love your lake
Community Programs
Community participation
Opportunities for Community members to enjoy & learn about the lake
Discover Cayuga Lake is committed to creating opportunities for everyone to engage with the lake. We offer cruises and events that encourage recreation and education to emphasize all that is great about our lakes while also highlighting issues of concern. We are working with local partners, individuals and organizations alike, to create inspiring experiences that speak to all segments of our community. We welcome your participation and ideas!
In addition to volunteer opportunities and our Lake Lover Season Passes, we offer a number of Community Cruises every week. They are free, reduced price, or donation based, to ensure affordability for everyone in our community. Your donations will help us keep providing community lake access and high quality education programs. We welcome your support and feedback, and look forward to seeing you on board!
It was a beautiful and peaceful evening and the cruise was so interesting and informative. We were like tourists in our own town, choosing this experience to enjoy my 30th anniversary!
Mimi Welshonce Ramey
Great Experiences with Discover Cayuga Lake
COMMUNITY SUNSET CRUISES
These cruises are especially for our Finger Lakes friends but all are welcome! Discounted Prices apply. You should book your Community Cruise ahead of time, by selecting the date of interest in our Booking Calendar.
Community Sunset Cruises WITH Guest speakers
WEDNESDAYS – Times vary by sunset, 1.5 hours long
Local presenters host discussions and activities related to their interests and our mission, and occasional Trivia Nights along with a beautiful Cayuga sunset. We welcome guest speakers from our community to lead these discussions with us on topics ranging from the role of the State Parks in the Finger Lakes, to micro-plastics, to lake history and nature illustration. We welcome suggestions for speakers and topics.
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Community Cruises are free or pay-as-you-can donation based, to ensure affordability for everyone in our community. Your contribution, however, will help us keep providing community lake access and high quality education programs. We welcome your support and feedback, as well!
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If you are interested to be a presenter on the boat, or know someone who would be interested, please be in touch. Presentations can range from a variety of topics that touch upon history, art, culture, social equity, environmental topics and more.
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You should book your Community Cruise ahead of time, by selecting the date of interest in our Booking Calendar. Click Below.
COMMUNITY CRUISE SCHEDULE 2025
-June 4th: Hospitality Cruise for our friends in the tourism industry
-June 11th: Amphibian Patrol: Why did the salamander cross the road?
-June 18th: Juneteenth Celebration
-June 25th: State of the Lake: “A New Season on the Lake: Our Perceptions of Lake Health”
-July 2nd: Cob Therapy: how natural building heals people, place, & water with Matteo Lundgren
-July 9th: Water is Life: Seeds & Songs of Resilience with Fruition Seeds
-July 16th: Plant Trees! Agroforestry & Water Quality with Harry Greene & Co. of Propagate
-July 23rd: Spotlight on DCL’s Summer Interns
-July 30th: State Of The Lake: “HABs, Communities and our Changing Climate”
-August 6th: American Lake Monsters
-August 13th: Indigenous Water Protection with Jason Corwin (Seneca Nation)
-August 20th: Celestial Navigation with Captain Scott Williams
-August 27th: “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall” Flooding in Tompkins County with StoryHouse Ithaca
-September 3rd: Ithaca Is Gorges Because Ithaca Was Glaciers with The Paleontological Research Institute
-September 10th: Latino Conservation Week: Water Imagery in Latin American Song with Singer/Songwriter Colleen Kattau
-September 17th: The Awful Wrack on The Frontenac: A Historical Mini-Musical with The History Center of Tompkins County
-September 24th: State Of The Lake: “2025 Redux” with Community Watershed Partners
-October 1st: Fall Bird Migration On Cayuga Lake with Ornithologist Steve Kress
– October 8th: GALA FUNDRAISING CRUISE
– October 15th: tbd
– October 22nd: tbd
CLUB CAYUGA SUNSET CRUISES
Featuring lively music on board with some of our favorite local DJs and musicians. Special two hour cruises!
- Sundays through September, times vary by sunset. 2 hours long
- Club Cayuga prices are $30/adult or 2 for $50
- You may bring your own food and drinks on board (but no hard liquor please).
BOOK YOUR CLUB CAYUGA CRUISE AHEAD OF TIME, by selecting the date of interest in our Booking Calendar.
Reggae Sunset Cruise w DJ Mike Judah
June 15th, July 13th, August 10th, Sept. 14th, Oct. 12th
Lively up yourself, with DJ Mike Judah, Ithaca’s longest running reggae DJ and MC! You’ll find Judah hosting the weekly Reggae Explosions show on our local radio station, WICB and MC-ing at the annual Ithaca Reggae Fest and numerous festivals and musical venues throughout the area. From reggae classics to the newest genres on the scene you’ll be sure to catch an easy-going vibe that just might get you up and dancing too!
Hip Hop x R&B x Caribbean x MORE w DJ ha-MEEN
June 8th, July 6th, August 3rd, Sept. 7th, Oct. 5th
Expect lots of classics, along with some recent hits to heat up the dancefloor! Ithaca-based party rocker, DJ ha-MEEN is known for fusing music knowledge, skills, and eclecticism to facilitate genre-bending dance parties for a wide range of humans. In addition to Hip Hop and R&B, you’ll likely hear some Funk, Disco, House, Salsa, Dancehall, Reggaeton and more on his cruises! Dance into the sunset, or just kick back and vibe. Be true to you!
Rainbow Disco Cruse with DJ The Dutchess of Spirit Posse
July 27th, August 31st
Known for her smooth transitions and signature pink headphone, The Dutchess fuses disco, funk, house, and feel-good anthems on this special lake tour. Don your lakeside lewks, bring your favorite people, and prepare for an unforgettable evening. Do note, it is a Rainbow Cruise — which means LGBTQ+, though all are welcome and we’ll do our best to summon an actual rainbow!
Salsa at Sunset w DJ Michael Luis
June 22nd, July 20th, August 17th, Sept. 21st, Oct. 19th
Come learn how to salsa with a quick lesson on board and then join the latin dance lovers in town with Ithaca’s most well-known salsa instructor, DJ MIchaal Luis. Salsa is the main fare, but you’ll likely hear a bachata, a merengue or even a kizomba tune as well. We welcome you to dance the evening away or simply enjoy the beautiful music on board!
afrobeat and neo soul w DJ Dou
June 29th, August 24th, Sept. 28th
DJ Dou seamlessly blends genres to craft a unique soundscape that resonates with audiences. As the boat glides across the waters, you’ll be immersed in a fusion of music that celebrates the rich cultural heritage of Afrobeats and the soulful depth of Neo-Soul. Whether you’re dancing to the infectious beats or relaxing to the soothing sounds and sights, DJ Dou’s curated playlist promises an evening of musical bliss. Come aboard and experience the harmony of rhythm and soul under the Ithaca sky.
Expriences for every age
Family Eco-Cruises
Parents, bring your kids on board for engaging and hands-on weekly activities that will be both fun and educational! Science based activities of ages 5 and up.
Family Eco-Cruise Schedule 2025
– July 11th:
– July 18th:
– July 25th:
– August 1st:
– August 8th:
– August 15th:
– August 22nd:
– August 29th:
DISCOVER CAYUGA LAKE
LAKE MONITORING CRUISES
SUNDAYS, 2-3:30PM, LEAVING FROM THE FARMER’S MARKET DOCK
cOME HELP US BE CITIZEN SCIENTISTS!
activities might include:
Plankton Sampling and Microscopy
We use a plankton net to gather teeming hordes of tiny but diverse living organisms from the lake.
Water Clarity Analysis
How far does sunlight travel down into the lake? This is an essential measurement when we’re monitoring the the environment under the water’s surface.
Profiling the Lake at Different Depths
What changes happen when you start moving from the surface of the water down into the depths of the lake? Depth profiles help us understand how the structure of the lake is changing from one day to the next.
Sample and Investigate Aquatic Plants
There are many different aquatic plants. Participants can dredge up samples from the bottom of the lake and record data on what plant species they find.
Collect and Analyze Sediment Samples
The lake’s ecosystem is more than just the water column. Keep going down below the sediment, and there is so much more to discover!
Invasive Species Survey
An Invasive Species Survey features shallow water stops at multiple locations and aquatic plant sampling and observation.
We’d Love to hear from you!
Connect
with Us
For Cruises & Charters:
booking@discovercayugalake.org
For Educational Programs:
education@discovercayugalake.org
HOME DOCK:
1000 Allan H. Treman Marina Rd.
Ithaca, NY 14850
OUR OFFICE:
110 N. Tioga St., Suite 303
Center for History & Culture
Ithaca, NY 14850