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👻 Remember Syracuse's golden era of Halloween?

CNY used to have beloved local shops like Switz's and Dougherty's Masquerade, which offered beautiful handmade costumes available to buy or rent, hundreds of wigs and masks, and holiday decorations galore.

Now a whole generation is growing up with only Amazon or Spirit Halloween. How dull! How predictable. How corporate.

Local costume shops are going strong in other Upstate cities. The famous Arlene's Costumes in Rochester and The Costumer in the Capital Region have served their Halloween-loving communities for decades, alongside theater productions, local schools and home decor fans.

Why not here?

📰 Commentary from Katrina Tulloch: https://www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/10/syracuse-we-need-a-local-costume-shop-again-opinion.html

Fall festival season is here in Central New York, when we enjoy the bounty of harvest season, and soak up as much sun as possible before the colder months.

We’ve curated a list of over 25 major festivals and events in the greater Syracuse area in September and October, from musical gatherings to cultural celebrations and even a big video game convention.

Here's the full guide from Katrina Tulloch: https://www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/09/syracuse-fall-festival-guide-2026-see-giant-calendar-of-25-autumn-events-in-cny.html

One of the most famous businesses on the Syracuse University hill has been sold.

Varsity Pizza, which celebrates 100 years in business this year, will change hands effective Dec. 1. The new owners are Brian and Renee Bruno, who own Brian’s Landing in Jamesville.

Emily Kulkus reports: https://www.thisiscny.com/food/2026/09/su-hill-staple-to-change-owners-after-100-years-in-business-local-restaurateurs-take-over-dec-1.html

This piece was among our most-well read stories of the New York State Fair.

Fairgoers loved the Shrek Rave at Chevy Court. On social media, readers asked for more raves or similar nightlife experiences in Syracuse throughout the year.

Full commentary by Tim Carter: https://www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/09/why-does-shrek-continue-to-haunt-us-even-at-the-nys-fair-shrek-rave-photos-commentary.html

🐥 Reporter Steve Featherstone has been cruising the NYS Fair to pick up chicks since the 1970s.

"Sometimes my wife comes with me because she also enjoys picking up chicks at the fair. Say what you want. It’s a sign of a healthy marriage if you can pick up chicks with your spouse."

📰 Here are his top tips to score a great chick at the fair: https://www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/09/how-to-pick-up-chicks-at-the-ny-state-fair.html

🎡 Meet the NYS Fair illuminati.

They are New York State Fair lifetime passholders.

In 2018, the state fair did something it had never done before: it sold a very small batch of lifetime passes. The limited-edition (easy-to-lose) medallions could be used for admission to the fair every day for the rest of your life.

Two hundred coins, costing $200 each, sold out in minutes.

Emily Kulkus reports: https://www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/08/nys-fair-illuminati-these-super-elite-fairgoers-surprise-the-ticket-checkers-every-time.html

🤍 If you got married on Friday, where would you celebrate?

Kristina Chiarello and Thomas Murlin chose the New York State Fair. The two Cazenovia schoolteachers came straight from the ceremony, still dressed for it: Kristina in a white wedding dress and slip-on sneakers, Thomas in a blue suit.

They drove straight to the fairgrounds, made a beeline for the Pizze Fritte stand and then walked 12 steps next door to the new Villa Bar for a toast.

Charlie Miller photographed the happy couple: https://www.syracuse.com/statefair/2026/08/day-4-at-the-nys-fair-todays-handpicked-menu-includes-a-grooms-bouquet-of-fried-dough.html

Headlining the opening day of the New York State Fair, with the smell of corndogs and fried dough in the air, the All-American Rejects drew 36,000 fans to scream-sing millennial anthems in Suburban Park.

The band also took a beat to pay tribute to Dolly Parton, with a stripped-down cover of "I Will Always Love You."

Chris Cresswell has the review: https://www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/08/the-all-american-rejects-have-a-dirty-little-secret-theyre-a-great-live-act-nys-fair-review.html

Photo by Md Zobayer Hossain Joati.

🍺 Tim’s Brew Barn, featuring a saloon-style bar and kitchen with indoor and outdoor seating, officially opened last Friday at Tim's Pumpkin Patch.

All their alcohol is made in New York state, per farm brewery laws. Tim’s is brewing two IPAs, a sour and a light beer with a pumpkin beer coming soon, Stout said. New York beers from Big Ditch, Saranac and Meier’s Creek among others are available.

The food menu touts pub favorites including chicken tenders, burgers, pizza, wings and buckets of loaded tater tots.

Emily Kulkus has the full story: https://www.thisiscny.com/business/2026/08/tims-pumpkin-patch-opens-new-bar-and-restaurant-with-an-old-timey-saloon-feel.html

🐄 Cow lovers will love this change at the NY State Fair.

When fair officials instituted a new policy prohibiting vehicles inside fairgrounds from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., some exhibitors canceled popular events, like the barrel racing and horse pull.

But when one barn door closes, another one opens somewhere else.

For Dairy Barn co-superintendent Charlie Luchsinger, that newly opened door means a full day of ring time at the coliseum for the Open Holstein Show on Sunday, August 30.

Steve Featherstone reports: https://www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/08/dairy-cows-take-center-stage-at-coliseum-for-first-time-in-7-years-at-2026-nys-fair.html

More corners of downtown Syracuse are brightening as a small-scale Syracuse art program continues to cover utility boxes with vibrant paintings.

Local artists Soma Coker and Brooke Schmedicke are painting their winning designs on utility boxes this week and next: https://www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/08/public-art-covers-more-utility-boxes-in-downtown-syracuse.html

Rest in peace Mark Cass, the longtime leader of Syracuse’s Northside Learning Center, who helped build it into a home for New American families and a launchpad for young leaders.

Mark died Monday. He was 68.

His death was unexpected and “a shock to the whole community,” said Brice Nordquist, president of the Northside Learning Center board.

A celebration of his life is scheduled from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Renee Fox looks back on Mark's legacy: https://www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/08/syracuse-mourns-the-man-who-mentored-hundreds-of-new-americans-and-helped-lift-up-the-north-side.html

🥩 Jeff Steigerwald spent nearly a year turning the former bank into Steigs Grillhouse, a restaurant, bar and butcher shop built around a family meat business dating to 1936.

On Saturday, people filled the dining room for his soft opening.

Every table on the patio was occupied on a hot night. The bar was jammed. Steigerwald barely made it a few feet without somebody stopping him to shake his hand.

Charlie Miller reports: https://www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/08/first-look-a-90-year-old-butcher-shop-turns-an-old-bank-into-manlius-newest-restaurant.html

It’s been over a decade since Skaneateles has had a local bookstore, but fortunately Haley Flannery had big plans for her next chapter in the lakeside village.

Flannery opened her second location of All My Friends Books at 3 East Genesee St. last week. Her first location remains at 51 Main St. in Cortland.

The new bookshop is roughly 800 square feet, stacked with carefully curated fiction and nonfiction titles. Full story: https://www.thisiscny.com/business/2026/08/skaneateles-welcomes-new-independent-bookshop-all-my-friends-at-heart-of-village.html

This weekend is a warm one.

💧 Whether you need some fun in the sun, a place for kids to burn off energy or relief from a too-warm house, there are many pools, beaches and waterfalls within 60-90 minutes of Syracuse.

We’ve rounded up public swimming areas worth checking out. Dive into our list and don’t forget your sunscreen: https://www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/07/guide-to-central-new-yorks-lakes-and-waterfalls-open-for-public-swimming.html

Today, Trappers II owners Jennifer Wood and Steve Perry opened Goodwood Tavern, an upscale cocktail bar in the heart of Minoa. 🥃

Wood and Perry are betting people in Syracuse will drive a few extra miles for great drinks and thoughtful food.

"Across North Main Street, Trappers II buzzes with families grabbing pizza after baseball games," wrote Charlie Miller. "Inside Goodwood Tavern, the music is lower. Couples settle into leather chairs. The conversations are slower. So is the pace."

See his full report on the new tavern: https://www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/07/first-look-youd-expect-this-cocktail-bar-in-skaneateles-its-in-minoa-instead.html

🖼️ The 55th annual Syracuse Arts & Crafts Festival opened Friday, drawing throngs of shoppers downtown all day.

The free festival continues 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 25 and Sunday, July 26.

This year, the Downtown Committee of Syracuse included an AI policy in its artist application process. Any AI use in an artist’s work must be disclosed and works generated mainly by AI were not eligible for participation.

"Art is a solely human endeavor," said artist Rachel Ivy Clarke of Smooth Stitch Studio.

Full story by Amy Bleier Long: https://www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/07/in-this-strange-age-of-ai-syracuse-arts-crafts-festival-celebrates-human-artistry.html

Photos by Chloe Trofatter.

🎨 Lipe Art Park organized eight local artists this summer to paint new public art to be unveiled in Syracuse this weekend.

On Saturday, July 18, Art Extravaganza will celebrate the commissioned artists and host 40+ pop-up art vendors and live music from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The park is located on West Fayette Street on Syracuse’s West Side.

Wesley J. Pérez Vidal interviewed the artists: https://www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/07/lipe-art-park-unveils-new-murals-celebrating-syracuses-heritage-food-on-west-side.html

🦚 The Peacock is ready to fan its feathers after a two-year hiatus.

The popular bar and restaurant originally located in Cicero closed in April 2024. Their plan was to reopen just a few months later but roadblocks and site changes delayed the opening for years.

But for those craving their elaborate cocktails and indulgent dishes, the wait will soon be over. The Peacock has a new home in the Syracuse Inner Harbor.

Emily Kulkus has the story: https://www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/07/syracuses-peacock-bar-returns-with-outrageous-cocktails-new-inner-harbor-home.html

After years of planning and construction, The Mizpah, a wine bar and event space in The Mizpah Tower, held a ribbon cutting this week in advance of its opening next week.

The Mizpah Tower’s striking, gothic architecture has been a recognizable feature in the downtown skyline for more than a century.

Emily Kulkus reports: https://www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/07/the-mizpah-wine-bar-event-space-set-to-open-in-syracuses-historic-gothic-tower.html