Things to Do in Auburn

The photogs behind Premierbooth spice up celebrations and social gatherings with an expansive, wheelchair accessible photo booth that can house up to 20 partygoers. The booth’s SLR digital camera captures high-resolution images, which promptly spit out of its companion and occasional nemesis, a lab-quality photo printer. Much of the booth is customizable for the host and their guests—from photo layouts and booth-size to silly props and an HD display that allows you to see yourself while you pose.

At CNY EQ, head trainer Nicolle Madonna guides students through a specialized training program while paying attention to individual needs. Using her 21 years of experience as a competitive rider, Nicolle identifies the strengths of each pupil, helping them cement the basics of classic equitation before focusing on the style best suited to them. As part of her focus on showmanship, many of Nicolle's protégés go on to compete for top ribbons around New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey as part of the CNY EQ Team. She also leads private and group lessons for equestrians of all ages, allowing trainees to translate horses' Morse-code clops at their own pace.

Enclosed by the dense circle of trees that surrounds Oneida Lake, Stone’s Marina Kayak Club seems so far removed from the bustling life of the city that one might never guess it’s just down the road from Syracuse. The marina’s staff equip kayakers of all levels with life vests and paddles before guiding them into the waters that lap gently at the lake’s shoreline. Before sending first-time paddlers off to explore the lake, they dole out lessons in steering and proper safety etiquette, such as keeping two hands on the paddle and never picking up hitchhiking crocodiles. In addition to their fleet of kayaks, the marina also furnishes visitors with pavilions, grills, and campsites for multiday excursions.

Built in 1993 by owner Neil Comstra, Eagle Ridge Driving Range has since expanded from a practice facility to a fun center with mini-golfing and go-karting action. While putting guests try their hand at the 18-hole mini-golf course, players rehearsing teeoffs on the 300-yard driving range can take aim at a 1963 Volkswagen Beetle and the mechanic trying to start it. Guests can transition to a different kind of driving by hopping into a single- or double-seated go-kart for a spin around the oval slick track. In between races, range time, and mini-golf games, youngsters can continue playing in an oversized sandbox or join adults on the facility's picnic tables or in the shade of a custom-built gazebo.

When he was still a college student, Kevin Kretschmer answered an ad in the local newspaper for a whitewater-rafting guide on the rivers around Syracuse. More than 30 years later, he now owns the company and operates his river tours with the mission of giving others a chance to see the area's scenic beauty. His diverse team of guides—some schoolteachers, some farmers, some factory workers, and some college students—helps paddlers navigate rapids on three rivers while hunkered into six-person inflatable rafts. Together they navigate the calmer Class I and Class II waters of Letchworth State Park, the raging Class II and Class III rapids of the Salmon River, and the passive-aggressive Class III and Class IV segments of Cattaraugus Creek. Guides commence each trip far upstream, allowing rafters to find a rhythm before surmounting the rapids.

In the brick-lined subterranean showroom of Wise Guys Comedy Club & 201 Bistro, nationally touring rib ticklers ply their craft. The intimate comedy den comfortably seats up to 110 revelers and allows for prime viewing of top-notch comedians from every angle. Tableside cocktail service allows guests to stay seated throughout the shows, and Wise Guys doesn’t require standard drink minimums. The bar beckons with sterling woodwork and bar-side tarot-card readings. Before or after the side-splitting comedy shows, 201 Bistro satisfies guests with a hearty menu of steak, pasta, and seafood entrees.