ITHACA, NY (CortacaToday) – Sara Abernethy, owner of Cedarwood Event Venue, New Park Event Venue and Suites and Finger Lakes Mill Creek Cabins, shares insight on the importance of hospitality and reciprocal relationships between businesses and their communities.

New Park is one of three businesses Abernethy owns in the Finger Lakes region. Originally from Butler County, Pennsylvania, Abernethy hasn’t always worked in the hospitality industry. After earning an MBA from the University of Chicago, she traveled the world doing strategic marketing and consulting, and conducted market research during the pandemic.

Through real estate investing, she began owning several event properties, purchasing a townhouse in Philadelphia as well as a few apartments. She began renting these properties through Airbnb until it was banned in Hershey, PA. Knowing that she loved the Finger Lakes region and how welcoming the area is, she purchased a vacation home in Interlaken to rent out, which quickly became a success. “There’s not a lot of pretentiousness here, it’s very different here than other areas I’ve done business in,” Abernethy noted of the area.

Known for its picturesque weddings, New Park offers guests a complete experience with its Irish country-style suites. Abernethy didn’t originally plan to host primarily weddings there, but after hosting the first few weddings, she realized what an honor it is to be a part of such an important day in people’s lives.

“They’re special events for a reason. I cry at almost every wedding we do. I’ve always loved romantic comedies and it’s very emotional to make people’s dreams come true for their big day,” she says of hosting weddings.

Although organizing and selling the weddings usually falls to Sara, she makes a point to praise her staff, how hard they work and that the three venues mostly have the same staff. “Bartending, room turnover, administrative tasks… there are so many people that play a huge role in how we run our venues,” Abernethy notes. The staff at New Park puts a lot of emphasis on people’s experience and making them feel relaxed, creating a calm and comfortable environment for their clients. The fact that the venue was built by local contractors and community members makes it much easier for them to connect with the people who use the venue and suites.

As with their other two properties, Mill Creek Cabins is all about privacy. No events are held here, so guests can enjoy their stay knowing it will be exactly what they make it. Located on 40 acres of the Finger Lakes National Forest, they offer a break from everyday life, but are modern enough to be functional and comfortable. With full insulation, indoor plumbing, and private hot tubs, the cabins emphasize seclusion while prioritizing comfort.

Cedarwood Event Venue takes a more collaborative approach with clients as it is used for both public and private events. Originally conceived as an addition to New Park and to provide catering for events, it is now an opportunity for local artists, musicians and comedians to make their events their own.

“We hired a bartender who loves live music and brought a lot of music. We like to play local bands for the local crowd in between bands from Elmira because we want to introduce people to new music. That’s what Cedarwood is all about,” Abernethy explains.

A reciprocal relationship with customers and colleagues is at the heart of Abernethy’s business models. He says, “I feel like I have a real community here. The Tompkins Chamber of Commerce has been very welcoming.”

All venues serve different purposes and the different needs of their respective clients, but the core values ​​remain the same:

“I would say that being part of an economically thriving community is a core value for us. Another is our commitment to our employees – we create several full-time and part-time positions and do our best to pay living wages and more,” says Abernethy.

As for Abernethy’s goals for the venues, she has a vision for how to achieve them in the long term. It’s just a matter of how she gets there. In the short term, keeping operations running smoothly and positively for her clients is paramount.

To learn more about Cedarwood Event Venue, New Park Event Venue and Suites, and Finger Lakes Mill Creek Cabins, be sure to visit their websites.