The Professional Adulting Winter Series brings the best upbeat professionals together each week to engage in topics that matter most in our professional lives. In this series, participants will work with a facilitator to dive deep, get uncomfortable, and make the change needed to become a more effective leader. This week's session focuses on Diplomacy & Discretion. 

Each session highlights a key topic for growth in personal and professional effectiveness. The series continues Saturday mornings through March from 9:00 am to 11:00 am at 359 South Warren Street (map).

MichaelSgro.com or 315-399-5302

Cost: $20/session; $80 for the complete six week program

Click here to register

Every Saturday, Metro Fitness hosts a Pilates class at Sahm Brewing Company! Participants can enjoy an hour-long Pilates class, then enjoy a complimentary pint from Sahm Brewing Company! Pilates starts at 11:00 am. The bar is open exclusively to class members from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm. Space is limited, so sign up today!

 

The "Wake Up Call with Dan Tortora" LIVE pre-game show continues at Liehs & Steigerwald next Wednesday ahead of the Valentine's Day game against NC State. The pre-game show, featuring co-host Syracuse Basketball alum, Dale Shackleford, starts two hours before tip-off ahead of every Men's Basketball home game. Listeners may enjoy beverage specials as well as signature dish offerings in an ever-changing menu from Liehs & Steigerwald.

 

The live pre-game schedule for the rest of the season is as follows:

Wednesday, February 21 - 5:00 pm

Saturday, March 3 - Noon 

The 14 ^th annual serving of Downtown Dining Weeks, presented by Visions Federal Credit Union, starts one week from today, on Thursday, February 15! Head to DowntownSyracuse.com/DiningWeeks to see the list of participating restaurants and their menus.

New this year, restaurants are also serving lunch. There are 21 restaurants offering a three-course lunch for $10 or less, and keeping with tradition, 35 restaurants will offer a three-course dinner for $25 or less.  

While you're dining, don't forget to look for the chef's hat (pictured above) at each restaurant. Take a picture and email it to [email protected] for your chance to win a gift card to a downtown restaurant! Winners will be selected daily throughout Dining Weeks.

DowntownSyracuse.com or 315-422-8284

Cost: Three courses for $10 or less for lunch; three courses for $25 or less for dinner

Click here to see the menus

Click here to see how you can help feed the Food Bank

Syracuse Winterfest returns on February 15 with exciting activities including dozens of indoor and outdoor events, parties, cook-offs, mix-offs and nature activities. Winterfest offers something for all ages, so be sure to check out the calendar (linked below) to see everything that is going on.

Miss Syracuse Winterfest Pageant 

Thursday, February 15, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Marriott Syracuse Downtown, Grand Ballroom

20 contestants will compete for the title of Miss Syracuse Winterfest 2018. Categories include Formal Wear and Winter Wear.

Facebook.com

31st Annual Treasure Hunt

Kicks off Thursday, February 15

The Treasure Hunt medallion is hidden in an area that is open to the public in Onondaga County. Look for a new clue every day for your chance to win $2,000.

Syracuse.com/treasure-hunt

Winterfest Ice Block Party with Fireworks

Friday, February 16, 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm

500 South Warren Street (outside Marriott Syracuse Downtown)

This fun-filled community event includes street game activities, food and fireworks at dusk!

Facebook.com

To see the complete list of Winterfest events, visit  SyracuseWinterfest.com

Click here for more information about the program and how to get involved

Click here for more information

Peppino's Neapolitan is partnering with the leading online and mobile pizza ordering platform, Slice, and New York-based non-profit organization, Slice Out Hunger, to launch "Pizza Across America," a nationwide effort to help fight hunger. The campaign kicks off Friday, February 9 (tomorrow) on National Pizza Day.

Since launching in 2009, Slice Out Hunger has raised over $250,000 to fund hunger relief efforts through fundraisers, campaigns and events across the country. Peppino's Neapolitan will deliver donations to the Booth House of the Salvation Army in Syracuse. Slice Out Hunger gives participating pizzerias access to food banks and relevant charity organizations in various markets across all 50 states.  

Click here for more information

The Onondaga Historical Association (OHA) is offering a reading and discussion series, titled "Our World Remade: World War I," sponsored by Humanities New York. Participants will come together over the course of four sessions to discuss a variety of thematically linked texts. Led by OHA Curator of history Robert J. Searing, these four informal, monthly sessions will focus on selected readings including primary sources and larger monographs that deal with various aspects of the war, from the battlefield to the home-front and how the Great War fundamentally altered the course of warfare, geo-politics and the lives of ordinary people across the world.

The discussions will take place inside the OHA's World War I exhibit, which includes a wide variety of objects, including uniforms, helmets and other artifacts, and an incredible array of photographs and wartime images from Syracuse.

The program is free and open to the public, although pre-registration is required. For more information about the series and acquiring books, please contact Robert J. Searing at 315-428-1864 x319, or [email protected].

Click here for more information

Did you know a  woman can increase her chance of combating sexual assault by 75% by overcoming immobility and fighting back? Learn how to protect yourself and fight back at downtown's only Kung Fu studio, which will celebrate its official grand opening in Icon Tower ( map) in March! Syracuse Kung Fu is offering a very important course in Women's Self Defense, and spots are filling up quickly! 

Secure a spot by calling 315-395-3814 to register. The first 25 women to sign up will receive 30% off, but class size is limited.

Secure a two-week free trial at Syracuse Kung Fu and try other classes like Adult or Kids Kung Fu, Kickboxing, Bioenergetics or Lion Dancing. 

  Click here for more information

Each year, the City's Innovation Team (I-team) designs a data-driven approach to tackle one mayoral priority with innovative initiatives and programs to address that challenge. As Mayor Walsh starts his first term, the I-team is asking for public input to help select the next priority area. The areas include housing stability, neighborhood beautification, sidewalks, alternative transportation, neighborhood business districts, sustainability and renewable energy. Vote for the item you'd like to see the I-team tackle. Voting is open through next Wednesday, February 14.

Selecting this priority area is the first step in a year-long process to investigate the problem, generate ideas, develop solutions and finally implement and adjust the initiatives. Follow along with the process at  innovatesyracuse.com !

Click here to vote

Next Sunday, hair stylists from more than one dozen salons will go head-to-head (literally!) at the Landmark Theatre for the chance to become "Blowout Champion" in a Fantasy Hair Show. Tickets are on sale now, and all proceeds benefit ACRHealth. Several Downtown hair salons, including Pure, Salon Amare, Marissa's Fortress of Beauty and Element on Water, will compete! The theme is "Superheroes and Villains." 

With vendors, specialty cocktails, and live Superheroes presented by Cloud City Comics - attendees will be dazzled. Come see why Blowout won the 2016 Fundraiser Event of the Year!

General Admission tickets are $25, and include a gift bag. VIP tickets (which provide access to a special reception, as well as reserved seating and a gift bag) are $50. Reserve your tickets by calling 315-475-2430 or by visiting ACRHealth's website. 

Click here for more information