Finger Lakes Wine Festival — a 3-day weekend in Finger Lakes

The weekend, day by day

1. Day 1

   Arrive in Watkins Glen

   Land at Elmira/Corning Regional Airport (ELM), settle in and walk the old town in the afternoon. Light dinner near your accommodation — save your appetite for the festival day.

2. Day 2

   Finger Lakes Wine Festival

   Festival day — arrive early to avoid the lunchtime crowd. Insider tip: Arrive Friday evening for a quieter experience and focus on the cool-climate Riesling specialists like Fox Run and Atwater—the Finger Lakes' real strength that gets overlooked in the Malbec-obsessed wine world. Camping gets loud; book a lodge in Geneva instead and drive back.

3. Day 3

   Wine country day in Finger Lakes

   Use the third day for a single winery visit (booked ahead) and a long lunch at one of the regional addresses below before heading home.

Where to stay

Three angles for the festival window. Festival hotels book out 6+ months in advance — apartments are the contingency when the main shortlist is sold out.

• Hotels in Watkins Glen

  Live inventory around the festival window — 2 adults, all star ratings.

• 4–5 star options near Watkins Glen

  Higher-end shortlist when you want the milestone weekend treatment.

• Apartments in Watkins Glen

  Self-catering option — useful when festival hotels sell out 6+ months ahead.

Booking.com links — we may earn a commission. We never recommend hotels we wouldn't use ourselves.

One winery worth a detour

Practical

Nearest airport

Elmira/Corning Regional Airport (ELM)

Festival site

Visit official site