Okay, so I admit to being frugal. Especially when it comes to entertainment – I will willingly give up a portion of a nice day on a weekend to attend a matinée showing of a movie simply because it is much cheaper than an evening show. Now that you know this, you can imagine how difficult it must be to fill my days and nights without emptying my wallet (pity me if you must). This is just one more reason that I love and appreciate being in Ithaca – there is always something going on, and rarely is it too “spendy” (even for me). My favorite example of good bang for your buck is the music scene in Ithaca, especially in the summer.

The El Caminos playing on the Commons (at Ithacafest).

During the summer, there is a veritable explosion of music in the area, much of which is outdoors and FREE! I can think of very few things that can hold a candle to the idea of packing a picnic lunch (or grabbing one from your favorite eatery) and heading out to Taughannock Falls State Park or the Ithaca Commons to hear a live and often local band play. I know what some of you may be thinking, that a local music scene is just not your cup of tea and that you have a “local music scene” at home in which you rarely partake…but I beg of you, give it a chance! You will NOT be disappointed. The local musicians are exceptional (and not every concert around the town is by a local band or artist), the crowds are friendly and easy-going, the price is right, the locations are easy to find and you’re outside enjoying the beautiful, albeit brief, summer weather in our part of the world.

To give you an idea of what you can find (and enjoy), here is a list of live music events in and around Ithaca for this summer:

• Ithaca Commons Summer Concert Series – Thursdays, 6:00pm (some start later, and all are free)
• Taughannock Falls State Park Summer Concert Series – Saturdays, 7:00pm ($5.00 per car parking fee)
• Summer Concerts on the Cornell Arts Quad – Fridays, 7:30pm (only run through the first week of August, but also free)
• Myers Point Park (in Lansing, our neighbors to the north) – Thursdays, 6:30pm (free…isn’t a great word!?)
• Concerts at the Ellis Hollow Community Center (just east of the downtown)- Tuesdays, 6:00pm (also free!!)
• Watkins Glen Concerts at Clute Park (just about 40 minutes to the west) – Tuesdays, 7:00pm (you guessed it: free!)
• Montgomery Park in Dryden (just 25 minutes to the northeast) – Wednesdays, 6:00pm (still free)
• Wagner Vineyards Concert Series – Fridays, 8:00pm ($3.00 cover – still, not bad)

As you can see, there really is no reason not to go to a concert while you’re in Ithaca (visiting or permanently), as there is an abundance of free and inexpensive concerts that are just ripe for the picking (pardon the seasonal metaphor). If you already enjoy the music scene or you really love music and want as much of it as you can possibly find, I would also suggest the Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival that takes place in Trumansburg (a scant 20 minutes from Ithaca) every year. The festival is coming up this weekend (July 18-20) and promises to be one of the best ever, with performances going on almost around the clock, a huge variety of big-name and local bands as well as on-site camping (for those of you who need to be close to the music ’round the clock!). Grassroots is not a free concert, but it is well-worth the money for all the bands you can see in one place, on one of the four stages, the creative works of the crafters and artisans, as well as some fantastic foods from more than 20 multicultural food vendors.

So, in conclusion, I simply must encourage you to take advantage of the free, inexpensive, and even the reasonably-priced concerts in and around Ithaca during the summer. That’s not to say that the music scene hibernates during the cooler weather (there are just as many, if not more, events in fall and winter), but this is the only opportunity to enjoy great music and fantastic weather at the same time – so don’t miss it!