s Women’s Weekend in Ellicottville, beginning June 20th, and enjoy all the special festivities we have going on here at our cozy bed and breakfast.

Traditional Scottish Tea, Saturday, June 22

For starters, we’ll be holding a traditional Scottish tea the afternoon of Saturday, June 22. For those who haven’t experienced this Scottish tradition, the ‘high’ tea, as it’s called, is a Scottish innovation that began in the good old days when workers had to rise early for work. Because of their extraordinarily early breakfast, they often found hunger kicking in around 4 o’clock in the afternoon. They would therefore take their main meal around this time.

‘High’ was the term used to denote that the meal was being eaten at the main table and not at any small side table which might have been used for breakfast or a drink of tea. High tea was intended to be the main meal of the day in many houses in Scotland. In this it varied from the English high tea which is credited to Anna, Duchess of Bedford, who claimed she suffered from ‘a sinking feeling’ around late afternoon and started the fashion of snacking on tea, sandwiches and cakes.

Reservations and a small $10 fee are required to attend the tea.

Jewelry Making

Ever wanted to try and make your own jewelry? The Black Dog Lodge will be offering jewelry making classes during Ellicottville’s Women’s Weekend. Craft your own earrings to take home as a special memory or gift. Contact us to learn more.

Cooking Classes

Good food. Good friends. Good fun. Nothing goes better with a weekend with the girls than a good meal. We’ll be offering cooking classes for those of you interested in a little culinary experience.

To participate or learn more about these events, book your online reservation today or contact us at 716.699.6900 or info@blackdoglodge.com

Click here to learn more about Women’s Weekend and download a pdf of the schedule of events.

Routes To Art Open Studio Tour, May 17th & 18th

Tour the studios of over 35 artists in Cattaraugus and Northern Pennsylvania during the unique Routes to Art Open Studio Tour being held the weekend of May 17th. Sponsored by the Cattaraugus County Arts Council, the event features some of the most gifted artists in the area. Catch a glimpse of a range of talented artists - photographers, painters, sculptors, fiber artists, potters, jewelers and more - while they craft their masterpieces right in front of your eyes. Learn about the artwork you admire straight from the source, asking the questions you’ve always wanted to ask. Connect with the artists and choose from a selection of pieces that will be available for purchase while you tour the beautiful, rolling hills of Cattaraugus County.

You can learn more about the Tour at the Routes to Art website. Browse the artists’ directory and check out the convenient central location of Ellicottville, making the Black Dog Lodge the perfect place to spend your weekend.

Memorial Day Weekend Town-Wide Garage Sale, May 24th -25th

Spend your Memorial Day weekend at the Black Dog Lodge and browse the collections of those participating in this year’s Ellicottville Town-Wide Garage Sale. Spend a relaxing weekend visiting the quaint shops of the village and reward yourself with something great from one of the many sales. You’ll never know what you’ll find. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure!

The Black Dog Lodge looks forward to welcoming the archers and their families for the 2008 World Bowhunting Championships, being held at Holiday Valley in Ellicottville Aug. 20 - 23. The Black Dog is the only accommodation in Ellicottville with practice space. So why your family and friends relax in the serenity of  nature on our outdoor patio, you can prepare for the big event on our over 50 acres of land. But don’t forget to do a little relaxing yourself as you celebrate the sport of archery!

A note from the president of the International Bowhunting Organization, Ken Watkins:

It pleases me to announce that Holiday Valley Mountain Resort in Ellicottville, New York will serve as host for 2008 IBO World Championships. The event will open with the Bowhunters Archery Festival on Aug. 20, with competition on Aug. 21 and 22, and finals on Aug. 23.

At the conclusion of the World Championship in August 2007, we were engaged in preparations to announce Ellicottville as the location for the event in 2009 and 2010. Due to a scheduling conflict, the IBO has expanded our arrangement with the facility and municipality to also include 2008.

The IBO has been involved in negotiation with Holiday Valley and Ellicottville for nearly three years in order to take the World Championship to this outstanding resort and community. I would like to thank Brian McFadden of the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce for his diligent and creative efforts to ensure this was accomplished. We also want to thank Dennis Eshbaugh and all the folks from Holiday Valley Resort for the great effort they have put forth to make the 2008 World Championship a reality in Ellicottville at Holiday Valley.

Although our stay in Anderson, Indiana was a brief one, the work and dedication put into our 2007 event was monumental. I would like to offer a special, heartfelt thanks to the folks from Girt’s Archery and the City of Anderson for their energy and effort.

We look forward to welcoming everyone to our celebration of archery and bowhunting at Holiday Valley Mountain Resort in Ellicottville beginning August 20 for the 2008 IBO World Championships. Contact for reservations, local information or vendor information is 716-699-2345. For additional information contact the IBO office at 440-967-2137.

Ken Watkins

IBO President

A weekend of costumes, parades, music and good times in the Village and at Holiday Valley Resort. You won’t want to miss one of the zaniest parades ever on Saturday March 8th at 6:30pm right down the main street of Ellicottville. Get your costumes and beads ready and enjoy great music and entertainment in the Village of Ellicottville and on the slopes of Holiday Valley Resort. You may even win the Mardi Gras King and Queen competition at the Village Gazebo immediately following the parade.

Join us at the Black Dog Lodge for an authentic afternoon tea in the garden on June 22nd - 23rd! Enjoy a welcome gift, tarot card readings, a wine tasting sponsored by E-ville Spirits, and a 10% discount at the Birdwalk Restaurant!

More Family Oriented.

The sure sign of a day well spent is when you’re so beat that simply hopping into bed isn’t sufficient. You feel it’s necessary to stand at the foot of your bed, lift your arms to each side and fall face-first onto a comfortable mattress that will be your best friend for the next six, hopefully eight, hours.
There seems to be a lot of that going on these days in Ellicottville, New York, where the opportunities are endless and no day goes unfulfilled. How could it? And with so much to do, nobody should have any trouble getting to sleep at night.
Ellicottville prides itself on catering to the variety of interests held by the many types of guests that visit the beautiful city each year. We’ve all heard the phrase “different strokes for different folks,” and Ellicottville has a way to please them all. This goes for the whole package, including accommodations.
With five different types of accommodation, from bed and breakfasts to lodges and resorts and from hotels to vacation homes, there is a place for every taste. You can be that in Ellicottville, everyone can find that perfect bed to “fall” asleep in.

When you’ve found yourself in Ellicottville, you’ve found yourself in the lap of luxury. And because we’ve all got our own ideas of what that may be, you couldn’t have found yourself in a better place. Ellicottville offers a vast selection of first-rate activities that are guaranteed to meet your idea of luxurious, whether that means heading out for a night on the town, hiking through the exquisite mountains, or enjoying a round of golf.
Regardless of how you spend the day in Ellicottville, it is almost certain that a good night’s sleep is necessary to either relax from a busy today, or rest for a busy tomorrow. Ellicottville doesn’t stop providing luxury at the end of the night, as visitors have the opportunity to find their “home away from home” at one of many bed and breakfast locations, such as The Black Dog Lodge located a short four miles from the heart of Ellicottville.
At The Black Dog Lodge, guests will find themselves immersed in the home-like quaintness of an environment that will undoubtedly provide them with an exceptional night of rest and relaxation. The lodge has many rooms that offer different amenities to fit the specific needs of its guests, which include two-person Jacuzzi, fireplace, full kitchen, living room and more. Not to mention they’re fully equipped with a gorgeous view. Not only do the rooms provide a comfortable stay, but the warmth of the hosts make the guests feel right at home.
Spending the day in Ellicottville is unlike spending the day any where else, which is why staying at the bed and breakfast’s of Ellicottville, like The Black Dog Lodge, is unlike staying any where else.