Things to do, places to eat, shows to see, places to stay in Madison County, NY      

It's live theater and a ton of fun for everyone at the Palace Theater in Hamilton.  Every school had its share of wild and crazy characters who added color, fun and excitement to the school’s activities. On Saturday, March 13, the Great Lake’s Production of Westside High Reunion presents an entertaining evening with the zaniest group of alumni you’ll ever meet—Principal Francis Baal, at high school since he was a teenager; Porter Thomas, a teacher who still thinks he has what it takes to entertain the women; Carolyn Tease Thomas, a woman who enjoys a cocktail now and now; the “Pink Petticoat Sorority Sisters”; Ruth Jackson a.k.a. Kenya who always shares her political beliefs; Dave Davidson, polished alumni running for office; and Bennett and Jerry, buddies since high school still trying to make a difference.
Dine, dance, and be merry as you reunite with “classmates” for this hilarious dinner theater at the best high school reunion ever! The dinner theater is catered by the Colgate Inn offering a delectable buffet which includes the main course, dessert, coffee and tea. A cash bar with wine and beer is available throughout the evening. The ticket prices, $30 for seniors 60+ and $35 for everyone else, includes the show, dinner, dessert, coffee, tax and tip.
Arrive for cocktails at 6pm to mingle with your “classmates”. The show and buffet begin at 7pm. Seating is cabaret style, with tables for ten, and may be reserved for a group or shared as you get “reacquainted” with fellow classmates.
The audience is invited (but not mandated, remember you are out of school now, so the principal can’t yell at you anymore…) to add to the fun and come dressed representing the year of your graduation, for example: poodle skirts for the 50’s, mini-skirts or hippie-style for the 60’s and 70’s, polyester suits for the 80’s! High School should have been this much fun!
The Palace Theater is located at 19 Utica Street, in historic downtown Hamilton within easy walking distance of free parking, boutiques and casual dining.  The performing arts center is an intimate environment to enjoy a great show and taste delicious locally baked desserts in our café. Tickets are non refundable. Please visit www.palacetheater.org or phone 315.824.1420 for more information about Westside High Reunion, the remainder of the 2009-2010 season, or to order tickets.

Skiing can be hard on the wallet, but this winter when you stay at select inns and B&B's in Madison County, you can ski all day long at Toggenburg in Fabius for $25.  Great country inns such as the Brewster Inn or Brae Loch Inn in Cazenovia headline this special, but there is a price point available for every family.  Other participating accommodations include Graziano's World Famous Inn, The Lincklaen House, The Octagon B&B, Colgate Inn and Notleymere Cottage.  You won't find a better way to save money on the slopes this season.  All of the details can be found here.

Many downtown merchants in Hamilton will be keeping their doors open late this Friday night.  Maxwell's, Adventure Bikes and Boards, Steph, and more will keep their doors open until at least 7pm to give you a chance to get some local holiday shopping taken care of.  This is your chance to finish off those shopping lists and support small businesses.  The same merchants will be doing the very same thing on the 18th as well.

The following story was submitted to us b

HAMILTON – The rise of big box stores – huge corporate chain stores – and online shopping sources are threatening the very existence of Main Street shops across the country. While many towns in Southern Madison and Chenango counties have only a smattering of locally owned stores, Hamilton’s downtown has a healthy string of retail, grocery, hardware, office supply, and food and beverage establishments. But do they have the patronage and financial strength to stay in business?
Leslie Yacavone, owner/operator of the Peppermill kitchen and gourmet store on Madison Street says that just being there for out-of-town visitors isn’t enough.
“There is a perception that smaller stores have higher prices,” said Yacavone, “but that really isn’t true. We have so many things that local people need at prices that are still affordable.”
According to the Census Bureau, “mom and pop” shop owners account for about 70% of all US businesses, but these corner stores or home-based businesses are under constant attack from sources that sometimes don’t even realize the damage they are causing. The biggest offender? The average consumer.
Dave Palmer, who works at Curtis Lumber, appreciates that people choose to shop there rather than driving to chain building supply stores up to 30 miles away.
“Shopping around here keeps our local economy going,” said Palmer, “and you save time and gas. Besides, the sales tax is 8% in Hamilton and 8.75% in Oneida County.”
Joan Prindle, a member of the Hamilton Historical Commission who works at the public library, believes that local businesses often come up with creative solutions based on caring for their customer.
“There is a feeling of responsibility and a level of customer service in a mom and pop shop that is different than a chain store,” said Prindle.
Elder Silva is chef/partner at La Iguana Restaurant on Broad Street in Hamilton. He said that when you focus on independently owned businesses, you focus on the community.
“We are trying to work with local farms and producers, to meet the needs of the people around here,” said Silva. “We do get customers who drive or walk by and come in, but our everyday customers are the ones who live here. If we help them, they help us. It is the community’s cycle.”
Hamilton residents Bill and Carolyn Todd were out riding their bikes recently, on their way home from Wayne’s Market after doing some shopping.
"We’ve decided not to patronize the large grocery chain because we prefer to buy from local establishments,” said Bill Todd. “We’re buying from the weekend farmers’ markets (being tested at various locations around Hamilton), local farms, and the Hamilton Whole Foods store. We’ll be able to get through part of the winter with a produce box that we got from Common Thread - our community supported agriculture (CSA) farm.”
Carolyn Todd, who was recently was elected to the Hamilton Town Council feels that supporting local businesses is the right thing to do.
“We know that if we don’t support local businesses, they won’t stay here,” she said, “and we want this to be a self-sufficient community with local shopping options, local commerce and banking, and services. We want that to be here.”
Local merchants may not regularly stock an item that you need but may be able to special order it from their suppliers. Giving them the chance to do so goes a long way, said Yacavone, who is happy to order things that her customers are looking for.
“There are big chain stores that claim to offer one-stop shopping and cheap prices, but they won’t have the unique items or high quality products that you’ll find in the smaller shops,” says Yacavone. Buying better quality products will also save in the long run when you don’t have to frequently replace inexpensive, low quality items.
Hamilton’s Village stores and businesses are important cogs in the wheel of a healthy and sustainable local economy. Local business owners contribute to local fundraising and provide jobs to residents. Through efforts like the Hamilton Business Alliance, local businesses work to support each other.
“In today's economy everyone is interested in getting the best prices and saving money,” said Pamela Haight, former owner of Cranberries, a gift and interior store which was located in the village of Hamilton. Now, Haight works out of her home doing interior design.  “People are willing to travel far out of their way, spending time and fuel, to try to get the best deal but they may not realize that they could have purchased the same item locally at a comparable price, with the added benefit of personal service and keeping their community thriving.”
Small local suppliers may not always be able to compete with large retailers in price but in service and flexible return and warranty policies, they offer something much more valuable in the long run: a quality of life that all of us will miss when it is no longer available. Shop Mom and Pop, or they may not be around when you need them.

The fourth and final installment of the Tastes of New York State features Madison County once again.  This webisode shows off winter activities across that state and at the 5:42 mark of the video Madison County is featured.  They visited Critz Farms, Nelson Farms, the village of Hamilton and had dinner at the Copper Turret.  Check it out!