BeyondTheNest: Weekly e-newsletter for Rochester | |
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Save the Date
Fri, Mar 20: GCV&M Maple Sugar Festival 2026 at Genesee Country Village & Museum
Fri, Mar 20: The Cry of Jeremiah at Rochester Oratorio Society
Sat, Mar 21: Golden Link presents Low Lily at Golden Link Folk Singing Society
Sat, Mar 21: Ferret Fest: Spring Craft & Play Day at Furever Ferrets Sanctuary
Sat, Mar 21: Maple Weekend 2026 at Schoff's Sugar Shack
Sat, Mar 21: Dream Factory Casino Night Fundraising Event at Car Club of Rochester
Sun, Mar 22: Maple Sugaring Weekend at Cumming Nature Center of RMSC Sun, Mar 22: Brit Floyd at Rochester Broadway Theatre League (RBTL) - West Herr Auditorium Theatre Tue, Mar 24: Kimberly Akimbo at Rochester Broadway Theatre League (RBTL) - West Herr Auditorium Theatre
Sat, Mar 28: FLX REX - Finger Lakes Robotics Expo at Corning Museum of Glass
Sat, Apr 4: 2026 Riedman Foundation Trout Derby at The Riedman Fish Hatchery at Powder Mills Park Fri/Sat, Apr 24 & 25, 2026: SPACE!: Reprise of RPO April 2024 Eclipse Concert at Eastman Theatre |
Note from your publisher The calendar says spring arrives tomorrow at 10:46 am, and I'm doing my best to drag it in, even if it's coming kicking and screaming. (Maybe I'm the one kicking and screaming, at least metaphorically, as winter sticks stubbornly around.) This is the first of two Maple Weekends in New York State, one of the sweetest signs that winter is loosening its grip, so get out and experience it firsthand. The secret to a super sap
season is days where the temperature is above freezing, and nights where it's below freezing; the forecast for the next 10 days looks about perfect... at least for mapling! So head to Genesee Country Village & Museum’s Maple Sugar Festival, Maple Sugaring Weekends at Cumming Nature Center, or another local syrup event: It’s not just a sensory experience of winter-into-spring, but a marvelous reminder that trees can make breakfast. This week’s newsletter is packed with ways to get out and about beyond maple, too: theater, music, art, nature walks, hockey, a fish derby, a mystery dinner, and even Ferret Fest... which may win this week’s prize for Most Impossible to Ignore. What I love most about a lineup like this is that it offers so many different doorways into joy. Some will find theirs on a woodland trail or at a bird walk. Others will settle into theater seats, cheer at an Amerks game,
or discover a new tradition together. However you choose to spend the weekend, I hope it includes a little fresh air, a little laughter, and at least one moment that makes everyone glad they said yes. —Debra Ross, publisher
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Maple weekends 2026 are March 20-22 and March 27-29! Here is kidsoutandabout.com's list of maple events! Find maple sugaring and syrup demos, learn all about the science of tapping maple trees are great family activities in late winter in the northeast.
Here is KidsOutAndAbout.com's list of local maple syrup events.
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Gather family and friends for a sweet outdoor adventure at Genesee Country Village & Museum’s Maple Sugar Festival! The Festival takes place from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Friday - Sunday, March 20 - 22 & March 27 – 29. Now is the time to start planning for this fun event! You'll discover how maple sugaring has evolved while enjoying seasonal flavors, music, and demonstrations that bring the sights, sounds, and tastes of the season to life. Enjoy maple history, fresh pancakes and syrup, live music, handcrafted goods, hands-on activities, sweet and savory seasonal treats, storytelling, and more! ASL interpreters are available Saturday, March 28 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Buy your tickets online before Thursday at 5 p.m. and save $1 per ticket. Visit our website for more information: https://www.gcv.org/event/maple-sugar-festival/
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It’s the sweetest season of the year at CNC! Head to RMSC's Cumming Nature Center in Naples for our annual Maple Sugaring Weekends during the last two weekends in March. Enjoy a locally-sourced pancake breakfast before heading outside for tapping and boiling demonstrations on the trail.
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Please mark your calendars for Saturday, April 4 and come experience one of Monroe County’s favorite community traditions! The Powder Mills Park Fish Hatchery’s Annual Fish Derby, hosted by The Riedman Foundation, is a fun, safe, and educational event that introduces kids and families to fishing, outdoor recreation, and environmental stewardship. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just casting your first line, this long-standing tradition offers a great opportunity to reel in some fun, test your skills, and compete for prizes. Ages 9+ pay just $5 to participate, and kids 8 and under are free!
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Murder arrives at Flight Wine Bar—savor wine, food, and suspense! Step into an evening of laughs, lies, and low handicaps at the Club Championship Dinner, where celebration turns deadly.
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March 7-22 at the JCC Centerstage: Based on interviews with working-class residents of Reading, PA, a group of factory workers share laughs, drinks, and dreams of a better life until layoffs and picket lines threaten their ability to stay afloat. Originally scheduled for 2020 and cancelled due to pandemic shutdowns, this insightful, powerful, and humorous play, at last, comes to the JCC stage.
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March 19-29, 2026: The autobiographical story of one man's journey toward sobriety, told with hilarity and heart. Even with an ailing father, a marriage on the rocks, and his professional life careening out of control, Steven has a carefully constructed balancing act that keeps it all together—until it all falls apart. Told with humor, honesty, and compassion, The White Chip is about living with addiction and coming alive through recovery.
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Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park is one of the top 10 longest-running plays in Broadway history! Neil Simon’s farce about marriage is something anyone can appreciate, whether they’ve been with their partner for six days or sixty years.
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Featuring Pablo Willey-Bustos, tenor; Rev. Dr. Rickey B. Harvey Sr., narrator; Roberts Wesleyan Chorale, Carina Telesca, director; School of the Arts Concert Choir; the Rochester Oratorio Society Symphonic Chorus and Orchestra Mendelssohn’s Christus, his answer to Handel’s Messiah, thrillingly relates the Easter story through the fragments left to us at his passing. Together with “The Cry of Jeremiah,” by Rosephanye Powell, they make for a compelling and uplifting, Gospel-inspired evening. Rev Dr. Rickey Harvey narrates, with Pablo Bustos-Willey, tenor, and the ROS Orchestra. The Roberts Wesleyan Chorale will perform selections under the direction of Carina Telesca, and will join the ROS Symphonic Chorus and Orchestra to sing The Cry of Jeremiah as conducted by Maestro Townell.
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The Company Theatre of Rochester’s production of Shakespeare’s timeless JULIUS CAESAR runs March 6-22, 2026, at their 28 Lawn Street Rochester location. Performances run Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors 60+ and students, and may be purchased through The Company Theatre’s box office, www.thecompanytheatreroc.org/box-office. Special group rates for 10 or more are available by emailing info@thecompanytheatreroc.org.
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The Odyssey – Homer’s Epic poem set in Mycenaean, Greece 1200 BCE with historical costumes. ORT’s script tells the story of Odysseus’ 10-year struggle to return home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Athena disguises Odysseus as The Stranger (an elderly man) who clashes for power with Penelope’s Suitors when Odysseus reveals he has returned home to regain his power as the lawful head of his family. Many bold characters: Odysseus, Penelope, Telemachus, Nurse, 4 Suitors, Odysseus’ 6 Crew with Athena’s guidance while encountering mythical creatures: Sirens, Polyphemus (the Cyclops), Circe, Calypso, People of Troy and Wolf Maiden.
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Known for her fierce guitar work, smoky vocals, and emotionally charged performances, British blues-rock star, Joanne Shaw Taylor continues to captivate audiences worldwide with a live show that blends new material, fan favorites, and timeless blues.
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March 22, 23, and 27: Auditions for "The Odd Couple (Female Version) by Neil Simon, performed at Spotlight Studios in Fairport. Open to performers age 16 through adult in the area.
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On display through Mar 22: Image City Photography Gallery, located on University Avenue in Rochester, proudly presents RED 2026: The Power of Crimson, an exhibition exploring the emotional and compositional power of one of photography’s most compelling colors. This vibrant show demonstrates how red refuses to whisper—it announces itself. The color of heat, pulse, warning, celebration, and love, red becomes more than pigment; it becomes presence. There is no admission fee, and the Gallery is accessible to everyone.
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Head to the Montezuma Audubon Center Friday, March 20 for a late afternoon walk to see our Bald Eagles, hear and see American Woodcocks (and possibly Wilson's Snipe), and celebrate the first day of Spring, 2026.
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The Dream Factory fulfills dreams for children with critical or chronic illnesses. Join us for a night of Casino gaming with professional dealers, music, food, amazing cars to look at, cash bar, raffles and silent auction items
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Saturday, March 21: EVER WANTED TO PLAY WITH FERRETS?! Get ready for the CUTEST spring event of the season! This Saturday from 2pm-6pm at United Church of Christ, Klem Road in Webster. This isn’t just an event… it’s an EXPERIENCE, and it benefits the local animal rescue Furever Ferrets Sanctuary. Adults are $10, kids 12 and under are FREE. (Under age 2 not permitted to play in ferret area.) Pre-register today!
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Sunday afternoon Amerks game at BCA: Come cheer on the Rochester Americans as they hit the ice for another thrilling hockey matchup! With fast-paced action, fan giveaways, and an electric atmosphere, an Amerks game is the perfect way to make unforgettable memories with your kids. Don your red, white, and blue, grab some popcorn, and get ready to shout “Go Amerks!” Check out the full schedule and grab your tickets at https://amerks.com.
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Lovely local experiences are in your future! |
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