Rochester This Week – 8/4/26
Lake Ontario nostalgia, farm-market picnic finds, and Thunderbirds overhead—plan this week's day trips around Rochester.
Debi’s Field Notes
Sunday gave me a satisfying combination of movies, family, and a familiar local restaurant. I saw The Odyssey at Tinseltown, then met my in-laws for dinner at Flaherty’s Three Flags Inn in Honeoye Falls.
Tonight, my sister and I are heading to the Dryden Theatre at the George Eastman Museum for a special screening of Jesus Christ Superstar. Ted Neeley, who starred as Jesus in the 1973 film, will be there for the remastered presentation. My sister and I share a love for musicals from the 1970s and ’80s, including Hair, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Xanadu, so this feels like an especially fitting night out for us. We’ll resist the urge to sing along, I promise!
By Friday, I’ll be listening for airshow practice flights from my office near the airport. Saturday’s plans will depend on the rain, but I’m hoping to make my way to both Brockport and Olcott. I’m leaving Sunday open for reading and time with family—a little breathing room at the end of a full week.
A Lakeside Throwback, One Quarter at a Time
Olcott Beach has the easy rhythm of an old-fashioned Lake Ontario getaway. Ride the vintage attractions at Olcott Beach Carousel Park, browse the colorful cottages along the Lakeview Village Shoppes, explore the replica lighthouse, and leave time for a swim at Krull Park.
Follow Route 18 to Olcott Beach →
Pack a Farm-Fresh Picnic
August brings one of the widest selections of locally grown food to Rochester-area farm markets and roadside stands. Blueberries are still available at some farms, while sweet corn, tomatoes, peaches, and other late-summer favorites are arriving. You may also find local cheeses, fresh juice, baked desserts, and other picnic-ready treats.
Instead of planning the entire menu before leaving home, consider stopping at a farm market and letting what is freshest shape the meal.
Find a farm market along your route →
Find Water, Shade, and a Place to Stay Awhile
My favorite picnic spots usually have the same qualities: a table, beautiful scenery, nearby water, some shade, and a little privacy. This collection includes 30 places around Rochester, each with a map link to help you find the table.
Keep in mind that picnic tables can be moved or removed, so it never hurts to have a blanket or chairs in the car.
Featured Event
Thunderbirds Over Rochester
Rochester International Airshow
Sat–Sun | Aug 8–9
The USAF Thunderbirds headline two days of aerial performances at Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport. The lineup also includes the USMC F-35B Lightning II, US Army Golden Knights, Rick Volker-Marchetti, Trevor Rafferty, Class of ’45, and the Commemorative Air Force P-51 Red Tail with the RISE ABOVE exhibit.
Insider tip: Friday, August 7, is practice day, when performers run through the schedule and make their test flights. If I learn more about the timing, I’ll be sure to share it. In the meantime, the moment I hear a Thunderbird roar past my office window, I’m heading outside!
Photo courtesy of the Rochester International Airshow
More Happening This Week
The Pageant of Steam runs Wednesday through Saturday in Canandaigua, with operating antique machinery, equipment parades, tractor pulls, demonstrations, and live music. Friday brings the 121st FGAS German Festival to Spencerport and Nitro Circus Live to ESL Ballpark. On Saturday, the Avon Rotary Corn Festival fills Genesee Street with food, craft vendors, games, and live music, while the Brockport Arts Festival brings artists, makers, food, music, and family activities to Main Street on Saturday and Sunday.
Find more ways to fill the week →
Pay Attention to What Is Here Now
Late summer has a way of reminding us that many of the best day-trip experiences are temporary. Blueberries ripen for a few short weeks. Farm stands change from one visit to the next. A warm evening by the lake gradually gives way to an earlier sunset.
We do not need to chase every possibility before the season changes. We only need to notice the one in front of us. The space between leaving home and returning is full of small details—a roadside stand, a shady picnic table, the breeze coming off the water. Paying attention is what turns an ordinary afternoon into part of the story we carry home.
See you out there,
Debi
Books by Debi Bower
