If you want dinner in Bemus Point on a Tuesday in November, where can you actually go? Lakeside Drive looks the same as it did in August. Most of the lights that were on in August are off now, though, and the places still open are a short list.
Ellicottville Brewing's Bemus Point location closed for the year on Saturday, October 24. On its Bemus Point page, the brewery said it would "close out our season on October 24th" and reopen next spring. Going by the schedule it posted for October, the last stretch was already short: closed Monday through Wednesday, with afternoon and evening hours Thursday through Sunday. That closing marks the end of the lake season. From now until Light Up the Point on November 28, the village calendar centers on one building above the bay rather than on the waterfront.
The lake side is shutting down
The lake-season businesses each say when their season ends or when they'll be back, and most of the return dates are far off.
- Ellicottville Brewing, Bemus Point: last day was October 24, 2026. It reopens in spring.
- Splash: the Splash website says it's closed for the season and will be back in May 2027.
- The Village Casino: the Bemus Point Business Association directory lists it as open May through October, so its season runs out with the month.
- Bemus Point–Stow Ferry: the ferry's website says the 2026 season is over and its 216th season begins May 28, 2027.
The county visitors bureau describes the same pattern for the village overall. Most Bemus Point shops and restaurants open in early May and stay open at least through Fall Fest in September, and some stay open all year. That "some" is the group that matters between now and spring.
Who says "year-round" in writing
Several places say outright that they don't close for the season.
| Place | What it says about winter | Seasonal limit |
|---|---|---|
| Bemus Point Golf Club & Tap House | Calls itself a year-round dining and community destination | The public golf course is seasonal and depends on the weather |
| Guppy's Restaurant & Tavern | Heated gondola dining open all year | None stated |
| The Hotel Lenhart guest houses | Available to rent year-round | The main hotel building is closed for renovation |
The Tap House separates its restaurant, which runs all year, from its golf course, which stops when the weather turns. Guppy's says its heated gondola dining is open all year, and the county visitors bureau listing says "OPEN ALL YEAR" too.
Lake Life Café posts daily hours of 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and notes that the kitchen may close an hour early. The café doesn't say whether those hours hold through the winter, so check before you count on it for a December breakfast.
Several other places took part in Fall Fest this year with fall menus, specials or drinks, according to The Villager's September Fall Fest report: Bemus Point Inn, Bemus Point Market, Coppola's Pizzeria, Guppy's, Lake Life Café and the Tap House. Taking part in Fall Fest doesn't commit a business to a November schedule, so call ahead to any of them that haven't posted winter hours.
The calendar runs through the Tap House
Most of the village's late-fall dates begin at the Tap House. These are the dates left on the calendar before December:
- Friday, October 30. The Tap House is holding a Halloween party with DJ Felix and a costume contest, according to the Tap House events calendar.
- Saturday, October 31, 5 to 9 p.m. Trick-or-treat in Bemus Point starts and ends at the Tap House, which plans a children's menu and seasonal food and drink specials for the night.
- Wednesday, November 25, 6 to 9 p.m. On Thanksgiving Eve, Shenanigans plays live music at the Tap House.
- Saturday, November 28, 5 p.m. Light Up the Point falls on Small Business Saturday. The evening includes a parade, the village tree lighting, Santa arriving by firetruck, caroling, hot dogs and hot chocolate, according to the visitors bureau event listing.
In the summer, events spread across the village. This fall, three of the four dates are anchored at a single year-round restaurant, and the fourth is a village-wide holiday night. With Splash and the ferry closed and the Village Casino's season ending with October, the busy season's gathering places go dark. The places still open are the ones hosting.
A first winter on Lakeside Drive
One business is going through its first off-season in Bemus Point. Trattoria Partenope opened at 61 Lakeside Drive, the former Italian Fisherman site, and held a ribbon-cutting grand opening on Tuesday, June 30. The Villager reported that it's the restaurateurs' second location. The restaurant hasn't announced winter hours yet. Its own channels will be the first place to find out whether this spot on the bay stays open through a winter under its new owners.
The Hotel Lenhart is changing over the winter too. The main building facing west over Bemus Bay is closed for what the hotel's website calls "a thoughtful renovation," and the hotel says it looks forward to reopening "soon." It hasn't set a date. In an August 27 post on the hotel's blog, the hotel says its guest houses can be rented year-round. That's useful if relatives are coming for Thanksgiving or the tree lighting.
Something new at Village Hall
Village Hall is also getting a new mural this fall. The Post-Journal reported that the Paint CHQ mural program planned to start painting at Village Hall on Thursday, September 24, hold an artist talk on Tuesday, September 29 at 6 p.m., and dedicate the mural on Saturday, October 3 at 4 p.m. If you haven't been by Village Hall since Fall Fest, you can check on the mural on your way to the trick-or-treat start at the Tap House.
Getting across the lake without the ferry
With the ferry docked until May 28, 2027, the drive across Chautauqua Lake between Ellery and North Harmony uses the Interstate 86 bridge, which is still being rehabilitated. NYSDOT closed it overnight several times in mid-October, with a detour on State Route 394 and State Route 430, according to the NYSDOT traveler advisory issued October 9. Those dates have passed. Check 511NY before a late-night drive across the lake, since NYSDOT announces new closures there.
Dates to put on the fridge
- Oct. 30: Halloween party with DJ Felix and a costume contest at the Tap House
- Oct. 31, 5 to 9 p.m.: trick-or-treat, starting and ending at Bemus Point Golf Club & Tap House
- Nov. 25, 6 to 9 p.m.: Thanksgiving Eve with Shenanigans at the Tap House
- Nov. 28, 5 p.m.: Light Up the Point, with the parade, tree lighting and Santa's firetruck arrival
- May 2027: Splash reopens
- May 28, 2027: the Bemus Point–Stow Ferry starts its 216th season
If you're spending your first winter in a Bemus Point home, or deciding whether your cottage should stay open past October, The Nielsen Wroda Real Estate Team is happy to talk through what a full year in the village looks like. When you're ready for a number, get an instant home valuation and see what your Bemus Point home is worth before the spring market starts.
