Ithaca Farmer's Market - Our FAVORITE 'Ithaca thing'. If you only get to do one thing in town aside from our wedding, go to the Farmer's Market. It's in a cool waterfront venue with lots of vendors of all different types. We HIGHLY recommend getting a Solaz breakfast burrito (named one of the "Best Burritos in the U.S." by Food and Wine Magazine in 2017) and sitting out by the water to enjoy it.

MIX Kitchen and Bar - Our favorite place for breakfast or brunch. The interior has a quirky vibe, but the food is a great way to start your day.

Moosewood - A completely vegan and vegetarian restaurant with fresh, locally sourced dishes, and widely acknowledged as being the country's longest-running vegetarian restaurant. Winner of several James Beard awards, and one of the most famous restaurants in the area.

Thompson and Bleecker Pizza - A sit-down pizza restaurant. The pizzas are very good and the appetizers they have on special are usually amazing!

Sweet Melissa's - A local favorite ice cream shop. Known for their soft serve flavors. Perfect dessert to finish off a meal on the Commons!

Ithaca Beer Co. - One of our favorite restaurants for their food and their beer. We recommend the pizzas and the buttermilk fried chicken sandwich paired with either an Apricot Wheat (the ideal summer beer) or a Flower Power IPA (rated the best IPA in New York State, and regarded as one of the 25 most important American Craft Beers Ever Brewed by Food and Wine magazine).

Thirsty Owl Winery - We're biased for sentimental reasons, but one of the best wineries on Cayuga Lake Wine Trail with potentially the best view from the west side of the lake. All has a restaurant on site with delicious food.

South Hill Cider - If your idea of cider is Angry Orchard (or something comparable), you need to stop here and have your mind changed. Brewed more similarly to wine than beer or angry orchard, this is our favorite local cidery for it's all around vibe. The drinks are good, the views (especially the sunsets) are beautiful, and there is even a trail connected if you want to go for a hike. You can also buy firewood and have a bonfire on site.

Bar Argos - Our favorite spot to grab a cocktail. The menu has some classics as well as a rotating offering of cocktails rated on a scale of weirdness (prepare to be adventurous!). Has an indoor bar inside it's historic Inn, as well as an outdoor bar/patio, and a standalone/late night bar next door all in a 10/10 environment.

Stewart Park & Ithaca Falls - Both of these attractions (only ~3 minutes apart) offer easily accessible views of two of the best things about Ithaca: Cayuga lake and gorges. Stewart park is in the southern tip of Cayuga lake with expansive views and a nice walk along the inlet. Ithaca falls holds a special place since it is one of the first places Renee took Andrew on his very first visit to Ithaca. It offers easy access to one of the best gorges in the area.

Robert Treman State Park - One of the most popular parks in Ithaca and home to Andrew's favorite local hike where you can see the 115-ft Lucifer Falls. There's no good way to explain the feeling of hiking along the rock walls carved out by the gorges over many years; it's something best experienced firsthand! To see Lucifer falls, start at Upper Treman parking lot and walk the Rim trail down to the footbridge, then cross the bridge and walk the Gorge trail back up to the parking lot. (Be prepared for some stairs!) Alternatively, you can hike the Rim trail until you reach the lower parking lot, then hike the Gorge trail all the way back up (~4.5 miles round trip).

Aurora Brewing Co - Overlooks Cayuga Lake with plenty of beers and beverages to choose from! Fun (?) Fact: Aurora Brewing Co had been recommended to us when we were going to visit another venue in the area. If we hadn't decided to check it out, we never would've stumbled into our actual venue.

Bright Leaf Vineyard - This winery is just a 4 minute drive from our venue and is known for its fantastic views of Cayuga Lake (and presumably their wine too).

Long Point Winery - Another Cayuga Wine Trail award-winning winery a 7 minute drive from the venue! (Right next to Aurora Brewing Co and Long Point State Park)

MacKenzie-Childs - Designer home furnishings and ceramics made in Aurora, NY. Stop by the shop to browse or walk around the land and quaint town of Aurora.

Cayuga Lake - There are many ways to get out and enjoy the lake! Check out the link for numerous places to hang out lakefront or rent SUPs/kayaks for a more active experience.

Buttermilk Falls State Park - Renee's favorite hike to take visitors on, or you can get a great view of the falls from the bottom if you're not up for a hike!

Taughannock Falls State Park - Home of the tallest free-falling waterfall east of the Mississippi (33 ft higher than Niagara Falls)! You can view the falls from an easy overlook or take a walk along a mostly flat/smooth path to the base. Located along the Cayuga Wine Trail, it's a great option to pair with some visits to local wineries.

Watkins Glen State Park - Ranked the #1 best NY state park on TripAdvisor (and #4 on Alltrails) and for good reason. Filled with waterfalls and very cool rock formations, it's definitely worth a stop driving into or out of Ithaca, just be prepared for a lot of stairs!

Cayuga Wine Trail - America's First Wine Trail. There are 12 'official' wineries along the trail, but many other wineries/cideries/distilleries/restaurants/views along the way. Many of the wineries have beautiful views of the lake. There are several ways to spend the day visiting a few including driving, hiring a driver for your car, or hopping on a boat!

Buttonwood Grove Winery - One of our all-around favorite wineries. Their Blanc de Franc is made in limited amounts each year and is the PERFECT light, summer wine. The location has beautiful vineyards and plenty of room to spread out or enjoy a tasting.

Finger Lakes Cider House - The very first cider we ever tried was 'Pioneer Pippen' from FLCS, and it was so good that it has ruined all other ciders for us. They also have live music on Friday evenings!

Knapp Winery - Located a bit further up the west side of the lake, we enjoy their wines as well as other liquors and the friendly service. Also has a restaurant on site.

Liquid State Brewing Co. - Two locations! The original is close to downtown and hosts Silo Food Truck which is a MUST try for fried chicken and French fries. The second location is a little bit further, but bigger and with a beautiful lake view.

Salt Point Brewing Co. - This brewery is about halfway between Downtown Ithaca and our venue. There is plenty of space to spread out outside and enjoy a beer and pizza. It also connects to Lansing Center Trail which is a relatively easy walk through well maintained paths often filled with blooming wildflowers.

Personal Best Brewing - As of writing this, they have 18 (!!) of their own crafted beers on tap. They also have corn hole and shuffleboard as well as tons of space to hangout!

The Watershed - Stop here for some quality drinks. The interior has a trendy vibe with exposed brick and holes in the wall full of rolled up secret notes previous customers have left behind. (Don't read them though or I think it brings you bad luck)

Hound and Mare - Our favorite breakfast sandwiches!

Red's Place - Located on the busy end of the commons, their sandwiches/burgers, flatbreads, and salads are all very tasty! (We love the sweet potato waffle fries too)

Boatyard Grill - Has a great seafood menu and is located right on the water for beautiful views.

Hawi - If you've never tried Ethiopian but are interested in trying new cuisines, just trust us that you need to stop here. Dishes are usually shared as a table and eaten with injera (Ethiopian bread) using your hands. Expect slow service that is well worth your patience. BYOB.

Mia - While you can order your own plates here, we recommend sharing a bunch of their tapas.

Corning Museum of Glass - This museum is about ~45 minutes west of Ithaca, on the route to/from Cleveland/Pittsburgh. Corning, NY is known for Corning glass and ceramics, and the museum is the world's largest and best glass museum. It way exceeded our expectations, and you can sign up (in advance) for activities to make your own glass objects (just note you either have to pay ~$24 for shipping or pick it up next day).

Cornell Lab of Ornithology - Like birds? Check out the Lab of Ornithology! You can borrow a pair of binoculars and walk around spotting a variety of different birds and learning more about them.

Ithaca Sciencenter - A fun, hands-on science center. We've actually never visited, but imagine it would be a great place to take kids and families!

Live Music - Restaurants in Ithaca and the surrounding area love to host live local musicians. If you're in town on Thursday, there is usually a concert in the Commons. On Friday, you could check out Friday night Farm Jams at Finger Lakes Cider Co or drop by South Hill Cider to stay closer to downtown. (Check the Ithaca calendar of events to find even more options!)