Town of South Bristol

06/11/2026

Freedom Festival, June 13-June 14, Levi Corser Park, 10-4. Come for an hour, come for the day. South Bristol, Bristol, and the Town of Canandaigua are proud to present the Freedom Festival in celebration of our 250th anniversary as a nation. There is a lot going on at the Freedom Festival this weekend.

There’s a full schedule for this two-day event on the Bristol Hills Historical Society website (click on the button below), and we’re keeping Facebook and Instagram followers updated on the many attractions they can expect to enjoy.

06/10/2026

The South Bristol Community Playground Is Open! So proud of Councilperson Chris Abraham for shepherding the renovation. We're in the Finger Lakes Daily News.

Families in South Bristol can enjoy the newly renovated town playground, now with expanded accessibility for children up to age 12. An official dedication ce...

06/09/2026

We are proud to announce the opening of the newly renovated playground, now welcoming children up to 12 years old! The playground has undergone a comprehensive transformation to provide a safe, enjoyable, and beautiful space for families in the community.

This renovation was made possible thanks to the dedicated efforts of Town Councilperson Chris Abraham, Buildings and Grounds Committee, who oversaw the extensive renovation, implementing many both practical and aesthetic improvements that have brought new life to the playground.

A special thank you also goes to Jim Wight, Highway Superintendent, whose work in removing the old equipment and replacing the mulch retention boards was critical to the successful upgrade of the playground facilities.

We also extend heartfelt gratitude to former Town Councilperson Jim Strickland for his unwavering dedication and vision in championing the playground renovation and ensuring its approval in the town budget. His commitment has played a key role in bringing this project to fruition.

The town is committed to continuing improvements, with plans underway to upgrade signage and landscaping around the playground to enhance the overall experience for visitors.

An official dedication ceremony will take place on August 8, coinciding with the birthday of Gamaliel Wilder, the founder of South Bristol—marking a special occasion to celebrate both the town’s history and its bright future. Look for more information to come!

06/06/2026

This Monday June 8 Carla Jordan (not pictured) will be in the house to present on the closure of the landfill to the South Bristol Town Board, 6pm. Jordan is the Director of Ontario County Solid Waste and Sustainability Department, and she's no stranger to South Bristol as she consulted on the town's Comprehensive Plan. Hope you'll come out and give her that now famous South Bristol Welcome.

Ontario County Dept. of Sustainability and Solid Waste Management is developing a Solid Waste Management Plan!

06/06/2026

South Bristol and Finger Lakes Land Trust partnered to to bring to Town Hall two members of the Department of Environmental Conservation to discuss the state of their efforts to contain Oak Wilt in our region. For more information, contact DEC's Austin Shay ([email protected]; 518-255-5662).

This devastating disease threatens the vast presence of oaks in our hills and has been found in the towns of Bristol, Middlesex, and our own South Bristol, all of which have been placed under state quarantine.

Fortunately, unlike the Emerald Ash Borer, this disease can be managed and contained, though it takes extraordinary efforts and resources to do so.

Also: this effort can be helped (or harmed!) by local municipalities and we have already initiated a review of town policies and procedures to explore where reasonable changes can be made to support this critical work.

You can find a video of the full event on the town website's Community Presentations page!

06/01/2026

Join us here at the Town Hall on Thursday, June 4th at 6:30pm for a free informational workshop on oak wilt presented by Austin Shay of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Landowners and community members will learn how to identify the signs and symptoms of oak wilt, properly report suspected cases, and take steps to help prevent its spread.

Oak wilt is a serious and fast-moving fungal disease threatening oak trees across the Finger Lakes region. As of October 2025, active infections have been confirmed in the towns of Middlesex, Italy, Naples, South Bristol and Bristol.

The disease spreads underground through connected root systems and above ground via beetles or the movement of infected firewood, quickly killing infected red oaks. Early detection and informed action are critical to protecting the health of our region’s forests.

05/31/2026

Congratulations to the Bristol Hills Historical Society on another wonderful year celebrating the Burning Springs—one of the oldest tourist attractions in the nation! In fact it was an attraction long before we even _were_ a nation!

A beautiful day to see this magical place where fire burns on the surface of the water …

05/27/2026

Thank you to the New York Association of Towns for hosting this great workshop in your Grant Assistance Program. As Supervisor for South Bristol, this was a valuable resource as we look to improve our efforts to secure funding from state agencies.

Look for more information in the future on how we as a town can work together to pursue these opportunities!

05/25/2026

Today we gather in union to honor, remember, and teach about the service of men and women to our country. Lying in the twenty one small and large cemeteries in the Bristol Hills are men and women who deserve our remembrance for they answered a call to serve all of us in the defense of our communities and our nation. In this 250th year of our nation, a tribute to our revolutionary heroes is in our display case at the South Bristol Town Hall.

Memorial Day is also the traditional start of summer. The Town of South Bristol has many plans for honoring our revolutionary heroes this year, beginning with the Freedom Festival, June 13 and 14, at Levi Corser Park. Flags will be raised and lowered each day in honor of the many service men and women for whom we are grateful.

Bristol Hills Historical Society, Canandaigua History Alliance, and the towns of Canandaigua, Bristol, and South Bristol invite the public to this two-day "Freedom Festival," June 13-14, 2026, featuring Revolutionary War and pioneer reenactors, period crafts people, vintage games for child