Welcome to the quickest way to learn the week’s most exciting local events. This weekly event round-up is sponsored by The Ithaca Convention and Visitors Bureau.


Hidden Figures

Three brilliant African-American women at NASA — Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson — serve as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation’s confidence, turned around the Space Race and galvanized the world.

Location: Cornell Cinema

Date: 4/13/2017-4/16/2017

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Sleeping Beauty

The Ithaca Ballet presents “Sleeping Beauty” directed by Cindy Reid and with music by Peter Ilyitch Tchailkovsky.

Location: State Theatre

Date: 4/14/2017-4/15/2017

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Zero Ground Given

Cornell University and Ithaca College present the third installment of Ithaca’s premier hip hop festival: Zero Ground Given! With dance workshops, a dance competition, and a community showcase event centered on hip hop, Zero Ground Given was created to teach people about the various aspects of hip hop culture.

Location: Center Ithaca

Date: 4/14/2017-4/15/2017

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The Sweeter Side

Chocolate lovers rejoice! Indulge in your sweet tooth during Treleaven’s Sweeter Side featuring How Sweet It Is 607‘s delectable treats paired with world-class wines. The sweets menu will include mini macarons, bite-sized brownies, mini cupcakes and more.

Location: Treleaven Winery

Date: 4/15/2017

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Families on Foot

Join Adventurer of the Year Jennifer Pharr Davis, her husband Brew, and their kids Charley and Gus as they celebrate hiking and the launch of their new book, Families on Foot. Come learn about the launch of IthacaTrails.org and go for a hike along the Black Diamond Trail.

Location: The Space @ GreenStar

Date: 4/17/2017

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Ithaca College Startup Business Plan Demo Day

Students with fully formed plans for launching a business, and those who have recently launched, will have the opportunity to pitch to seasoned entrepreneurs for a share of $18,000 in cash for their business. Who will have the best plans? What great ideas are students working on? Come and be a part of the audience to find out and cast your vote for the Audience Choice award!

Location: Rev Ithaca Startup Works

Date: 4/18/2017

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Ithaca Fringe Festival

The 4th Annual Ithaca Fringe Festival will be showcasing the comedies, dramas, solo shows, full-length plays and short plays from around the country. A fringe is an experience unto itself, a collection of disparate acts coming together to create a mosaic of performing art that you just can’t find anywhere else. This is an experience you won’t want to miss!

Location: Downtown Ithaca

Date: 4/20/2017-4/23/2017

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Ithaca Pan Asian American Film Festival

The Third Annual Ithaca Pan Asian American Film Festival hopes to showcase the beauty and diversity of the Asian American experience and encourage audiences to rethink their ideas about race, agency and ideologies.

Location: Cinemapolis

Date: 4/20/2017-4/22/2017

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Polydactyl Cats in Ithaca

Ithaca is famous for its concentration of polydactyl cats, or cats with extra toes. If you do not own such a cat, you may have seen one or two wandering down the street or in a local SPCA center. Dr. Bruce Kornreich from Cornell Feline Health Center will provide insights into the history and genetics of this local anomaly.

Location: The History Center

Date: 4/22/2017

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25th Annual Wine and Herb Festival

Drink. Eat. Garden. Repeat. As you savor herb-prepared cuisine, you’ll be offered a wine that compliments that dish and be able to take home the recipes, so that you can be the highlight at your next get together. Collect the potted herbs and veggies featured in all 16 food samples.

Location: Cayuga Lake Wine Trail

Date: 4/28/2017-4/30/2017 AND 5/5/2017-5/7/2017

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The Weekly Gem

The weekly gem will highlight a special Ithaca location that the Ithaca & Tompkins County Visitor’s Center thinks you really need to see!

Madeline’s Restaurant

At Madeline’s, their unique approach to Modern Asian cuisine results in a simplified elegance through distinctive and high quality ingredient combinations. Whether you prefer seafood, chicken, steak, or vegetarian dishes, Madeline’s has something to please everyone in your party. The menu embodies the unique fusion of East and West with alluring fare representing Thai, Cambodian, Korean and Japanese cuisine in an American/European style. And of course, no trip to Madeline’s would be complete without a visit to the dessert case.

Mike Blaney is the executive director and co-founder of The Ithaca Voice.