Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Tioga Downs Celebrates Topping-Out the New Hotel and Event center


Nichols, N.Y. – April 25, 2017 – With the new harness racing season set to kick off next week at Tioga Downs, employees at the casino had another reason to celebrate today.  With all employees signing the ceremonial final beam, it was raised into place today in a small topping-out ceremony, a traditional builders’ rite, in front of a jubilant group of employees. Construction will continue through the spring and summer with an opening of the hotel planned for November and the opening of the event center planned for December.

“Today marked another milestone for Tioga Downs as we transform into a full-service destination resort.  We look forward to finishing up construction and adding more jobs and revenue to the local economy in the very near future,” said Jeff Gural, chairman of American Racing and Entertainment.

According to Scott Freeman, president and general manager of Tioga Downs, construction will proceed through the fall, with furniture set to be moved into the new hotel in October.  The furniture for the hotel rooms is being provided by Jacob & Levi’s out of Sugarcreek, Ohio.

“The furniture we chose gives the rooms a very polished and modern appearance.  There is nothing better than using real wood to craft furniture here in the United States.  Jacob & Levi’s have worked closely with us to customize every detail of the design to fit our exact needs,” Freeman said.

The hotel itself will feature 161 guest rooms and will span a total of six floors. Guests may use any of three swimming areas—an indoor pool, an outdoor pool and a water slide. A spa center and fitness facility are also included in the plans for construction. The new hotel will accommodate special events in its event center. Banquets and receptions can seat up to 400 guests.  Once the hotel is complete and open to the public, the casino will transition to a 24-hour schedule, pending regulatory approval.  Once these additional amenities are added, Tioga Downs will be at approximately 800 employees, up from the 550 the casino currently employs.

Tioga Downs recently acquired the Tioga Country Club and opened the golf course April 15 for the spring season.  A new clubhouse is currently under construction and will be completed toward the end of the year, for the 2018 season. 

Tioga Downs Announces Major 2017 Summer Concert Lineup


Rock and roll, country music to entertain fans this summer

Nichols, N.Y. – April 25, 2017 – As summer quickly approaches, Tioga Downs is pleased to announce its 2017 summer concert series lineup that kicks off with CMA and Grammy Award-winning country music artist Travis Tritt. Four major concerts are part of the 2017 summer schedule that begins Saturday, June 17 and ends Sunday, September 3.

Travis Tritt will perform at Tioga Downs on Saturday, June 17 at 8:00 p.m. The tickets are priced at three ranges —$25, $35 and $45. The night will feature Travis Tritt, highlighting his world-renowned voice and guitar. He is expected to perform some of his biggest hits such as “T-R-O-U-B-L-E,” “It’s A Great Day to Be Alive,” and “Best of Intentions.” His performance will also include personal stories about his life and musical influences.

38 Special will perform a special benefit concert Saturday, July 1 at 8:00 p.m. After more than three decades together, 38 Special continues to bring their signature blast of Southern Rock to more than 100 cities a year. At each and every show, thousands of audience members are amazed by the explosive power of the band's performance. Proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to the Southern Tier Veterans Support Group. Tioga Downs owner Jeff Gural will match all ticket proceeds.

GRAMMY-Award winning superstar LeAnn Rimes will hit the Tioga Downs concert stage on Saturday, August 19 at 8:00 p.m., sponsored by Tioga State Bank. In 1996, LeAnn Rimes burst out of nowhere with her debut single "Blue," which immediately captured the attention of country fans across America. Blue debuted at number three on the pop charts, selling over 123,000 copies within its first week of release -- one of the largest figures to date in the history of the SoundScan tracking system.

The summer concert series wraps up Labor Day weekend with Dick Fox’s Golden Boys, starring Frankie Avalon, Fabian and Bobby Rydell on Sunday, September 3 at 8:00 p.m. Dick Fox’s Golden Boys were three of the most popular teen idols of the late 50s and 60s. They have proved to be an overwhelming live concert success. Dick Fox’s Golden Boys spotlights each of the performers and their All Time greatest hits, "Turn Me Loose", "Tiger", "I'm A Man" (Fabian); "Venus", "De De Dinah", "Bobby Sox to Stockings" (Avalon); "Volare", "Wild One", "Kissin' Time" (Rydell). The three stars combine their talents on several songs and perform a tribute to the material of Elvis Presley, Bobby Darin, Rick Nelson and Bill Haley.

Tickets for all four concerts are now available at all Ticketmaster locations and the Tioga Downs gift shop. All events will be held outside rain or shine.

Thursday, April 20, 2017

Tioga Downs announces major summer concert line-up


Rock and roll, country music to entertain fans this summer

Nichols, N.Y. – April 20, 2017 – As summer quickly approaches, Tioga Downs is pleased to announce its 2017 summer concert series lineup that kicks off with CMA and Grammy Award-winning country music artist Travis Tritt. Four major concerts are part of the 2017 summer schedule that begins Saturday, June 17 and ends Sunday, September 3.

Travis Tritt will perform at Tioga Downs on Saturday, June 17 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets will be available April 22 at three price ranges —$25, $35 and $45. The night will feature Travis Tritt, highlighting his world-renowned voice and guitar. He is expected to perform some of his biggest hits such as “T-R-O-U-B-L-E,” “It’s A Great Day to Be Alive,” and “Best of Intentions.” His performance will also include personal stories about his life and musical influences.

38 Special will perform a special benefit concert Saturday, July 1 at 8:00 pm. After more than three decades together, 38 SPECIAL continue to bring their signature blast of Southern Rock to over 100 cities a year. And at each and every show, thousands of audience members are amazed by the explosive power of the band's performance. Proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to the Southern Tier Veterans Support Group. Tioga Downs owner Jeff Gural will match all ticket proceeds.

GRAMMY-Award winning superstar LeAnn Rimes will hit the Tioga Downs concert stage on Saturday, August 19 at 8:00 pm. In 1996, LeAnn Rimes burst out of nowhere with her debut single "Blue," which immediately captured the attention of country fans across America. Blue debuted at number three on the pop charts, selling over 123,000 copies within its first week of release -- one of the largest figures to date in the history of the SoundScan tracking system.

The summer concert series wraps up Labor Day weekend with The Golden Boys, starring Frankie Avalon, Fabian and Bobby Rydell on Sunday, September 3 at 8:00 pm. These "Golden Boys" were three of the most popular Teen Idols of the late 50s and 60s. They have proved
to be an overwhelming live concert success. The Golden Boys spotlights each of the performers and their All Time greatest hits, "Turn Me Loose", "Tiger", "I'm A Man" (Fabian); "Venus", "De De Dinah", "Bobby Sox to Stockings" (Avalon); "Volare", "Wild One", "Kissin' Time" (Rydell). The three stars combine their talents on several songs and perform a tribute to the material of Elvis Presley, Bobby Darin, Rick Nelson and Bill Hailey.

Tickets for all four concerts are on sale April 22 at all Ticketmaster locations and the Tioga Downs gift shop. All events will be held outside rain or shine.

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Tioga Downs Casino Adds Golf Course


Nichols, N.Y.- April 12, 2017 – As Tioga Downs continues to evolve into a destination resort, the company has signed a 99-year lease with Tioga Recreation Association for the Tioga Country Club.  Weather permitting, Tioga Downs plans to open the course for the 2017 season on Saturday, April 15 under the name Tioga Golf Club.    

One of the first action items at the new Tioga Golf Club is building a clubhouse. As soon as the deal was closed, demolition began on the existing clubhouse to make room for a new structure which will include a new dining location, pro shop, locker rooms and spacious banquet space for those looking to host special occasions at the club.

During the construction period, guests will be accommodated with a temporary structure that will house registration/check-in, a pro shop as well as snacks and alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverages. Beverage service will also be available on the course.  The club is also getting all new E-Z Go golf carts which will be available the beginning of May.

Bob Taylor, manager of golf operations, will remain in his current position at the new Tioga Golf Club.

“The changes Tioga Downs is making at the club are going to raise the quality of the overall experience for guests.  I’m excited to be a part of the growth and positive changes this will bring to Nichols,” Taylor said.

Over the past year, Tioga Downs has dramatically expanded with the opening Virgil’s Real BBQ last summer and the opening of the commercial casino in December which includes 944 new slot machines, 23 table games and a 12-table WSOP-affiliated poker room.  The pace isn’t slowing down at Tioga Downs with construction well under way on the 161-room hotel, event center, Ageless Spa and P.J. Clarke’s.

“We’re looking forward to the completion of the hotel project in the late fall,” said Scott Freeman, president and general manager of Tioga Downs.  “It’s the final piece that will transform the property into a full-scale resort destination.”