Archive: Around Town

How many times have you driven by the Federal House and wondered what it looks like inside?  Or gone by the Rogue's Harbor Inn and wondered what the rooms look like on the upper floors?  "People are just dying to have a look around," says Rogue's Harbor Inn owner Eileen Stout.  "They're usually here during dinner and it's busy and all the rooms are full, so I can't show them.  We do a virtual tour on our Web site, but it's just not the same as walking around and looking wherever you want.  So it's really nice to open the place up once a year and let people have a look."

The chance to look will be part of the Local Flair & Flavor tour on Sunday, September 14.  From 2 - 6 pm one ticket will give you the chance to tour nine Tompkins County inns and Bed & Breakfasts, including Lansing's Rogue's Harbor Inn and The Federal House, Ithaca's Thomas Farm B&B, Coddington Guest House, and Bostwick House, and in Trumansburg Taughannock Farms Inn, Juniper Hill B&B, Halsey House B&B, and Gothic Eves B&B.


Tickets are widely available, and each has a map on the back so visitors can locate all nine inns.  There will be a raffle at the end of the tour, with prizes including a luxury over night stay at Juniper Hill ($300 value), dinner for two at the Rogue's Harbor Inn, Salmon Creek Pottery, gift certificates from Ponzis' Antiques, Vine Designs, Ithaca Upholstery, High Pointe Farm, Hazelnut Kitchen, Belle Melange, Cayuga Landscape, Little York Plantation, and The Jewel Box , plus a trio wine gift from Sheldrake Point.

The $15 ticket price will benefit Loaves and Fishes, and holders will gain entry to the inn tours, which will include local art and flavor.  It also allows visitors to get chances in the raffle for each inn that they visit during the four hour event, increasing their chance of winning.


In Lansing that means music, food and wine.  At the Federal House Eric Aceto & Doug Robinson will provide music,  while King Ferry Winery/Treleaven Wines conducts a doll show featuring the work of Ithaca doll artists Carol Boyer, Mary Caro, Cheri Sheridan, Annie Zygarowicz and Marla Niederer plus the permanent collection of dolls.  Local art by will be on display by Ludlowville artists Stephen Barbash & Cuba Ray.  Fresh flowers by Take your Pick Flower Farm will also be displayed.

As usual Rogue's Harbor will not be outdone.  The inn will feature Andalusian Acoustic Guitar by Kelly Birch, a wine tasting by Bet the Farm, a fresh local cheese tasting by Finger Lakes Farmstead Cheese.  The inn will also serve appetizers featuring fresh local ingredients by the inn's chefs Larry & Kevin.  Photographs by Kirtsen Van Atta will be on display  in the main entryway, as well as a permanent collection of oil landscapes by Carleton Manzano and American artisan sterling jewelry by Peggy Parks.  Van Atta and Parks will donate 10% of their sales for the day to Loaves & Fishes.


Stout got the idea when she went on an inn and house tour on Cape Cod.  "Several years ago I toured some inns and very nice homes and gardens in Provincetown, Mass.," she says.  "All the proceeds went for charity.  I thought, 'This is fantastic.  We have to do this with the inn.'  It took me a few years to convince everyone, but nine of them agreed and we're off and running."

"I hope it will bring people that live right in Lansing that have never seen upstairs," Stout says.  "They drive past the building every day forever, but have never been upstairs.  We expect it to be pretty well attended, because we have some good ticket locations.  Rogue's harbor in Lansing, Taughannock Farms, and the Clinton House Ticket center, Belle Mellange gallery, and Alternatives Federal Credit Union down town."

The tour is sponsored by Bed and Breakfast of Greater Ithaca.

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