Author Cat Johnson

I love where I live (so much I wrote a bunch of books set here) but lately there’s been interest from people who don’t live here in visiting my little upstate New York village of Unadilla, the real life inspiration for the fictional town of Mudville in my books. No surprise. We do have the best Fall Fest in the area (always held on a Sunday in late September).

So, in case you’re interested, I decided to compile a visitors guide to my town and beyond. This list is accurate to the best of my knowledge at the time of posting, but things change rapidly around here. Small businesses are here today and gone tomorrow and hours change seasonally. Please call ahead if you’re planning a trip. And let me know!

For a calendar of Unadilla NY Events head to the Go Unadilla NY Website at https://gounadillany.wordpress.com/ and Follow the Go Unadilla NY Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/GoUnadillaNY

Sites located in Unadilla, NY (aka Mudville)

Green’s Long River Inn & Liquor Store (The bar from the books) Bar, Food, Liquor Store (hours vary by day) 54 State Highway 357, Unadilla, NY (607) 369-9903 Facebook

House of Consignment (aka Red’s Resale) Fashion & Furnishings 214 Main St, Unadilla Open Daily (607) 369-2827 Facebook Website

Library Open limited hours 193 Main St, Unadilla, NY (607) 369-3131 Facebook Website

Diner (607) 610-4025 198 Main St, Unadilla, NY 13849 Officially called “The Donut Hut at the Unadilla Diner”. Open daily at 6am. Menu includes eggs, sandwiches, hamburgers, donuts, bagels and more.

Unadilla House (aka “Mudville House”) FOR SALE

Country’s longest continuously running Flag Day Parade happens on Main Street in Unadilla annually on Flag Day (June 14th) approximately 6PM.

Susquehanna River (aka Muddy River) There’s a boat launch in every town, parks, benches and a couple of restaurants river front.

Covered Bridge Farm Market 🐶 (aka “Morgan Farm” and the site of Fall Fest) Vegetables, milk, pumpkins, mums & more! Seasonal Hours Only. Daily 10-6 in Season. 331 Covered Bridge Rd, Unadilla, NY (607) 435-1478 Facebook 🐶Dog friendly

“Honey Buns” Coffee Shop 187 Main Street, Unadilla, NY (CLOSED)

Green Giraffe Vintage Shop Open 179 Main Street, Unadilla, NY (607) 369-3234 Facebook

Train Depot & Warehouse (aka Once Upon a Vine Books & Wine and the cadaver lab) 27 Depot St, Unadilla, NY 13849 Currently vacant

Village Variety (hardware/variety store from the books) 233 Main St, Unadilla, NY (607) 369-9444 M-Sa 9-5:30 Su 10-3 Facebook

Unadilla Drive-In Movie Theater 1706 State Highway 7, Unadilla, NY (Open May-Sept) Facebook 🐶Dog friendly

Where to Eat & Shop Nearby

Heading West from Unadilla in the Greater Unadilla Area

Awestruck (Hard cider) Th-Sa 3-10PM, Su 11AM-5PM 8 Winkler Road, Sidney, NY 🐶Dog friendly outdoor seating weather permitting info@awestruckciders.com Facebook Website

Muddy River Brewery Taproom open F 3-9, Sa 1-9 pm, Su 12-8 pm in Season 15544 County Highway 23, Unadilla, NY Facebook Website 🐶Dog friendly outdoor seating weather permitting

Sidney, NY

Trackside Diner Dine in/Take Out 88 Main St, Sidney, NY (607) 563-3737 Daily 6am-8pm Facebook Free WiFi

Okinawa Sushi & Bubble Tea 3 Main St, Sidney, NY 13838 (607) 561-9393 M-Th 10:30am-9PM, Sa 11-20, Su 12-9 Website Facebook Online Menu

Gavin’s Pizza/Salad/Wings 12 Division St., Sidney, NY (607) 563-2697 Closed Mon, Tu-Th 11-8:30, Fr 11-9, Sa 12-9, Su 12-6 Facebook

Machos Tacos Mexican 25 Grand Street, Sidney, NY (607) 563-8226 11-8pm Closed Sun Facebook Order Online

Walgreens 10 Main St, Sidney, NY (607) 563-2166 M-Sa 8am-9pm, Su 9-6 Facebook Website

China City 7 River St, Sidney, NY (next to Walgreens) (607) 563-9988 Website Facebook Open 10:30-9, Closed Mon

Pizza Hut 2 Mang Dr, Sidney, NY (607) 563-1000 Take-out/Delivery Daily Website

Price Chopper Grocery 165 Delaware Ave Sidney, NY 13838 (607) 563-2733 Website

McDonald’s 141 Delaware Ave Sidney, NY 13838 Open Daily Website

Wakeman Coffee Co. Coffee & Sandwiches 66 East Main Street, Sidney, NY (607) 561-9330 Closed M-Tu, W-Fr 6:30am-2pm, Sa 7-2, Su 8-2 Facebook Menu

🏨Super 8 by Windham Hotel 4 Mang Dr, Sidney, NY, 13838 Website

🏨Algonkin Motel Website 607-967-5911 ext.27 Your roadside motel Schitts Creek adventure starts here! Family-owned since 1950. Free Internet, cable TV, in-room fridge & microwave. Rooms start at $65/night year-round (NO seasonal pricing) tax included!

In Bainbridge

Bob’s Diner 26 N Main St, Bainbridge, NY (607) 967-3111 M-Sa 6-8, Su 6-2 Website Facebook

Jerry’s Inn Bar & Grill 18 West Main St, Bainbridge, NY (607) 320-4545 Facebook Menu

🏨Bainbridge House Bed & Breakfast 607-320-4003 1648 County Road 39 Bainbridge NY Facebook

General Clinton Canoe Regatta World’s Longest Single Day Flat Water Canoe Race, Memorial Day Weekend on the Susquehanna River between Cooperstown & Bainbridge NY Website

In Afton

Afton River Club Restaurant 51 Maple St, Afton, NY (607) 639-3060 M-F 4-8 Facebook

Main Street Grill Restauant 174 Main Street, Afton, NY (607) 639-2223 Closed Su-M Tu-Sa 11-8 Facebook Menu

Baristacrats Coffee Bar 190 Main Street, Afton, NY (607) 743-2401 M-Sa 7-3, Su 8-1 Facebook Order

Ye Olde Tome Bookstore & More 181 Main St, Afton, NY 607-242 8180 Closed Su-M Facebook

Merchants on Main Multi-Vendor Antique Store 180 Main St, Afton NY (607) 208-4003 Closed Mon, Open Tu 1030-4, W-Th 1030-6, F 1030-7, Sa 10-6 Facebook

Hickory and Doc Gifts & Antiques 169 Main Street, Afton, NY (607) 222-6805 Closed Su-M Open 10-5 Tu-Sa Facebook

Afton Motor Sports Park Website

Heading East from Unadilla 

In Franklin

Franklin Stage Company professional, admission-free theater, season typically runs from the end of June to the end of August. Chapel Hall.

Franklin Farmers Market- Memorial Day to Columbus Day Sundays 10-2 located at Chapel Hall

Read More: Hometown Throwdown: Feelin’ Funky in Franklin, New York

The Tulip and the Rose Cafe Breakfast/Brunch 435 Main St, Franklin, NY (607) 829-4040 Facebook

Yokel (Breakfast/Lunch Sandwiches) Closed Mon Facebook

🏨KOA Cabin Rentals & Camping Website 242 Union Church Road Franklin, NY 13775 Open April 15 to October 19 Reserve: 800-562-7658

East Sidney Lake -a 2 1/2 mile long lake formed by the dam built by the Army Corps of Engineers. Open from May-September for campers, boating (docks, launch), picnic tables, grills, swimming, showers, toilets. Admission fee. Site Fun Fact: From the lake you can see the farm John Lennon and Yoko Ono bought in 1978. In 2023, Yoko left the Manhattan apartment in the “Dakota” she’d shared with him (where he was shot and killed in 1980) and retired here to the farm in Franklin. More 🐶Dog friendly

In Otego

The O at 112 BBQ 112 Main Street, Otego, NY (607) 988-0179 Open F 4-9pm, Sa 12-830pm Facebook  

In Oneonta

Walmart 5054 NY-23, Oneonta, NY 13820 Site

Starbucks 772 State Highway 28 Oneonta, NY 13820 Site 6am-9pm Daily

Denny’s  4979 NY-23, Oneonta, NY 13820 Site

Buffalo Wild Wings 768 NY-28, Oneonta, NY 13820

Al Fresco Pizza 26 Main St, Oneonta, NY (607) 432-8466 closed Su-M, Tu-Sa 11-9 Facebook Website

The Autumn Cafe 244 Main St, Oneonta (607) 432-6845 Website Closed Mon, Tu 4-9, W-Th 11-9, F-Sa 11-9, Su 10-3 Fun Fact: “Frasier” and “Cheers” star, actor Kelsey Grammar, was recently photographed at the bar here. More

The Yellow Deli 134 Main Street Oneonta NY Website (607) 431-1155

Oneonta Tap Room Site The results of a joint effort by the Muddy River Brewery, Wakeman Coffee and Ty’s Taco-ria. Westgate Plaza 107 Winney Hill Rd, Oneonta, NY 13820 Closed Wed-Th. Open M, Tu, F 3-9. Sa-Su opens at 12.

A Little Farther but Less than 1 Hour Away

Cooperstown, NY

Baseball Hall of Fame 25 Main St Cooperstown, NY 13326 (888) 425-5633 Website Facebook Tickets Required

Fenimore Museum of Art 5798 State Highway 80, Cooperstown, NY (607) 547-1400 Daily 10-5 Facebook Website Outdoor Lakeside Theater Productions in season!

Farmers Museum 5775 State Highway 80, Cooperstown, NY (607) 547-1450 Daily 10-5 Facebook Webite

The Otesaga Hotel’s Hawkeye Bar & Grill Fine Dining on Lake Otsego (as seen in Honey Buns) Website Reservations: (607) 544-2524 60 Lake St, Cooperstown, New York 13326

Glimmerglass State Park Website 1527 County Highway 31 Cooperstown, NY 13326

Glimmerglass Festival Opera July-Aug Website

Article: 4 Restaurants in Otsego County that are Worth the Drive 

BINGHAMTON

Roberson Museum & Science Center 30 Front Street Binghamton, NY. Museum, events, classes, planetarium, gift shop. Daily 11-5, Th-Fr til 9PM

Ross Park Zoo 60 Morgan Rd Binghamton. Former home of internet sensation “April the Giraffe”. Daily 10-4

About 2 Hours Away

Read about Sharon Springs

Beekman 1802 The Fabulous Beekman Boys’ Shop Bodycare & More 187 Main Street, Sharon Springs NY Daily 10-6 Website Facebook

American Hotel 192 Main St, Sharon Springs, NY (518) 284-2105 Facebook Website

Seneca Falls, NY believes their town was Frank Capra’s real life inspiration for Bedford Falls in “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Visit the museum year round or come for the annual festival the second week in December. Website