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Chautauqua Lakefest 2026

About this event

Registration is Open!

A PBC Members ONLY Special Event ~ Not a member yet and want to attend? Join HERE!

Welcome!

We are returning to Chautauqua in 2026 with exciting new features in addition to the traditional camaraderie and great rides in a beautiful setting!

• Lodging at the historic Atheneum Hotel on the grounds of the Chautauqua Institution itself

• Friday Trail Ride and lunch on the way in: Presque Isle at Lake Erie

• Friday Happy Hour with appetizers on the porch overlooking Chautauqua Lake

• Saturday Group Dinner catered by the Atheneum

• Friday through Sunday - new scenic routes to the East and South, as far as the Allegheny River and through the South Valley State Forest

Event Highlights

Riding

Both trail and road rides will be available

Ride options appropriate for cyclists of all abilities and experience

Ride through fabulous scenery and historic sites

Join a scheduled ride or choose your own route, as long as you do not ride lone.

Accommodations

We have a block of rooms at a special rate with free parking at the beautiful Atheneum Hotel, located lakeside at the Chautauqua Institution.

The room block is available for 3 nights from Thursday September 10, through Sunday September 13, 2026

Choose from several room configurations.

Bike storage room available; bikes may also be stored in your room; area to clean and maintain your bike available outside

Social

Join a group for lunch after the trail ride on Friday

Friday PM: Happy Hour with appetizers and cash bar on the Atheneum Porch, overlooking Chautauqua Lake. Join a group for dinner afterwards.

Saturday PM: Group dinner catered by the Atheneum, with a wide range of excellent menu choices!

Join a group for the many non-riding activities available (see below)

Non-Rider Discount

Non-riders are welcome to attend the event and participate in the social events if they are members of the club in good standing and register for the Lakefest. BEFORE REGISTERING, ask the event coordinator how to receive the non-rider discounted registration fee of only $85 up to August 10; after August 10, the non-rider discounted fee is $105 (see "How to Register", below). This offer is valid only for non-riding members of the club. IMPORTANT: This discount cannot be applied retroactively. You must contact the event coordinator BEFORE registering in order to receive the discount.

Registration Fee Includes

• 3 days of riding; GPS Routes/Digital Cue Sheets for trail and road rides
• Welcome Bag with information about local activities and points of interest
• Water, fruit and cycling nutrition
• Pre-scheduled ride options with experienced leaders for Recommended Routes
• Happy Hour appetizers on Friday afternoon (cash bar)
• Group Dinner on Saturday evening
• Detailed Event Guide with schedule, instructions, links to GPS Routes and riding recommendations, information about restaurants, local attractions and non-riding activities

Other Exciting Activities in the Chautauqua Area

(Optional - not included in registration)

Shopping, crafts and food at Bemus Point

Scenic walks and shopping in the beautiful Chautauqua Institution

Hiking and Ax Throwing at Panama Rocks

Lucille Ball Museum and National Comedy Center

Art and Nature at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute

Nature Trails

Winery and Brewery visits/tastings

The following links offer more information about things to do and see around the Chautauqua area:

Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau

Lake Erie Wine Country

Pennsylvania Great Lakes Region

Event Schedule

The following is a general outline to help your planning. Participants will receive the complete "Event Guidebook and Checklist" a week prior to the event via email. The Guidebook will present more details, along with links for the route GPS files and reminders about the weekend.

Thursday September 10th
3:00PM - Hotel check-in

Friday September 11th
Trail Ride – Presque Isle (late morning)
Road Rides – various distances around Chautauqua Lake
Happy Hour Reception at Atheneum

Saturday, September 12th
Road Rides – many options for distance, terrain, scenery
No-traffic Rides - Chautauqua Institution, Long Point Park
Group Dinner at Atheneum

Sunday, September 13th
Road Rides – many options for distance, terrain, scenery
Trail Ride - Bayfront Connector in Erie (late morning)

IMPORTANT DATES

• Early Registration: up to August 10, 2026
Rider $110.00
Non-rider $85.00

• Late Registration: August 11 to August 25, 2026
Rider $130.00
Non-rider $105.00

• Hotel Room Block Closes: August 10, 2026
Remaining rooms will be released to the general pool; you can still reserve with our special rate, but rooms may be sold out.

How To Register and Reserve Your Room

You must be member of the club in order to register for this event. You can join the club by clicking on this link: Join Today!
The registration button will be visible when you log in to the website as a member.

1. PBC Event registration – Click the "Register Now" button below to register and pay your event participation fee. Each participant, including riders and non-riders, must register individually.

2. Room reservations – Once you have registered, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions for reserving your room. Standard check-in time is 3:00 pm. Check-out time on Sunday is 11:00 am. Please Note: you should make your reservations by August 10, 2026, after which any remaining rooms in our block will return to the general room inventory. You can still reserve with our special rate, but rooms may be sold out.

REMEMBER: Both riders and non-riders must be members of the club, and both must register through this page by clicking on the "Register Now" button. Yes - this step needs to be completed individually.

Step up and Volunteer!

We need a few helping hands to make this event go smoothly, and we can plan more effectively if we know ahead of time that key volunteer spots are filled. We need:

• Help with check-in/registration

• Ride leaders for some selected routes on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

• Drivers and assistants to be on standby for limited SAG assistance on Friday or Saturday. Most commonly these spots have been filled by non-riders and non-riding spouses/partners.

To learn more about the available volunteer opportunities and to sign up for a slot, please click the link below. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the event coordinators listed below.

Volunteering Link - Coming soon!

Date

Thursday, September 10, 2026, to Sunday, September 13, 2026

Location

Atheneum Hotel at Chautauqua Institution
Atheneum Hotel
10 Janes Avenue
Chautauqua, NY 14722
USA
(716) 357-4444

Event Contact(s)

Nancy S Kury
4126189707 (c)

Antonio-Javier Lopez

Registration Info

Registration is required and it opens Monday, March 16, 2026 at 6:00 AM

Payment In Full In Advance Only

All participants must be active members of the Premier Bicycle Club. If you wish to have a non-riding spouse/partner come along, please contact the event organizer to have your account upgraded to a family membership. Non-riders must register for this event like riders do – see event description for non-rider discount.

Registration cancellations will be accepted until Tuesday, August 25, 2026 at 11:59 PM

Cancellation Policy:

Cancellation Policy & Fees: There are two (2) parts to the registration process, and they have different cancellation policies:

1.) "Event Registration" (through the club): Cancellations prior to and including August 25, 2026 will receive a refund minus a $30.00 cancellation fee. There are NO REFUNDS AFTER August 25, 2026.

2.) "Hotel Reservations" (directly through the Atheneum Hotel): All participants are responsible for verifying the cancellation policy at the time they make their room reservation.