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

New Park is one of three businesses that Abernethy owns in the Finger Lakes region. Originally from Butler County, Pennsylvania, Abernethy wasn’t always working in hospitality. Graduating from the University of Chicago with her MBA, she traveled around the world doing strategic marketing and consulting and did market research during the pandemic.

Real estate investing is what got her started in owning multiple venue properties, buying a townhouse in Philadelphia as well as a few apartments. She started doing Airbnb rentals out of these properties until it was banned in Hershey, PA. Knowing she loved the Finger Lakes region and how welcoming the area is, she bought a vacation house in Interlaken to rent out that quickly became a success. “There’s not a lot of pretentiousness, it’s a lot different here than other areas I’ve done business in” Abernethy remarked regarding the area.

New Park is well known for hosting scenic weddings and providing an immersive guest experience with their Irish cottage inspired suites, but Abernethy didn’t originally plan on using it to put on mostly weddings. After throwing the first few, she realized what an honor it is to be part of such an important day in peoples’ lives.

“They’re special events for a reason. I cry at almost every wedding we have, I’ve always loved rom-coms and being able to make peoples’ visions for their big day come true is emotional,” she says of hosting weddings.

Photo of a wedding ceremony at New Park Venue, courtesy of Sara Abernethy

Though running and selling the weddings usually defaults to Sara, she makes it a point to praise her staff, citing how hard they work and the fact that the three venues share a lot of the same staff. “Bartending, room turnovers, administrative duties… there’s so many people that play a huge part in how we run our venues,” Abernethy remarks. Focused heavily on the experience that people have and making sure they feel relaxed, New Park’s staff is sure to create a calm and seamless environment for their clients. The fact that the venue was built by local contractors and members of the community makes it that much easier for them to connect with those who utilize the venue and suites.

Bride and groom in front of one of the suites at New Park, courtesy of Sara Abernethy

As for her other two venues, Mill Creek Cabins are all about privacy. There are no events hosted here, so clients can enjoy their stay knowing that it will be whatever they make it to be. Located on forty acres of the Finger Lakes National Forest, they provide a getaway from everyday life while being modern enough to feel functional and comfortable. With full insulation, indoor plumbing, and equipped with personal 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. Starting as a way to supplement New Park and be able to provide events with catering, it’s now become a way for local artists, musicians, and comedians to make their events their own.

“We brought in a bartender that loves live music and brought a lot of music in. We like to sandwich 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 about,” Abernethy states.

Having a reciprocal relationship with clients and colleagues alike is at the heart of Abernethy’s business models, stating that “I feel like I have a real community here. The Tompkins Chamber [of Commerce] has been so welcoming.”

All of the venues serve different purposes for different needs of their respective clients, but the core values remain the same among them:

“I would say that being part of an economically thriving community is a core value of ours. Another is our commitment to our staff – we generate several full-time and part-time positions and do the best we can to pay at and above a living wages,” says Abernethy.

As for Abernethy’s goals for the venues, she has a vision for what each of them can be in the long term, it’s just a matter of how to get there. In the short term, keeping operations smooth and positive for her clients is of the utmost importance.

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.