Celebrate 100
100 Ways to Celebrate Women Empowerment in the Finger Lakes
As the epicenter of the Women’s Rights movement 100 years ago, the Finger Lakes celebrated women both past and present in 2020. The monumental year marked the centennial anniversary of the 19th amendment which gave women the right to vote. Applauding those that set the stage for women in America such as pioneering residents Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Matilda Joselyn Gage while acknowledging those that still break barriers today, our list educates on the past while providing the tools and skills for female empowerment in the future. We hope you enjoy these stellar women and women-focused events as much as we enjoyed compiling them. #Celebrate100FLX
Choose a category to start celebrating women empowerment in the Finger Lakes:
Historical Stops | Women-Led Workshops | Female Foodies | Empowered Overnights | Women and Craft Beverages
Artfully Focused | Women in Education | Adventurous & Entrepreneurs
Locations on the map are bold within the list.
Historical Stops
Susan B. Anthony House & Museum
1. Visit the National Susan B. Anthony House & Museum, home to the legendary American civil rights leader, in time for Anthony’s 200th birthday. susanb.org
2. Explore the National Women’s Hall of Fame, an ever-evolving showcase of great women throughout history, in its new home – the 1844 Seneca Knitting Mill. womenofthehall.org
3. Pay a visit to the Women’s Rights National Historical Park Visitor Center and learn about the women’s right movement via exhibits and a visit to the inspirational First Wave Statues where one can “walk” with the movement organizers of the first Woman’s Rights Convention. nps.gov/wori/index.htm
4. Explore the Wesleyan Chapel, the site of the first Woman’s Rights Convention held in 1848, which sits adjacent to the Woman’s Rights National Historical Park Visitor Center. nps.gov/wori/index.htm
5. Stop by The M’Clintock House – the planning site for the First Women’s Rights Convention and where the Declaration of Sentiments was drafted. Visitors can learn the Quaker influencer on the Women’s Rights movement, the Underground Railroad, and the planning of the First Women’s Rights Convention through ranger talks at the previous homestead of Thomas and Mary Ann M’Clintock. nps.gov/wori/index.htm
6. Learn about Matilda Joslyn Gage, a founding member of the National Woman Suffrage Association, at her home-turned-museum. matildajoslyngage.org
7. Visit the home of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the main organizer of the Seneca Falls’ Woman’s Right Convention and primary author of the Declaration of Sentiments. Stanton called her home the “Center of the Rebellion” during her family’s 15 years in Seneca Falls. Today, you can visit the interior of house with ranger-led tour. nps.gov/wori/index.htm
8. Pay a visit to the Hunt House, home of Mrs. Jane C. Hunt who, on July 13, 1848, invited Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Martha Coffin Wright, and Mary Ann M’Clintock to plan the First Women’s Rights Convention in the United States. nps.gov/wori/index.htm
9. Learn about Narcissa Prentiss Whitman, the first white/European American woman to travel west of the Rockies, in her previous homestead in Prattsburgh. narcissaprentisshouse.com/biography/
10. Be inspired with a visit to the Ontario County Court House where Susan B. Anthony was tried for her crime of voting in 1873. visitfingerlakes.com/listings/ontario-county-courthouse/304/
Harriet Tubman Home
11. Pay a visit to the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park, the site of the equal rights activist and emancipator’s home that she lived in until 1913. harriettubmanhome.com
12. Stop at the Ganondagan State Historic Site, historic home of the Seneca tribe, which is credited with influencing our modern understanding of democratic government, ecology, natural foods, equality and women’s rights. ganondagan.org
13. Visit the 1816 Farmington Quaker Meetinghouse, now listed on the National Collaborative of Women’s History Sites. farmingtonmeetinghouse.org
Seward House Museum
14. Tour the Seward House to learn of how the great American William Henry Steward’s wife, Frances Seward, was the true strength and inspiration for the abolition and underground movements in the household. sewardhouse.org
15. Visit the Mary Jemison statue, respectfully named the “White Woman of the Genesee” which pays homage to the famed Seneca Nation translator and treaty negotiator along with her daughter’s wooden cabin at Letchworth State Park. parks.ny.gov/parks/79/details.aspx
16. Travel to Sherwood, NY, listed in The National Register of Historic Places as the Equal Rights Historic District.Several of the properties within the district were owned by freed slaves; others by prominent abolitionists and women’s rights advocates who sprang from the Quaker faith.
17. Explore Clara Barton’s former home where she started the first chapter of the American Red Cross.
18. Visit the unique Howland Stone Store Museum outside of Aurora, NY and find among their cabinet of curiosities a piece of Susan B. Anthony’s 78th birthday cake (1898). howlandstonestore.org
19. Modern spiritualism as we know it today is credited to the Fox Sisters of Hydesville. While the home they lived in is no longer standing, the original foundation remains and the ‘rapping’ sounds the sisters began hearing in the house are still reported today. facebook.com/kateandmaggiefox/
20. Soak in the commemoration of a truly historical event in Seneca Falls at the statue entitled “When Anthony Met Stanton.” Located over-looking VanCleef Lake and Trinity Episcopal Church, the three remarkably influential minds, Ameila Bloomer, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, are represented in the life-size statue.
21. Discover the largest living history museum in New York State, Genesee Country Village & Museum, which today is led by Becky Wehle, who is the granddaughter of the museum’s founder. gcv.org
22. Stop by the New York State Equal Rights Heritage Center, a digitally interactive space celebrating the state’s history of movements in civil, women’s and LGBTQ+ rights.
23. Follow in the footsteps of American preacher Jemima Wilkinson who settled in the Penn Yan area around 1776. Known by the name “Public Universal Friend,” Wilkinson believed in free will, shunned gendered pronouns and opposed slavery. She amassed many followers, particularly groups of unmarried woman, who became known as the “Society of Universal Friends.” yatespast.org
Women-Led Workshops
24. Take part in a female carpentry class at The Hammerstone School, a woman-owned and focused carpentry school. hammerstoneschool.com
25. Join in on one of Susan B. Anthony House’s Beyond Bias Lecture Series that explores the history of women’s rights, stereotyping and strategies to recognize and change biased behavior. susanb.org/adult-programs-professional-development
26. Take a Hikyoga class in various scenic locales with owner and certified Hello Yoga Girl, Nicole Kazimer. helloyogagirl.com
27. Join a women only ski retreat hosted at Greek Peak Mountain Resort. greekpeak.net
28. Attend a woman only yoga retreat with Finger Lakes Yogascapes; co-founded by Jennifer Hess. fingerlakesyogascapes.com
29. Join Suzanne Vullers at Mountain Horse Farm’s Women Retreat: What’s Next? Designing Your Next Chapter with the farm’s acclaimed cow-cuddling therapy sessions. mountainhorsefarm.com
30. RSVP for one of the Women Outdoors Club’s meetups to bask in the region’s pristine nature-filled landscape. meetup.com/Women-Outdoors-Finger-Lakes-S/
31. Learn the art of clay-based pottery with the all-female staff of the Ithaca-based Clay School. clayschoolithaca.com
32. Create jewelry during the Lunch Time Hammer Time workshop at the Metal Smithery with owner Elaan Greenfield. metalsmithery.com
33. Set sail with Silver Waters’ women-only sailing lessons guided by Susan Gately. Holding her own USCG Master License for near coastal sailing, Susan teaches her students the ins and outs of sailing on Lake Ontario. silverwaters.com
34. Experience water adventures and paddle sports with Jennifer Miller’s Paddle-N-More rental sites, summer camps, guided trips and instructions. paddlenmore.com
35. Discover your inner lady boss and attend a ROC Girl Gang event to network with entrepreneurs and creatives, designed to encourage and inspire. rocgirlgang.com
36. Join Ithaca is Foodies, a culinary tour led by local expert Sarah Barden, which will debut a tour featuring all women-owned businesses. ithacaisfoodies.com
Female Foodies
37. Eat at Café XIX to enjoy a meal surrounded by portraits of influential suffrage activists. Owner Casey Galloway pays homage to the 19th amendment in both atmosphere and passion. xixcafe.com
38. Dine at Muddy Waters Café, an eatery on the Erie Canal that is run and owned by one woman who is both chef and waitress. facebook.com/muddywaterscafepalmyra
39. Visit the creamery where five generations have farmed the 348-acre dairy farm.You’re likely to meet owner Carmella Hoffman and her assortment of top-quality milk cows at Sunset View Creamery. sunsetviewcreamery.com
Burnap’s Farm Market & Garden Cafe
40. Take pleasure in a visit to or an overnight at Burnap’s Bed & Breakfast and Beyond. The farm is in its 48th season both owned and operated by second generation Kendra Burnap. burnapsfarm.com
41. Sample delectable chocolate goodness at Gretchen’s Confections in Auburn where Gretchen’s childhood dream is brought to fruition. gretchens-confections.com
42. Stop by The Piggery, a farm-to-table butcher shop and local wholesaler to meet owner Heather Sanford. Sign up for a butchering class while visiting to learn about heritage breeds and more. thepiggery.net
43. Visit the scent-filled Rue Claire Lavender Farm and Artisan Chocolate shop to meet with Lavender Farmer Claire Benjamin and taste her aromatic gourmet chocolates. rueclaire.com
44. Journey to Engelbert Farms, the first certified organic dairy farm in the United States, to meet Farm Store Owner and Operator Lisa Engelbert. Housed in a historic creamery, homemade comfort foods are a staple on the farm. engelbertfarms.com
Empowered Overnights
45. Book a stay at the Belva Lockwood Inn, a refurbished B&B that served as former home of Belva Lockwood, the first women to run for president in 1884 and argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. belvalockwoodinn.com
46. Spend a night at The Laurentide Inn, celebrating 200 years as a property and previous home of Lucy Fox — an active member and philanthropist within the community who supported a variety of organizations including Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital, Keuka College and Elmira College. thelaurentideinn.com
47. Stop at Grist Iron Brewing for both beer and a bed at this dual purposed property run by Owner and Innkeeper Darlene Barber. gristironbrewing.com
48. Stay at the Inns of Aurora, a luxury property filled with female-connected history such as the former female prep school dormitory, Wallcourt Hall and Rowland House named in honor of the Inns owner Pleasant Rowland. innsofaurora.com
Belhurst Castle
49. Catch some rest at Belhurst Castle, a 19th century estate commissioned by Carrie Collins, who took four years to build out the four-story mansion that now welcomes hotel guests. belhurst.com
Women and Craft Beverages
50. Delight in a tasting at Eve’s Cidery, founded by a pioneer of the American cider revival, Autumn Stoscheck when she was only 21. evescidery.com
Wagner Vineyards
51. Sip wine at Wagner Vineyards, a family operation that is now heavily female owned and operated. Ann Rafetto heads up wine making, Debbie Wagner is operations manager, Laura Lee is co-owner and Ginny Lee operates the Ginny Lee Café. wagnervineyards.com
52. Visit Lucas Vineyards, one of the first woman-owned wineries within the region. lucasvineyards.com/the-lucas-women-co-founders-cayuga-lake-wine-trail/
53. Sip brews at Young Lion Brewing, a woman owned and operated brewery (one of only 3% in the country) by Jennifer Newman. younglionbrewing.com
54. A visit to the small boutique winery Keuka Lake Vineyards means you get to taste unique vintages from Winemaker Staci Nugent which aren’t found in many other regional wineries like her exceptional Vignoles and Leon Millot. klvineyards.com
55. Grab a brew at the award-winning Prison City Pub & Brewery co-owned by Dawn Schultz or visit during the brewery’s Girls Pint Out event to revel with other female brew drinkers. prisoncitybrewing.com/
56. Learn how fourth generation winemaker Meaghan Frank has brought a burst of creativity and ingenuity to the internationally renowned Dr. Franks winery, originally started by her great-grandfather Dr. Konstantin Frank who has been credited with starting the vinifera revolution in the region. Enjoy the special series of wines named after the women in the Frank family in homage to their contributions which often went on behind the scenes.
57. Stop by Lakewood Vineyards to meet renowned Founder Bev Stamp who leads her family-owned and operated winery, celebrating its 30th year. Now three generations of Stamp women run this sizeable operation. lakewoodvineyards.com
58. Visit the boutique winery Rasta Ranch Vineyards, which is owned by creative winemaker Diane Buglion-Mannion. facebook.com/RastaRanchVineyards
59. Explore Red Tail Ridge Winery, the first winery in New York to receive LEED certification thanks to owner and winemaker Nancy Irelan’s energy-efficient and sustainable design. Ireland was recently a semi-finalist for the James Beard award. redtailridgewinery.com
60. Known as the “Little Winery on the Great Lake,” Thorpe Vineyard is a 100% woman-owned and operated winery since 1988. Fumie Thorpe, a trained meteorologist, turned her attention to grapes and the rest, as they say, is history. Thorpevineyard.com
61. Fossenvue, also known as “Queens Castle,” was a camp located in Lodi that was originally created by women for recreation, meetings and games. Today, Fossenvue Winery continues to carry its anthem to “kindle friendship” throughout their wines and winery. fossenvuewinery.com
62. Pour a glass at Bottomless Brewery — the most awarded Finger Lakes brewery that has found a home in a completely renovated dairy barn. The impressive aesthetic can be credited to brew-master Carrie Fischer. bottomlessbrewing.com
63. The Tuscan-inspired Ventosa Vineyards on Seneca Lake features 100% estate grown varietals expertly crafted by wine-make Jenna LaVita. ventosavineyards.com
64. The tag team of owner Brittany Bagley and winemaker Molly Collins believe Bagley’s Poplar Ridge Vineyard should live up to the family motto of wine without pretense or “Wine without bull.” Bagleysprv.com
65. Explore the many varying experiences the Three Brothers Winery complex has to offer all made possible by three woman; Erica Paolicelli, Luann Mansfield and Kim White, who spearhead the efforts of this unique winery. 3brotherswinery.com
66. Uncover a true family operation at Leidenfrost Vineyards where Liz Leidenfrost works side by side with her father as winemaker, giving tender care to the grapes themselves. leidenfrostwine.com
67. Enjoy a tasting at Living Roots winery, the region’s first urban winery co-owned by Rochester native Colleen Hardy. livingrootswine.com
Artfully Focused
68. Learn about the inspiring women depicted in “Her Voice Carries,” a public art project in Rochester, NY featuring women who are lifting up the voices of others. hervoicecarries.blog
69. Spend the day at The Corning Museum of Glass to watch female glassmakers such as Helen Tegeler, Catherine Ayers, and Caitlin Hyde demonstrate the artform.
The Corning Museum of Glass
70. Explore the Auburn Public Theater, hosting women’s performance workshops and entertainment during Women’s History Month in March. Acclaimed director Gwen Webber-McLeod’s production of “Rainbow” has set a multicultural tone for the theater and its founder, Angela Daddabbo is credited for revitalizing Auburn’s cultural scene. auburnpublictheater.org
71. Catch a show at the Cortland Repertory Theatre pavilion, which is best known for its world-renowned Broadway intern program that has fostered strong female leads like Helen Hunt. cortlandrep.org
Cortland Repertory Theatre
72. Visit The Strong National Museum of Play, home to the largest collection of toys, dolls and games in the world founded by collector Margaret Strong. museumofplay.org
73. Find original women’s suffrage posters at the OpenDore Project Museum in the Hamlet of Sherwood; housed in a portion of the Isabel Howland House.
74. Over two decades ago, Rodi Rovner started the first hands-on glassblowing classes in Corning. You can still take lessons and blow glass at her studio, Hands-on Glass, today. Handsonglass.com
75. Discover the High Falls Women’s Film Festival, held annually in the fall. This Women’s Film Festival is one of very few film festivals worldwide celebrating the work of women filmmakers. highfallsfilmfestival.com
National Museum of Play
76. Aptly named, Woman Made Products, this store owned and operated by feminist Becky Bly attests to empowerment and inspiration with imaginative arts and crafts, writings, illustrations and fair-trade products from around the world. womanmadeproducts.com
77. Uncovering the surprising abundance of the region’s natural salt deep below the surface, Stephanie Specchio features over 30 flavored salts in her unique shop.
Women in Education
78. Take a delightful stroll on the campus of Elmira College, the nation’s first college to grant a degree to women equal to that of men. Stained glass windows in the chapel are dedicated to the 19th Amendment. elmira.edu
79. Explore the beautiful campuses of Ithaca College, Cornell University and Tompkins Community College, all colleges currently run by female presidents. visitithaca.com/attractions/colleges-universities
80. Visit Syracuse University, where many important women like Karen DeCrow (women’s rights activist) to Eileen Collins (the first female commander of a Space Shuttle) studied. syracuse.edu
81. Take a walk through the Hobart & William Smith College, alma mater of the first female to receive her degree as a Doctor of Medicine, Elizabeth Blackwell. hws.edu/about/blackwell
82. Visit Wells College, founded in 1868 as a women’s only college that has taught such students as Pleasant Rowland, the founder of American Girl Doll, First Lady Cleveland Preston and ABC News correspondent Kati Marton. wells.edu
83. Learn about researcher and hero Dr. Margaret Lowman at Tanglewood Nature Center. Often referred to as the “Einstein of the Treetops” she pioneered the research of canopy ecology for over 30 years. Tanglewoodnaturecenter.com
84. Explore the Wilcoxen Home, the residence of the first female graduate of the University of Rochester in 1901, Ella S. Wilcoxen. wgpfoundation.org/historic-markers/wilcoxen-home/
Adventurous & Entrepreneurs
85. Take a tour of the Glenn Curtiss Museum exhibit for Blanche Stuart Scott, the first American female pilot taught to fly by Curtiss himself. glennhcurtissmuseum.org
86. Stop over at the home of Margaret Sanger, an American birth control activist, sex educator, writer, and nurse who started the first birth control clinic that is now known as Planned Parenthood. freethought-trail.org/regions/region:corning/
Glenn Curtiss Museum
87. Visit the Dorothy Cotton Institute in her hometown of Ithaca, NY to learn about the legacy of the Civil Rights champion and close aide of Martin Luther King Jr. dorothycottoninstitute.org
88. Join owner Erika Eckstrom at Painted Bar Stables, a community-oriented riding facility offering year-round guided trail rides and more. paintedbarstables.com
89. Sail aboard “True Love” on the largest of the Finger Lakes, Seneca Lake, as Captain Lisa Navone navigates the lake on her 67’ schooner. schoonerexcursions.com
Painted Bar Stables
90. “Nature’s Health Club,” an innovative online resource focusing on wellness travel was created by Valerie Knoblauch, a 35-year veteran in tourism promotion in the Finger Lakes. The program has been recognized and awarded by the national travel industry as a best practice in tourism marketing. visitfingerlakes.com/things-to-do/outdoor-activities
91. Join in the annual Peppermint Festival festivities which pays homage to the H.G. Hotchkiss International Prize Medal Essential Oil Company and their prize-winning oils.The company was led for many years by Anne Dickerson Hotchkiss who took the reins following generations of Hotchkiss men.
92. Tour the National Soaring Museum and learn how local heroine Eileen Collins became the first woman to command a space shuttle. Soaringmuseum.org
93. Take a glider ride at Harris Hill in honor of Amelia Earhart, who declared Elmira to have “the finest soaring in the country” when she visited the region in 1934. Harrishillsoaring.org
Harris Hill Glider Ride
94. Dine on locally-sourced and hand-crafted chocolates at Hedonist Artisan Chocolates, a confection shop in Rochester, NY owned by Jennifer Posey. hedonistchocolates.com
95. Onlook as the Ithaca League of Women Rollers and the Ithaca Roller Derby inspire girls and women with this full-contact sport. ithacarollerderby.com
96. Engage in a variety of events surrounding the annual Women March in Seneca Falls. Features include a concert by the feminist music group BETTY and other events at both the Equal Rights Heritage Center and the Harriet Tubman site. womensmarch.com
97. Philanthropist Mary Clark Thompson gave generously to civic, religious, and educational institutions in the community of Canandaigua including the gift of Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion, now a State Historic Park. sonnenberg.org
98. Travel the deliciously sweet Finger Lakes Sweet Treat Trail to sample all things delightfully sweet, concepted and brought to life by Meg Vanek, a long-standing Finger Lakes tourism professional. tourcayuga.com/finger-lakes-sweet-treat-trail/
99. Visit Susan B. Anthony’s grave, and those of several other suffragists, at Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, NY. fomh.org
100. Take a selfie with “Let’s Have Tea,” the statue depicting Susan B. Anthony and her close friend Frederick Douglass in Rochester’s Anthony Square. cityofrochester.gov
…and the list goes on.
#Celebrate100FLX
- Explore the remarkable women who called Rochester and the Finger Lakes home – as well as the women today who continue this work – at the Rochester Museum & Science Center’s new exhibit, The Change Makers, which opened October 2020. https://rmsc.org/
- Did you know that just 13% of artists with work on view in major museums are women? The Rockwell Museum in Corning is dedicating its entire year to the theme of Advancing Women – hear from star speakers and singers, and explore exhibitions featuring contemporary women artists. Plus, kids will love hands-on projects at the Art Lab inspired by women artists and makers. Learn more at https://rockwellmuseum.org/advancing-women
- Take a trip to the monument for Sa-sa-na Loft at the highest point of Evergreen Cemetery in Owego, NY to pay respects to a young Mohawk tribe member who passed away on her missionary concert series raising money to translate Bibles to the Mohawk language.
- Visit Milly’s Pantry, which continues to honor its namesake Milly Bloomquist who was a local nurse and health activist, by giving back to the children of the community living with food insecurity. https://millyspantry.org
- Waterfall at Declaration Park- A 100 foot long bluestone water feature located in Declaration Park (located between the Woman’s Rights National Historical Park Visitor Center and Wesleyan Chapel) is inscribed with the words of the Declaration of Sentiments. The Waterwall and Declaration Park provides visitors with a space to gather and reflect on these powerful words. https://nps.gov/wori/index.htm
- Experience Rochester’s burgeoning female brewing scene with a stop at both Rohrbach Brewing to meet Brewer Nikki Forster and ROC Brewing’s Assistant Brewer Ashley McCaffrey.
- Score some vinyl or vintage clothing at Record Archive, co-owned by Alayna Alderman, one of the largest record stores in the country and the first in the northeast to offer beer and wine to shoppers. https://recordarchive.com
- Attend a Books & Yoga Rochester meet up, a book club meet up that combines yoga with authors and artists of color.
