Things to Do in Ithaca Tonight

Ithaca's events scene runs on the combined wattage of Cornell and Ithaca College, a famously progressive community, and gorges that make every summer festival scenic. The State Theatre downtown books national touring acts in a restored 1928 movie palace, while the Hangar Theatre stages a respected professional summer season. The Ithaca Festival celebrates the town's creative spirit each June with parades and dozens of performances, and the GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance — held each July at the fairgrounds in nearby Trumansburg — has grown into one of the Northeast's most beloved roots music gatherings. The Commons keeps buskers and bar bands going year-round.