Top Things to Do in Oneonta This Summer
From outdoor concerts to cultural festivals, Townie has rounded up some of the best bets for fun in June, July, and August 2025
A Sunny Send-off and Your Guide for Summer Fun in Oneonta
Happy sunshine and warmth! Summer vibes are finally here. It’s time for screen doors, drinks on the back porch, and late nights outdoors. It’s also time to finally learn when the city’s yard waste collection days are. A quick search gave me the answer: Ward 2, where I live, is June 2-9 and July 7-14). Woo! I’m putting those bad boys out today.
Summer has always felt like a time of renewal. I’ve been teaching on and off since 2006, and in addition to writing Townie, I currently teach communications at SUNY Oneonta and run my marketing and PR agency, Culture Rally. With the end of the college semester and the wrap-up of a few major consulting contracts, I’m embracing some free time to visit loved ones—and taking a little hiatus from publishing Townie weekly.
My parting gift to you is a roundup of some of my top picks for fun events this summer in Oneonta. I hope to see you out and about!
Warmly (in a sundress probably),
Cassandra
*Paid subscribers: I’ll be pausing payments until I’m back to weekly issues.
Photo Credit: Ommegang Fire Pit Friday, Ommegang Facebook
Outdoor Concert Series
Summer is outdoor concert season, many of which are free for the community to enjoy. Below are options to see music on most days of the week.
Tuesdays starting July 1 are Concerts at Chez Pawkett in Oneonta’s Sixth Ward. One of the czars of the area music scene, Mark Pawkett, last summer launched the series in his backyard. There’s a suggested $10 donation for the musicians, and you can bring a blanket or lawn chair–or even a picnic–to enjoy the music. Mark invites visitors to explore his colorful home’s first floor, which is like a museum to vintage arcade games. Chez Pawkett’s summer lineup features beloved local acts like Allie Sandt, the Carrington family (Family Von Crapp), Trio Afinado, and Jump the Shark, as well as Cupid and the Cowboy. The series runs from July 1 through August 19 (with a Monday show on July 21*).
Each summer, Oneonta Parks and Rec schedules Thursday night music by the pond in Neahwa Park when listeners can simultaneously enjoy the sounds of evening baseball from Outlaws games and perennial favorite performers like the Driftwoods, Fritz’s Polka Band, and the Community Concert Band in the lineup. The Neahwa Park Summer Concert Series runs from July 10 through Aug. 28.
Ommegang’s Fire Pit Friday is a fun gathering place for craft beer and open flame lovers. Get to the Cooperstown tourist attraction early and bring a lawn chair to secure a spot for shows by crowd-pleasing acts like Scattered Flurries, Bourbon and Branch, Mopar Cams (featuring Mark Pawkett), and Becca Frame and the Tall Boys. The series runs Friday evenings from May through Oct. 24.
Across the street from Ommegang, at the newly opened Northway Brewing Hop House (in the former Red Shed Ale House), is a “Saturdays at Sundown” outdoor concert series from 6 to 8 p.m. through Oct. 4 featuring some familiar names from Ommegang’s Fire Pit Friday series. The brewery, an extension of the original Northway Brewery in Queensbury, has some weekday shows booked throughout the height of summer in July and August.
Photo by Cassandra Miller of Pridefest 2024
Otsego County Pridefest and Pride Prom
Pridefest: Saturday, June 7, 1:30 to 8 p.m., Neahwa Park, Oneonta
Pride Prom: Saturday, June 28, 7 p.m., Foothills PAC, Oneonta
Otsego Pride Alliance offers an impressive breadth of events, from teen nights to information on mental health services. One of its annual highlights is Pridefest, which is moving back to Neahwa Park this year after two Main Street block parties. This year’s event is Saturday, June 7, from 1:30 to 8 p.m. and includes the first-ever Collective Celebration of Love Ceremony that is open to everyone–couples, triads, polycules, queerplatonic folks, ethically non-monogamous folks, vow renewals, and re-commitments. OPA encourages all to join to have the biggest display of queer love. Pridefest performances will feature drag shows, comedy, dance, and the “Big Gay Wedding.” What I also love about OPA is the care they take to support the LGBTQ+ community, including directions not to photograph anyone wearing a red lanyard for privacy and safety.
This respect for individuals’ wishes is reflected in OPA’s Pride Month closing event on Saturday, June 28, Pride Prom. The theme this year is a goth “Til Death Do Us Part” https://www.facebook.com/share/15fZgJWkKt/ The event page features skeleton hands making a heart and spiders. I already have a black lace and sequin number picked out that I can’t wait to debut here. Pride Prom is open to all genders and sexual identities, ages 21+.
Oneonta Outlaws at Historic Damaschke Field
Game Schedule: June 3–July 29 | Neahwa Park, Oneonta
There’s no better way to spend a summer evening in Oneonta than catching an Oneonta Outlaws game at Damaschke Field. With tickets starting at just $2, it’s an affordable and nostalgic outing for families, baseball fans, and anyone who likes to sit outside, sip a beverage, and cheer. The Outlaws compete in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, a showcase of top-tier collegiate talent hoping to catch the eyes of pro scouts. The setting makes for a magical evening. Damaschke Field, nestled in Neahwa Park, is one of the oldest active ballparks in America, with a rich history that includes a Babe Ruth exhibition game in 1920 and decades as a farm team for the Yankees and Tigers. Legends like Buck Showalter, Bernie Williams, and John Elway once played here.
Oneonta Juneteenth Celebrations
Foothills Juneteenth Celebration: Thursday, June 19, 2025 | 1 to 5 p.m., Foothills Performing Arts Center, Oneonta
Oneonta’s Sixth Annual Juneteenth Celebration: Saturday, June 21, 2025 | Noon to 6 p.m., Neahwa Park, Oneonta
Oneonta’s sixth annual Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday, June 21, in Neahwa Park honors freedom, equality, and community. Organized by Diandra Sangetti-Daniels and a volunteer committee, this year’s event will feature yoga with Jaxin, a free community meal, performances by M.E.B. Studios, crafts, games, and artist vendors.
New this year is an additional Juneteenth celebration on Thursday, June 19, at Foothills. This family-friendly event will feature live performances by Devon LaBoy and King Konye, a Puff & Paint experience with artist Kirchelle Alston, and a showcase of local Black-owned businesses and organizations. Vendors include Junior’s Jerk Hut, sweets from Freestyle Confections, shopping from Cabral’s Caribbean Store and Mallory Brook Farms, and more. The event is free and open to all.
Al Gallodoro Stage Dedication and Music Series
Stage Dedication: Saturday, June 21, 2025 | Noon, Muller Plaza, Oneonta
Renowned saxophonist Al Gallodoro called Oneonta home for more than eight decades, and his name will live on with a stage dedicated to the musician on Main Street with a ribbon cutting at noon Saturday, June 21. Gallodoro’s grandson, Kevin Wood, led a fundraising effort in partnership with the city of Oneonta to establish the stage and allow his grandfather’s legacy to live on. The event is free, and the community is encouraged to bring lawn chairs to enjoy a lineup of live music. The stage will be put to use right away with free concerts throughout the summer on Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons from June 21 through Sept. 12.
Community Theater
Our area is rich with theatrical offerings, and they don’t slow down in the summer. Below are some shows to check out.
“Kimberly Akimbo” at Franklin Stage Company, Franklin | July 4-20
Franklin Stage Company is a professional summer stock theater that regularly features local performers and creatives. This summer, its opening show is “Kimberly Akimbo,” the original 2000 play that inspired the Tony Award-winning musical. Set in suburban New Jersey in 1999, Kimberly Akimbo follows a bright, witty teenager with a rare aging condition that makes her look decades older than she is. As Kimberly navigates high school, a chaotic home life, and the looming reality of a shortened lifespan, she finds unexpected friendship and hope. Written by David Lindsay-Abaire, this moving dark comedy was described as “profoundly funny and heartbreaking” by The New York Times. The production stars Heidi Weeks (Kimberly), an accomplished Binghamton-based performer who happens to also own one of the best vintage shops in the region, Mabel D. Orr. https://www.mabeldorr.com/
“Hamlet” at the Fenimore Museum’s Lakeside Amphitheater, Cooperstown | July 18–Aug. 14
Glimmer Globe Theatre presents “Hamlet,” Shakespeare’s classic tragedy, in a bold new production set in a gothic, expressionist world inspired by shadowy aesthetic of silent-era horror. Directed by Michael Tamburrino and staged at the scenic Lakeside Amphitheater, performances run Wednesday and Thursday evenings from July 18 to August 14. As Prince Hamlet seeks revenge for his father’s murder, he descends into a haunting spiral of grief, betrayal, and madness. Experience one of the greatest works in Western drama in a striking outdoor setting overlooking Otsego Lake. The production features some of the area’s top talent, as well as some out-of-town actors.
“The Gazebo” at Foothills Performing Arts Center, Oneonta | Aug. 1-10
Bigger Dreams Productions’ summer show is the 1950s comedy “The Gazebo,” by Alec Coppel. This fast-paced comedy, famously adapted into a film starring Debbie Reynolds and Glenn Ford, follows a Broadway actress being blackmailed over risqué photos from her youth. Her husband, a mystery writer, decides the only way out is murder. But when the blackmailer’s body refuses to stay buried under their new gazebo, chaos ensues. Add in a nosy real estate agent, a suspicious district attorney, and a few gangsters looking for their missing pal, and you’ve got a wildly funny mix of mystery, mishaps, and mistaken identities. (Full disclosure: I’m in the cast as Mrs. Chandler.)
Fortin Park Summer Fest
Summer Fest: Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025 | 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Fortin Park, Oneonta
Celebrate summer at Destination Oneonta’s second annual Fortin Park Summer Fest, a full day of family-friendly fun in one of Oneonta’s hidden gems. From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., the park will come alive with games, live music, food trucks, local craft vendors, and activities for all ages. Kids can enjoy water games, a bounce house, and hay wagon rides around the park. Princesses will also be on hand for magical meet-and-greets throughout the day. This free community event is a great way to soak up the summer sun, support local businesses, and enjoy time with neighbors and friends in a relaxed, scenic setting. Whether you're coming for the music, food, or family fun, Fortin Park Summer Fest is a great opportunity to spend one of the dog days of summer.
Photo by Cassandra Miller of Midsummer Night’s Faerie Fest 2024
Midsummer Night’s Faerie Fest
Faerie Fest: Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025 | 3 to 8 p.m., CANO Wilber Mansion, Oneonta
CANO will host its second annual Faerie Fest to soak up the last drops of summer. The historic Wilber Mansion and its surrounding grounds will be transformed into a woodland realm inspired by Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” brought to life by Megan Joubert, local artists, and youth from CANO’s Summer Arts Program. The event will feature live performances, interactive art installations, handmade goods from vendors, a faerie mimosa and beer grove, hands-on crafts (make-your-own fairy wand!), and a whimsical costume contest hosted by DOSHA. Stick around for the 21+ afterparty beginning at 8 p.m.
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