Things to Do in Oneida

In an effort to ignite the creative spirits of the Adirondack area’s residents, View regularly hosts events and activities focused on and inspired by the fine arts. Workshops center around hands-on instruction in various artistic mediums, such as woodworking, jewelry making, and photography. The organization’s calendar also features performances, exhibitions, and special events ranging from antiques shows to waterfront house tours done atop party barges or herds of saddled alligators. Located in Old Forge, View’s new 28,000-square-foot LEED-certified building serves as a hub for the group’s activities, housing fine arts studios, exhibition galleries, and a performance hall.

For more than a decade, Raven Helicopter's pilots have dazzled skyborne passengers with stunning vistas seen during aerial tours and chartered flights. During each journey, a certified pilot deftly ferries passengers through the skies in a striking, streamlined R66 turbine helicopter, outfitted with a wraparound bubble canopy for easy viewing of scenic landscapes, and a cargo hold for carrying skis, golf clubs, and other, smaller helicopters. Guests drink in the idyllic forests, hills, and lakes of the region as they snap pictures or roll film for posterity.

Located in central New York, just off New York State Thruway exit 40, midway between Rochester and Syracuse, sonorous moos and sloshing tins of milk once echoed across this idyllic nine-hole course, which James and Dee Ball converted from their family dairy farm in 1968. Since then, Meadowbrook Golf Club has seen a slew of proprietors, each of whom have added their own distinct touch by installing automatic watering, improving the drainage system, or building a 40’x80’ pole barn to house equipment and botched Dorf clones.

In May 2008, PGA golf professional Trey Walewski and his wife, Tina, took over the Meadowbrook. The golf club remains a family owned and operated business with Trey and Tina, and their daughters, Taylor and Sydney, taking on the operations of the course, practice facilities, pro shop, and bar and grill.

Awarded Best Martial Arts School in the Family Times' 2012 Besties Awards, Five Star Martial Arts teaches kids and parents alike the rapid-fire movements of martial arts. During youth programs, students aged 4 and older build stamina, dexterity, and intelligence through disciplined instruction at the hands of seasoned masters. Alongside typical belt rankings, badges and stars reward younger students as they master flurries of kicks and punches. Adult students find their own fitness rewards during cardio kickboxing, which blends an international potpourri of martial arts moves with calisthenic and aerobic foundations to form an explosive full-body workout that targets and tones major muscle groups across the body.

Trainers pair their fitness expertise with motivational attitudes, working one on one with students to help them on their path towards achieving personal wellness goals. Sharing schedule space with Zumba fitness sessions, classes unfold within Five Star Martial Arts' recently expanded studio. There, new equipment and installations including a Tumbl Trak, a massive foam pit, and a collection of polyplus climbing ropes help trainers add complex gymnastics-inspired exercises to their already sizable arsenal of workouts.

Twenty-one runs streak across the Toggenburg Mountain Winter Sports Center trail map, furnishing skiers and snowboarders with ample real estate to perfect swerves and test nerves in the crisp high country air. Five lifts—two doubles, a triple, and a pair of beginner rope tows—hoist snowy revelers to the top of runs such as the black diamond Oh My Goat, the blue square Angora Alley, and the green circle Capricorn Caper, as well as two terrain parks. Here, a gantlet of rails, boxes, and tables not only give daredevils the chance to show off their aerial acrobatics, but also provide a rough idea of what it would be like to wear skis into a furniture store. First-timers and skiers in need of a refresher can sign up for snow school, where expert instructors illuminate proper technique during private, semiprivate, and group lessons.

Off the mountain, Chilly Choices ski shop keeps skiers and snowboarders warm on the outside with hats, gloves, goggles, and apparel. Meanwhile the Foggy Goggle and Toggenburg Cafeteria keep them warm them on the inside with toasty eats such as braised tenderloin tips and pizza.

When Utica Zoo opened its gates 98 years ago, three fallow deer comprised its entire animal population. Today, visitors can traipse the zoo's walking trails to view more than 200 animals, including alligators, bald eagles, zebras, and an African lion. The zoo also provides a safe haven for threatened species such as snowy owls and mexican spider monkeys. Staff members guide tours and conduct presentations, allowing visitors to get a close look at animals.