There are beautiful beaches, fine food, great music and more … but no stop lights
By Stefan Yablonski
Fair Haven is a village located on the southern shore of Lake Ontario in Cayuga County, on Little Sodus Bay. According to the 2020 census, its population is 760. However, during the summer months, the population increases as scores of visitors flock to the idyllic village within the town of Sterling.
Kyle D. Meddaugh is the self-proclaimed ambassador of Fair Haven.
Why is Fair Haven so popular?
“I certainly can’t be sure — but I’ve personally been very active in trying to help ‘put Fair Haven on the map’ for a number of years, through my photography,” he replied.
Meddaugh is the president of the Fair Haven Area Chamber of Commerce. He is also owner and photographer at onePhoto Photography and the proprietor of the downtown Fair Haven shop Main Street Emporium, along with his wife, Marnie. And he is vice president of the Save Our Fourth Association board, the group that oversees the huge 4th of July celebration in the village.
“I think right about the time I started onePhoto Photography, Chris Colloca opened up Colloca Estate Winery to the public, which began drawing a wider audience into Fair Haven,” he added. “We’ve both been focused on creating Destination Fair Haven through the chamber of commerce and our individual businesses. Trying to first get people here and second give them a lot of things to do. Can we give them more? Absolutely!”
The water draws people
“Not only do we have Lake Ontario waterfront, the village entirely surrounds Little Sodus Bay,” Meddaugh explained. “These two bodies of water provide endless opportunities for swimming, fishing and boating — all popular recreational activities. Adding to this is our miles of wetlands and streams; Sterling Creek, Red Creek and tons of opportunities for canoeing and kayaking.”
There are a myriad waterfront restaurants and bars, marinas, parks from which to watch the sunset.
“Water is definitely a big draw. And surrounding water are some absolutely picturesque spaces,” he added.
Public spaces
The entirety of the village of Fair Haven’s Lake Ontario shoreline is public park space.
On the east side of Little Sodus Bay is Fair Haven Beach State Park and on the west side is West Barrier Bar Park (a village park).
Both these parks also have frontage on Little Sodus Bay, joining Phillips Park, Standbrook Pier Park and two public boat launches around the Bay, Meddaugh said.
“I love my time camping at Fair Haven because it is beautiful. I am transported far, far away when actually I am only 20 minutes from home camping along the shore of Fair Haven pond,” said Oswego resident Linda Knowles. “Herons, swans and kingfishers, frogs, ducks and eagles visit daily. Sunsets are spectacular.
“Turtles bask on logs edging the marsh and occasionally a muskrat will swim along side my kayak as I paddle by. There are both sandy beaches and pebble. I can spend hours searching for rocks along the shore.”
Mostly, she finds peace at Fair Haven — “Thoughts slow down and time lengthens. Dreams that have been drowned out by day to day rush and noise, resurface and linger for exploration. I sit on the veranda of the cabin, my dog lying on her bed at my feet, and write. Gratitude floods in and washes away all worry,” she explained. “This is a bit of what I find at Fair Haven.”
“Additionally, there are two other spacious village parks not on the water, including one on Main Street with the village bandstand and memorial and the other with tennis courts, basketball courts, a ballfield and a public pavilion. None of these are necessarily a draw to the village (with the exception of the state park); but all add to the small town green feel to the village,” Meddaugh added.
Arts, culture + seven bars / restaurants!
Fair Haven’s music scene especially has exploded here in the past few years.
“This time of year [during the summer], on any given night, you’ll find live music somewhere in Fair Haven. On weekends, it’s likely that there will be four or five different venues hosting live music on a Friday or Saturday night and Sundays two or three at least,” Meddaugh said. “The rest of the week, there’s at least one place with live music, open mic night or something. That is definitely a big draw.
“I’ll never forget my friend John McConnell telling me a few years back that he and other Oswego area musicians can more reliably book a gig in Fair Haven than they can in Oswego or Syracuse even. It only took one venue here in Fair Haven to consistently book live music every week to force other venues to step up their game and after a few years, they all were booking live music regularly. Now, it’s something people can count on.”
Even in the off-season — which is getting shorter and shorter in Fair Haven — there’s live music every weekend at a number of locations, he added.
Plus, there’s still the Saturday Night Band Concerts by the American Legion Band in Central Park downtown and special events like the Big Band Sound of the Oswego County Summer Stage Band’s performances, Porchfest and more.
“Additionally, we have the Fair Haven Arts Center, South Shore Artisans and my store.” Meddaugh said. “Artists seem to have been drawn to this community for years — decades even. We have quite a number of renowned artists who reside here. Many are members of the Art Association of Oswego or who exhibit there, as well. And the general population supports the art scene, whose artists are a big part of this community.”
A village with a year-round population of 760 people can’t possibly support seven bars. But this village’s population quadruples in the summer season. And folks coming in from Oswego, Syracuse, Rochester, Auburn and beyond for the great views and live music scene here make it work.
There are even three more restaurants, a bakery, a great deli and an ice cream stand in the village that don’t serve alcohol. So there are a lot of options for great food to eat, many of which are located right on the water and offer free dock services.
“Plus, we have a robust downtown shopping district that offers gifts, souvenirs, fishing and camping gear, haircuts, apparel, etc.,” Meddaugh added.
The people
“We have some amazing people here, with some wonderful stories. Perhaps what makes Fair Haven so popular is the same thing that ultimately draws these amazing people here to make their homes,” Meddaugh said. “We have history. I hear this more often than anything from people who visit our store, that the people are so generous and helpful — that they miss the people while they’re gone. The people may not actually draw visitors here, but it’s definitely the people that play a big part in visitors returning again and again!”
Fair Haven simply offers all this while still maintaining the feeling of a small town, he added. They don’t have any stop lights; they have had smartly-directed and legislated controlled growth by a population that both cherishes the past and proudly looks forward to the future.
“We’re a resort community whose 760 year-round residents support our small, local businesses year-round,” he said. “We have a dedicated group of individuals who are committed to promoting Fair Haven as a destination while retaining its charm and hometown feel.”
Meddaugh and his wife wear their Ambassadors of Fair Haven badges with pride — “as do dozens of other locals who preach the gospel of Fair Haven,” he said.
A Haven for Musicians
Tim Nekritz — a musician, organizer and promoter from Oswego — frequently raves about the Fair Haven music scene.
The Sterling Cidery is where he regained his love for music in monthly open jams and where his monthly concept of The Variety Show, featuring 10 to 15 acts, first took flight.
“It’s a small close-knit village that also really cultivates creativity and collaboration,” said Nekritz, whose day gig is as director of communications at SUNY Oswego. “The Sterling Cidery’s monthly open jams and uke (ukulele) jams really provide a lot of support for people who are honing their musical skills while allowing them to play with folks who have more experience. It becomes a pay-it-forward situation, where people gain experience and confidence and are then happy to help newer artists.”
With a lot of different venues open to new artists, Fair Haven is a place where Nekritz has been able to book the two bands he performs: The Condescenders and Whiskey Spirits.
“Bookers in Fair Haven are very approachable and open to new ideas and bands,” he said. “A lot of bars and venues other places will book the same bands week after week and not give newer acts a chance, but the places I’ve been fortunate enough to play in Fair Haven are willing to give you an opportunity and bring you back if you do well.”
Nekritz added that the Fair Haven Porch Fest, organized by Jana House and Brandon Furber of Sterling Cidery, is another example where the talent far exceeds what one would expect for a modest-sized village.
“The Oswego Porchfest is wonderful, but I’m always in awe at how many amazing acts Fair Haven can pack into a few blocks,” he said. “The challenge is always that you can’t see all the acts you want to see, but the performances are, by necessity, all within easy walking distance.”
