CAZENOVIA — Caz Life, a committee of the Greater Cazenovia Area Chamber of Commerce (GCACC), is celebrating the changing leaves and cooler weather this autumn by organizing a community-wide Fall Festival Weekend.

The festivities will be held Oct. 17-20 at multiple locations throughout town.

“Fall Fest is a lot of work, but it is so worth it,” said Caz Life member Caitlin Gambee, co-owner of The Brewster Inn. “Cazenovia’s Fall Fest isn’t just the effort of a few people; it is a huge collaborative effort. You should have seen our first meeting! We don’t have an exact plan, but when we all add in our little part, the event grows into something incredible. The best part is seeing all the community members collaborate. Someone will toss out an idea, and then another person will say, ‘I can add this to it,’ and at the end of the day, we have a Fall Fest weekend that we can be really proud of.”

The celebration will kick off on Thursday evening with a BYOB spooky terrarium class at Jasmine Rae Floral Design, live music at Meier’s Creek Brewing Company, a Halloween-themed book talk at Ink & Paper Bookstore, a special Lorenzo mansion tour exploring Victorian death and funerary practices, and a “Kick-Off Spookeasy” event at The Brae Loch Inn featuring special cocktails, live music, ghost tours, and finger foods.

On Friday morning, the Cazenovia Public Library (CPL) will host a block playtime for children ages 18 months and up and their caregivers. Adults are invited to the library in the afternoon to learn how to decorate pumpkins with dried flowers. Later, CPL will welcome Galen Druke, an expert on American democracy and electoral politics, to the community room to present “Making Sense of the 2024 Election” as part of the Cazenovia Forum lecture series.

In addition, Friday’s schedule features a new beer release and live music at Meier’s Creek, a family-friendly movie under the stars at Madison County Distillery, and live music at The Brae Loch Inn.

Saturday’s festivities include a pancake breakfast at the American Legion Post 88, the fall farmers’ market in Memorial Park, and downtown pop-up shops featuring “Fall Fun” shopping, deals, complimentary sweet treats, beverage samples, activities, and more.

Additionally, the American Legion will host a craft show and live music, Cazenovia Community Fitness will lead a one-hour morning workout in Lakeland Park, Summit Church will set up its “Kids’ Fun Zone,” CPL will have a book sale and pumpkin-themed storytime, the Cazenovia Fire Department will open its station to the public, and the Cazenovia Preservation Foundation will lead a fall foliage hike along the South Trail.

The “Second Annual Witches Paddle” on Cazenovia Lake is scheduled for Saturday afternoon. Kayaks and paddleboards will launch from the park and ride area near the intersection of routes 92 and 20, across from the Fairchild Hill parking area. Participants will paddle to Lakeland Park for a costume contest and photo opportunities.

On Sunday morning, The Brewster Inn will present a one-hour lakeside yoga session and a build-your-own fall mimosa bar.

Families are invited to Lorenzo State Historic Site for its “Ponies and Pumpkin Spice” event and then to The Haven at Skanda for property tours and interactions with the rescued farm animals.

At 3 p.m., the Brae Loch Inn will present a “Dinner with the Spirits” event featuring a prix fixe dinner menu, a presentation by paranormal investigators, tarot card readings, and a ghost tour of the building.

Our Farm and Critz Farms will celebrate the fall harvest by inviting visitors to join in some quintessential fall activities on Saturday and Sunday.

Our Farm will have food trucks and offer pumpkin picking, a corn maze, a petting zoo, and horse rides on both days.

Critz Farms’ celebration will include pumpkin picking, a corn maze, wagon rides, a haunted barn, a cow train, live music, an animal area, and beer and cider tastings.

Throughout the entire Fall Festival, visitors to Stone Quarry Hill Art Park (SQHAP) are invited to walk through SQHAP Teaching Artist Laura Knieser Reeder’s new piece, “Cultivator 8.1.2024.1649.Next Generation,” on the upper south hill beside Dorothy Riester’s “Song” sculpture.

Reeder’s work involves creating large-scale installations directly in natural environments using materials sourced from the land itself or biodegradable elements to highlight the impacts of human consumption and waste on such spaces. Her latest “Cultivator” piece was designed in collaboration with students from the Syracuse Hebrew Day School.

The full Cazenovia Fall Festival schedule and event details are available at cazenovia.com/fallfestival.

Caz Life is the events and marketing committee of the GCACC. Its members work to foster local business development, promote tourism, and implement effective marketing strategies to enhance the vibrancy and economic growth of the village.

“Caz Life is a group of volunteer members representing a myriad of businesses and non-profits who come together [to showcase] all that our amazing community has to offer,” said Gambee. “We are proud to live and work in Cazenovia and enjoy sharing with others a little slice of what we love about this town.”

Promotions for Cazenovia Fall Fest are supported by a grant awarded to the Cazenovia Area Community Development Association (CACDA) through Empire State Development’s Market New York program.

CACDA has partnered with Caz Life, and the funds, totaling $50,000 over two years, are being used for seasonal marketing campaigns in 2024 and 2025.

To learn more about Caz Life, visit cazenovialife.com.