Live CHQ

Wilson Foundation and the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

LiveCHQ is intended to help individuals, professionals, businesses, families, and others learn all about the western-most county in New York State and why it’s a wonderful place to live, work, conduct business, and recreate! Live CHQ is intended to help individuals, professionals, businesses, families, and others to learn all about the western-most county in New York State and why it’s a wonderful

place to live, work, conduct business, and recreate! Our initiative is maintained by the Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG), a program of the Chautauqua Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC), and the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA) – and supported by funding from the Ralph C.

05/28/2026

You've probably driven over it a hundred times on I-86 and never stopped.

📍 Meet Stow, NY — a quiet hamlet on the western shore of Chautauqua Lake, and one of the most historically rich communities in all of Chautauqua County.

This is where the Bemus Point–Stow Ferry has been crossing the narrows since 1811. Over 210 years of continuous operation. It started when Chautauqua County granted Thomas Bemus a license to operate a crossing at the narrows — the same name on the village directly across the water.

It once saved settlers a 23-mile, multi-day journey around the lake.
Today it's one of the last cable-guided ferries still operating in the entire United States — run entirely by a group of dedicated volunteers who refuse to let this piece of American history disappear.

That kind of staying power tells you everything you need to know about this place.

Stow is quiet, residential, and genuinely on the water. No tourist strip. No crowds. Just the sound of the ferry cable pulling across the narrows and the kind of lake morning that people pay vacation money to experience — except here, it's just Tuesday.

And when you need the rest of the world, it's right there:
📍 Buffalo: ~1 hr 10 min
📍 Cleveland: ~2 hr 18 min
📍 Pittsburgh: ~2 hr 39 min
I-86 and Route 394 intersect just minutes from your front door.

At LIVE CHQ, we're telling the stories of communities like Stow — places with more history in one ferry crossing than most towns have in a century.

Your place in Chautauqua County is waiting.
📌 Explore every community at LIVECHQ.ORG

Have you ever ridden the Bemus Point–Stow Ferry?

05/27/2026

Funding from the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation (NCCF) has been a catalyst for Paint CHQ—especially in the Village of Westfield—by helping us turn a big placemaking vision into something the community can see, celebrate, and build on. NCCF’s support in 2025 strengthened our ability to recruit a professional mural talent - Dom Laporte of DRIFT Mural Co. It also helped to cover the cost of an experienced consultant in Alex Hall, who helped our team coordinate logistics and behind-the-scenes work that makes a public art project successful: thoughtful site selection, community and property-owner engagement, and event planning that invited residents and visitors to experience the process, not just the finished piece.

In Westfield, that support helped activate a highly visible public space and create a shared moment of pride during the inaugural Paint CHQ mural festival, with the village serving as a key celebration stop. The result is more than a mural—it’s a community storytelling canvas that contributes to a welcoming downtown experience, encourages foot traffic, and gives local businesses and organizations another reason to collaborate and promote Westfield as a destination.

Just as important, NCCF’s investment signals confidence in locally-driven, countywide partnerships that make arts-based economic development possible—and helps build momentum for future public art and revitalization efforts across northern Chautauqua County.

05/24/2026

🎶 Summer in Chautauqua County is music to your ears….
Literally

You’ll find plenty of live music around the Chautauqua area, whatever your style, and most events don’t charge an admission fee.

☀️ If your summer doesn’t include live music by the water, in the park, or under the stars surrounded by friends and family… you’re doing it wrong

This is your sign to stop scrolling and check out relocating to Chautauqua County.

Across Chautauqua County, live music is happening every week—from lakefront stages to small-town parks to local breweries. 🎵🍻

From sunset sets on the lake…
to music drifting through downtown parks…
to nights that turn into memories without even trying—

This is what summer sounds like here. ☀️

Send this to the friend you’re spending summer nights with 👇

05/21/2026

You've probably never heard of Lakewood, NY.
That's about to change. 🌊

A lakeside village on the southern shore of Chautauqua Lake and where the cost of living sits well below the national average and the lake is right outside your door.

🌊 Chautauqua Lake access
Public beach, boat launch, and waterfront right in the village.
Kayaking, boating, swimming, and sunsets — no membership required.

🚶 A walkable business district
A walkable main street with local restaurants, shops, and a weekly farmers market — one of the only true walkable corridors in any lakeside community in CHQ County.

📍 Minutes from Chautauqua Institution
Minutes from Chautauqua Institution — world-class arts, lectures, and live performances all summer long, without the price tag of a big city.

🚗 Access to nearby metropolitan areas:
- Buffalo: ~1 hr 29 min
- Cleveland: ~2 hr 6 min
- Pittsburgh: ~2 hr 30 min

And the community has always known its worth.
Lakewood was once a glamorous 19th-century resort destination that drew visitors from across the region.
In 1933, the village purchased the former country club property and turned it into a public beach — open to everyone.

This is what everyday life looks like in Chautauqua County — rooted, walkable, and more connected than you'd expect.

Lakewood is just one of the communities waiting for you ⬇️
Explore them all at LIVECHQ.ORG

05/19/2026

This is what it actually feels like to live in Chautauqua County. 📍

Lee Gilmore — General Manager of Electrovaya and CHQ County lifer — puts it simply:

Summers on Chautauqua Lake. Ski slopes and snowmobile trails within 30 minutes in the winter. Four seasons that actually give you something to look forward to every single time.

📍Jamestown has the energy of a real city — restaurants, events, a community that moves — but you still know your neighbors.

And the people? Welcoming doesn't even begin to cover it. 👋

Lee's words: "I'd recommend it to anyone."

At LIVE CHQ, we're sharing the stories of the people who call this place home.
📌 Explore life in Chautauqua County at LIVECHQ.ORG

05/17/2026

This one's for the person who spent Memorial Day weekend in traffic. 🚗
Or paying $40 to park.
Or wishing you lived somewhere that felt like this.

In Chautauqua County, Memorial Day weekend looks like:
🏖️ Free beaches along Lake Erie and Chautauqua Lake
⛵ Boats on the water
🎵 Live music around the county all weekend long
🌽 Farmers markets in full swing across the county
🏕️ Campgrounds packed with families under the stars
🎡 Midway State Park reopening for the season — one of the oldest continually operating amusement parks in the nation, right on the shores of Chautauqua Lake since 1898
🌳 Parks, picnics, and parades from Dunkirk to Jamestown

Not a vacation. Not a day trip. Just where you live.

🇺🇸 And on Monday, when the flags go up and the community gathers to honor the ones who gave everything — it means something here.
Because this is the kind of place that still does that.

At LIVE CHQ, we're helping people find their way to a place where Memorial Day weekend feels the way it's supposed to.

📌 Explore life in Chautauqua County at LIVECHQ.ORG
Locals — drop your Memorial Day plans below. 👇

05/14/2026

This might be one of the most unique lake communities in New York.

👋 Welcome to Cassadaga — a small village centered around the Cassadaga Lakes, known for its quiet setting, deep history, and a character you won't find anywhere else.

This is true lake living: kayaking in the mornings, fishing off the dock, boat days all summer, and a calendar full of local community events.

Named from the Seneca language and shaped by rail history, Cassadaga has always drawn people in.
That identity continues today through its connection to Lily Dale Assembly — a nationally known spiritual community that gives this place a layer of meaning and curiosity unlike anywhere else in the region.

📍And while it feels like a retreat, you're still within reach:
• Buffalo: ~56 min
• Cleveland: ~2 hr 18 min
• Pittsburgh: ~2 hr 39 min

This is the kind of place where you can slow down, without stepping away.

At LIVE CHQ, we're helping you discover communities like Cassadaga — where lifestyle, history, and connection come together.

Cassadaga is just one of the communities waiting for you.
➡️ Explore them all at LIVECHQ.ORG and find the one that fits your life.

05/10/2026

If you’ve never tried fat biking… 🚴
you’re missing out.

In Chautauqua County, riding doesn’t stop when the seasons change.
It shifts with them.

🚴 Trails in the summer.
🍁 Peak Fall Foliage through the fall.
❄️ Groomed trails in the winter.
🌷 Riding Groups that build community.

From beginner-friendly loops at Long Point State Park…
to longer miles on the Earl Cardot Eastside Overland Trail…
to more technical terrain at Boutwell Hill State Forest…

A small but consistent community keeps trails maintained, shows up week after week, and makes sure there’s always a reason to get outside.

This is what a true four-season outdoor hub looks like.

Share with us what’s your go-to trail? 🤔

05/08/2026

Most people don’t expect to find this level of arts and culture outside large metropolitan cities. 🎭 🎨

But in Chautauqua County… it’s something you can actually of every day life.

Across the county, theaters create real opportunities to perform, learn, and get involved:

📍 Chautauqua Institution — theatre, opera, music, and dance that have drawn national attention for over 100 years.

📍 The 1891 Fredonia Opera House Performing Arts Center — historic venue with live performances and film

📍 The Robert Lee Scharmann Theatre at SUNY JCC — college and community productions

📍 Lucille Ball Little Theatre of Jamestown — community theatre; home of the Junior Guilders program

📍 Lake Shore Center for the Arts — local performances and arts programming

📍 Reg Lenna Center for the Arts — concerts, film, and touring acts

📍 The Spire Theater — live performances; hosts Chautauqua’s Got Talent

But the arts here don’t stop at the stage.

🎨 Public murals continue to grow through community-driven efforts like Paint CHQ, transforming everyday spaces across the county.

🎭 Galleries, pop-up exhibits, and rotating shows give artists consistent opportunities to showcase their work year-round.

🎊 Festivals, markets, and community events bring creativity directly into everyday life.

And with new projects always in progress, the arts scene here continues to evolve.

You don’t have to search for the arts here.
You run into it. You join it. You build it.

This is a place where:
You don’t leave your passion behind.
You find more ways to use it.

Whether you’re looking to stay connected to the arts or just getting started, this is a community where you can keep creating—and keep growing.

Send this to someone who’s been looking for a place to stay in the arts 👇

05/06/2026

What if lake access didn’t come with lakefront prices?

👋 Welcome to Busti — a small community where history, location, and everyday living come together in a way that’s easy to overlook.

Rooted in history, Busti was named after Paul Busti, a key agent of the Holland Land Company responsible for overseeing the development and sale of land across Western New York in the early 1800s.

That legacy still shows up today in the area’s layout, land use, and long-standing traditions like the Busti Apple Festival. 🍎

🛶 A short drive from Chautauqua Lake, you get access to boating, fishing, and sunset nights — while still coming home to space, privacy, and more attainable pricing.

🛍️ Everything you need is close by, from essentials in Lakewood to restaurants and local spots in Jamestown.

🚗 When you need to go further, you’re still connected:
• Buffalo: ~1 hr 27 min
• Cleveland: ~2 hr 15 min
• Pittsburgh: ~2 hr 37 min

This is the kind of place where lifestyle and location start to align.

At LIVE CHQ, we’re helping you take a closer look at communities like Busti — so you can see what living here could actually look like.

📌 Explore more at LIVECHQ.ORG

05/03/2026

Something big is being painted across Chautauqua County 🎨

Not just on walls, but into the future of our communities.

Through Paint CHQ, the region’s public art movement is continuing to grow in 2026, with new mural locations already in the works and local artists being invited to help shape what comes next.

2026 Locations:
📍Bemus Point and Dunkirk
These upcoming murals aren’t just additions—they’re intentional investments in placemaking, culture, and community identity.

And what makes this even more powerful?

This isn’t art being brought in—it’s being built from within.

🧑‍🎨 Artists are being called to contribute. Visit https://www.choosechq.com/paintchq/

🏘️ Communities are being highlighted through these mural attractions.

With over 20 murals already completed across the county, you can feel the momentum.

Because this is how Chautauqua County grows:
We invest in creativity.
We invite people to be part of something.
We keep building forward.

Want to see where it’s all happening—and what’s still to come?

Grab a friend and explore the Murals of Chautauqua County with this interactive map.
🗺️ Go.CHQChamber.org

WESTFIELD MURAL
📍Grace and Abe's
Artist: Dom Laporte of DRIFT Mural Co.

SHERMAN MURAL
📍 The Cornerstone Restaurant & Bakery
Artist: Emily Ding and Justin Saurez

FALCONER MURAL
📍State Lanes in Falconer NY
Artist: Mandi Caskey, aka “Miss Birdy”

Address

Bemus Point, NY

Website

http://LiveCHQ.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Live CHQ posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Want your organization to be the top-listed Non Profit Organization in Bemus Point?