Archive: Around Town

Winter RecessWinter Recess, Ithaca's weeklong celebration of classroom teachers, has been selected as a Bronze Award winner in the tourism industry's annual Adrian Awards competition. The national honor highlights innovative programs in hospitality and travel.

Now in its 51st year, the Adrian Awards competition is among the most prestigious in the tourism industry. Organized by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association, this year's competition attracted nearly 1,300 entries. Award winners will be honored at the annual Adrian Awards Gala in New York City, Jan. 28.

"We're thrilled to see Winter Recess recognized by the hospitality industry, but to us, this is more than a tourism event," said Fred Bonn, director of the Ithaca/Tompkins Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Winter Recess is really a celebration of teachers and education. That's what our community is all about and that's what makes this award so gratifying. It's really a compliment to the entire community."

Held during New York's February school break, Winter Recess is the nation's first citywide festival celebrating classroom teachers. The event combines Ithaca's attractions, college events, theaters, spas, shops, restaurants, clubs and inns-and puts them on sale for educators.

The inaugural edition last February attracted more than 1,300 educators and family members. Attendance is on pace to double in 2008. This year's dates are Feb. 16-24. More than 1 million Northeast educators have full or part-week vacations during Winter Recess.

The 2008 schedule includes State Theater concerts by Taj Mahal, Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt. Featured author is Denis Johnson, a visiting lecturer at Cornell and winner of the 2007 National Book Award for fiction. The festival calendar includes more than 50 family events, theater performances, winter activities, winery tours and more. Most events are open to the public with discounts offered to educators. Area lodges provide affordable accommodations with teacher rates starting at $59 per night for economy motels and $100 per night for luxury, four-star inns. In addition, spas, restaurants and retail shops offer significant teacher discounts throughout the week. Details are online at IthacaLovesTeachers.com.

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