Kayaking, chartered boat tours, historic ferry crossings, waterfront golf, and a lakeside boat museum, all within a few blocks of each other in Bemus Point, NY.
Bemus Point sits at the midpoint of Lake Chautauqua in western New York, which puts a wide range of outdoor activities within easy reach. Whether you’re here for the water, the fishing, the golf, or just some time outside, the village has options across all seasons.
Rent a kayak or paddleboard from Bemus Bay Water Toys, take a private chartered cruise on One Fine Day, pick up gear or service at ROCK Marine, ride the Bemus Point-Stow Ferry across the lake, play a round at the Golf Club & Tap House, or explore the historic boat collection at The Lawson Center. All within a few blocks of each other.
Most people who spend time on the lake find it hard to leave. That’s part of what keeps visitors coming back year after year.
Summer (Jun–Aug)
Peak season — all water activities, ferry, charters, golf, and museum fully operational. Book early.
Fall (Sep–Oct)
Gorgeous foliage, quieter lake, great fishing. Golf and some water sports continue through October.
Winter (Nov–Mar)
Golf Club & Tap House open year-round. Ice fishing and snowshoeing for the adventurous.
Spring (Apr–May)
Lake comes back to life — early fishing, kayak season starts, venues begin reopening Memorial Day.
Bemus Bay Water Toys offers kayak, paddleboard, and water toy rentals right on the Bemus Point waterfront. A good starting point for getting out on Lake Chautauqua at your own pace.
A lakeside golf course and tap house on Main Street in Bemus Point, open year-round. Play a round, then stop in for something from the kitchen and a drink. A good spot for a morning round or a late-afternoon gathering.
One of the oldest continuously operating ferries in North America, the Bemus Point-Stow Ferry has been carrying passengers across Lake Chautauqua since the 1870s. It’s a short, scenic crossing between the villages of Bemus Point and Stow, and a well-known part of the Lake Chautauqua experience.
The Lawson Center is a nationally recognized small craft boat museum and community gathering space on the shores of Lake Chautauqua in Bemus Point. It holds a collection of historic wooden boats and small watercraft, open Memorial Day through Labor Day.
One Fine Day Boat Charter offers private lake cruises departing from Long Point State Park, available for sightseeing, special occasions, sunset cruises, and group outings. Contact Captain Paul directly for scheduling.
ROCK Marine carries marine products, handles boat sales, and provides on-the-water service for Lake Chautauqua boaters. Open May through October.
The official business directory and community guide for Bemus Point, NY — operated by the Bemus Point Business Association on the shores of Lake Chautauqua.
The table everyone in Bemus Point is trying to get this summer. 🍝
Trattoria Partenope on the Lake opened this summer right on Chautauqua Lake at 61 Lakeside Drive. And it is bringing something completely new to the village.
Owners Giovanni and Andrea grew up in Naples, Italy. Trained in London. And brought that culinary background straight to the shores of Chautauqua Lake. Homemade pasta. Wood-fired pizza. Fresh seafood. A raw bar with oysters. Craft cocktails and fine wines. Everything made from scratch in house.
The kind of place that makes a Tuesday night feel like a special occasion.
This is the kind of restaurant that gives you a reason to plan the whole day around dinner.
Have you been yet?
Tell us your favorite dish in the comments. 👇
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TAG US @VisitBemusPoint | @trattoria.partenope | Bemus Point | Chautauqua Lake | Waterfront Dining WNY | Italian Restaurant Chautauqua Lake | Lakeside Dining NY | New Restaurant WNY | Things To Do Bemus Point | WNY | Upstate NY | Summer 2026
Summer Fest is back in Bemus Point.
August 1 & 2. And the whole village is showing up. 🌊
The weekend gets an early start on Friday, July 31 with the Bemus Point Farmers Market. Grab a coffee from Lake Life Café, shop local, and ease into one of the best weekends of the summer.
Saturday brings the Bemus Point Pickleball Tournament, along with the Bemus Point Library Book & Yard Sale, the Bemus Point Historical Society Outdoor Yard Sale, and the Lawson Center’s first-ever Boat Shop Open House with free museum admission.
All weekend long, Village Park is the place to be.
🍗 The Village Casino will be serving its famous chicken wings.
🍷 Merritt Winery is making its Summer Fest debut with wine slushies.
🍺 Grab a cold drink from the beer tent, where 100% of the proceeds benefit the Bemus Point Volunteer Fire Department.
🎨 Kids can enjoy face painting on Sunday.
⛴️ Hop aboard the Bemus Point-Stow Ferry for pirate-themed rides across Chautauqua Lake.
🎶 Live music fills the park all weekend.
Saturday: Taylor Remaid | 5–9 PM
Sunday: GoldiRocks | 1–4 PM
While you’re here, be sure to explore the rest of the village. Local shops will be featuring Summer Fest sales and specials, restaurants will have great food and drinks all weekend long, and there’s plenty to discover around every corner.
Two days. One village.
The kind of weekend that makes summer feel like summer.
Tag who you’re spending Summer Fest weekend with in Bemus Point. 👇
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TAG US @VisitBemusPoint | @thevillagecasino | Bemus Point | Chautauqua Lake | Summer Fest 2026 | WNY | Upstate NY | Lake Life | Things To Do WNY | Summer Events | Chautauqua County | Weekend Getaway | Summer 2026
Around the corner of Main Street in Bemus Point, there is a whole creative corner of the village that rewards the people who find it. 📍
🎨 Lakeside Arts and Furniture is an 1,800 square foot art studio and shop where hand-painted furniture sits next to original artwork, jewelry, and home décor. Classes for adults and kids run all summer. Watercolors, acrylics, paint and sip. Art-themed birthday parties for families who want something hands-on and memorable.
🏺Bemus Point Pottery is a working studio where pieces are made on site. You can pick something from the shelves or design a custom piece from scratch. Local jewelry, soaps, and home accents fill the rest of the space. Give yourself time in here.
🌷 Petals and Twigs Gifts & Children’s Shoppe has been part of this village for 20+ seasons. Chautauqua Lake apparel, children`s toys and books, canvas bags, garden finds, and the kind of gifts that actually feel like Bemus Point. Two shops in one storefront and something for everyone in the family.
📍 All three are waiting on Alburtus Ave.
Which one are you walking into first?
Sorry. I can not today…..
I have therapy 🌊
Drinks that take two hours because nobody wants to leave the patio.
A line outside the ice cream shop that is somehow worth every minute.
Walking down Main Street with no reason to hurry.
📍Bemus Point is that kind of place.
The kind that slows everything down without asking permission.
Tag someone who needs this kind of afternoon. 👇
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TAG US @VisitBemusPoint | Bemus Point | Chautauqua Lake | Lake Life | WNY | Upstate NY | Summer 2026 | Seasonal Life | Things To Do WNY | Weekend Getaway | Chautauqua County | Lake Life NY
Nobody told you there was a boutique in Bemus Point carrying Z Supply, Alo Yoga, Nee Dohs. 🛍️
And now we are telling you…. It’s time to visit @githreads
The kind of store where you find your new favorite outfit for dinner on the lake AND a gift to bring back home that actually makes someone`s day.
New arrivals coming in every single day. Every visit, something new.
Tag who you are planning a shopping trip to Bemus Point with. 👇
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TAG US @VisitBemusPoint | @githreads | Bemus Point | Chautauqua Lake | Boutique Shopping | Alo Yoga | Barefoot Dreams | WNY | Upstate NY | Shop Local | Lake Life | Summer 2026 | Bemus Point Shopping
Five reasons we love Bemus Point. And why people keep coming back summer after summer.
🌅 The sunsets over Chautauqua Lake are the kind that stop conversations mid-sentence.
🎶 Live music drifts through the village Thursday through Saturday. From the Village Casino waterfront to the EBC deck to the Bemus Point Golf Club & Tap House. You do not have to go looking for it. It finds you.
🎥 Movies in the Park on Wednesdays under the summer stars. Kids in lawn chairs. Families spread out on blankets. The kind of evening that becomes the memory that lasts long after summer ends.
🌊 Chautauqua Lake on a summer afternoon. Boats out. Water warm. Nowhere else any of you need to be.
And the village itself. Main Street alive. Familiar faces. The feeling of a place that genuinely loves having you here.
Meet us in the middle. 🌊
Send this to someone who has never been to Bemus Point.
It is time they knew.
Some mornings in Bemus Point call for a slow start. Lake Life Café on Main Street is exactly that. ☕
Sustainable gourmet coffee. Smoothies. Breakfast sandwiches. Wraps. Salads. The kind of menu that works whether you are fueling up for a full day on Chautauqua Lake or just looking for a reason to sit down and exhale.
Order the Frozen Lake Life Latte. The Turkey Brie Cranberry on focaccia if you are staying a while. Find a seat inside where it is quiet and comfortable, or head out to the patio where the kids can play cornhole and board games while you actually finish a conversation.
Open 7 days a week.
Mon through Fri 7 AM to 2 PM. Sat and Sun 8 AM to 2 PM.
📍 22 Main St, Bemus Point, NY
What is your go-to order at Lake Life Café? 👇
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TAG US @VisitBemusPoint | @lakelifecafe | Bemus Point | Chautauqua Lake | Coffee Shop WNY | Breakfast Bemus Point | Lake Life | Café Upstate NY | Things To Do Bemus Point | WNY | Summer 2026 | Chautauqua County
Your next weekend getaway is 1.5 hours from Buffalo. 2.5 hours from Pittsburgh. 2 hours from Cleveland. And it is called Bemus Point. 🌊
Chautauqua Lake is waiting.
And this village has the kind of weekend that actually feels like you went somewhere.
Wake up to lake views from your Airbnb. Grab coffee at Lake Life Café. Spend the morning on a pontoon from Bemus Bay Water Toys. Lunch on the patio at the Village Casino with the water right in front of you. Walk the village strip. End the night with live music and a cold drink.
Bringing the kids?
Midway State Park runs rides on the weekends. Alpacaville has farm tours that genuinely surprise everyone. And a Perry`s cone from Bemus Point Market is basically a Bemus Point rite of passage.
You can be here in time for Friday dinner.
Swipe through for the full guide. ⏩
Where are you driving from?
Drop your city in the comments. 👇
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TAG US @VisitBemusPoint | Bemus Point NY | Chautauqua Lake | Weekend Getaway | Staycation 2026 | Weekend Trip from Buffalo | Weekend Trip from Pittsburgh | WNY | Upstate NY | Family Weekend Getaway | Lake Life | Chautauqua County | Summer 2026
