Join Ish Guitars in welcoming Paul Reed Smith, a guitar building legend, for his first-ever visit to Syracuse. The day-long event will feature a showcase of guitars and amps, masterclasses with famous guitarists, a meet and greet with Paul, discounts and giveaways! Click here for the full schedule of events. Space is extremely limited, so make sure to sign-up in advance.

 

Ish.Guitars.com or 315-447-3243

Cost: Free admission 

Click here to register

DLawQ, a quartet of individuals committed to creating the funkiest, most soulful blend of music possible, will be at Maxwells this weekend! Plus, Melissa Gardiner will rock out on the trombone as a special guest. 

 

Cost: Free admission 

Come help the Hanover Square Association block out hunger in Syracuse! Join in the ultimate end-of-summer block party fully equipped with BBQ essentials, lawn games, music and prize drawings! All proceeds will go directly The Salvation Army's Youth Programs.

Tickets are $20 per person and include lunch, one free beer ticket (served at The Evergreen) and a raffle ticket for the prizes listed below. Additional tickets can also be purchased at the event to increase your chance of winning!

Prizes include:
- Grand Prize: A trip to Panama (value of $2,400) 5 nights of accommodation for up to 3 rooms (double occupancy) overlooking Panama's picturesque mountain range & fragrant coffee plantation at Los Establos Boutique Inn
- MOST family membership for a year, plus a birthday party for ten kids (Total value $350)
- Gift cards to local restaurants

Facebook.com or 315-870-3500

Cost: Free/Echelon members; $20/general public (includes lunch, 1 free beverage & a raffle ticket)

Click here to purchase tickets

Civic Morning Musicals in Recital Live features professional level artists who have strong ties to the Central New York area. This Sunday The Finger Lakes Trio will perform, featuring Sonya Stith Williams on violin, Heidi Hoffmann on cello, and Robert Auler on piano. The program, entitled "Affairs of the Heart," showcases the music of Clara Schumann, Johannes Brahms and Astor Piazzolla.

CivicMorningMusicals.org 

Cost: $20/ticket; Free for students with ID

Tickets are available at the door

Come celebrate the bicentennial of the Erie Canal with this five-day, world-class conference. The World Canals Conference provides an extraordinary opportunity to demonstrate strong support for Syracuse and Central New York as we celebrate 200 years of transformation on the Erie Canal. The public is invited to attend the whole five-day conference, or attend a single event. Click here to see the complete schedule of events.

From waterways to wine tours, you'll find your inspiration at the 2017 World Canals Conference!

WCC2017syracuse.com or 585-899-3288

Cost: Several events are free; conference registration ranges from $250 - $675

Click here to register

40 Below's Public Arts Task Force is celebrating the start of the World Canals Conference with a block party to officially unveil its Canal Crossings street murals. Attendees will have a chance to meet the artists, and learn about what inspired each mural. Jess Novak and Mark Nanni will perform live music from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm. Attendees will be able to view the murals from the second floor of the Erie Canal Museum as well, which will be open from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

Facebook.com

Cost: Free

Come learn about funding opportunities for pre-revenue startups. Explore funding opportunities from experts who can point them to various resources. Participants will also hear from founders who will share insights from their experiences. For a full-agenda, information about the two-part series, and to purchase tickets, click here.

 

TheTechGarden.com or 315-470-1970

Cost: $15-$25

Click here to register

A webinar geared toward small business owners offers helpful tips to successfully attract and retain customers and clients, adapt old marketing methods and embrace new techniques. This webinar offers opportunities to learn the best practices, strategies, tips and tactics business owners can apply to create loyal customers, including best social media practices, how to create killer content and the secrets to email marketing. The Tech Garden will provide refreshments, to confirm your attendance please email Lynn Hughes at [email protected].

TheTechGarden.com or 315-470-1970

Cost: Free

The Downtown Committee introduced a new fall planting program for the 2017 season, continuing its overall beautification mission. On Wednesday, members of the Downtown Committee staff planted 115 mum plants throughout Downtown Syracuse, beginning in Hanover Square. The crew also added vibrancy to M. Lemp Park and to points along the Onondaga Creekwalk throughout Armory Square and along Harrison Street. A grant from Syracuse Parks Conservancy helps support the program. To learn more about the Downtown Committee's overall beautification efforts and how you can play a role, please visit the Downtown Committee's website.

New apartments are planned for the upper floors of the buildings on South Salina Street known as the "Twin Sisters." A group of developers - Ryan Benz, Leigh Ann Boatman-Benz, Steve Case and Dr. Shashank Bhatt - want to create 16 new apartments on the upper floors of 321 South Salina Street and 323 South Salina Street. The apartments will be named Whitney Lofts. A main lobby would be located on the Bank Alley side of the buildings (which runs behind the buildings), with an entrance planned for South Salina Street as well. The buildings have played host to several retailers and manufacturers over the years, including the park Brannock Shoe Store, where the Brannock shoe-measuring device was invented. Most recently, 321 South Salina Street was home to a variety store, while 323 South Salina Street was the home of Lee's Express, a Chinese restaurant. The developers hope to restore the exterior of the building to its original Italianate Style facade featuring large windows, which were covered up in the 1960s. There are plans to bring a speakeasy and a restaurant to the ground floor, which sprawls across 5,500 square feet.

Click here for more information

Welcome to Downtown Syracuse, The Lion King Cast and Crew! You many have noticed tractor trailers behind the Landmark Theatre unloading the show's props and equipment, or perhaps you caught the changing of the marquee sign advertising the dates of performances (which start Thursday, October 26 and run through November 12). Excitement is building, as set-up begins. The Landmark Theatre's three-week run will kick off the reconfigured production of The Lion King's North American run. In the meantime, the Tony-award winning design team is re-creating its original designs so that the show can be performed in smaller venues that were previously unable to accommodate the sets. There's still time to purchase tickets. Tickets are available at the Landmark Theatre's Box Office, online through Ticketmaster.com, or may be purchased over the phone by calling 1-866-870-2717. For tickets for groups of 10 or more, please call 315-424-8210.

Click here for more information

Author, educator and researcher, Dr. Brene Brown (located in Houston, Texas) has started a charity to provide underwear to Hurricane Irma and Harvey victims. Underwear is often overlooked. It's a small comfort, but it helps victims in a big way, as many Hurricane victims are displaced from their homes, and not always able to have access to laundry facilities. The SUNY Oswego Metro Center is helping by acting as a collection location. You can help by purchasing new, unopened packages of underwear and delivering it to the front desk at the SUNY Oswego Metro Center, located in the Atrium Building at 2 South Clinton Street ( map). The Metro Center will mail all donations to the organization. The deadline for donations is Tuesday, October 31.

Click here for more information about the organization

Construction has started to repair the front podium at the Everson Museum of Art, but the Museum will remain open! In the meantime, the main entrance to the museum will be temporarily closed. Signs are posted to help direct museum-goers to another, handicap accessible entrance from the Community Plaza. 

Click here for more information about the project

Pastabilities pasta fans can now pick up dried pasta at Pasta's Daily Bread to create one of their favorite Pastabilities' dishes at home. The campanelle pasta is shaped like little bells, and pairs very nicely with Pastabilities' signature Hot Spicy Tomato Oil. Owner Karyn Korteling partnered with a small-batch pasta manufacturer in Brooklyn to create the product, which is also available through Pastabilities' website. The campanelle pasta was chosen because its unique shape holds several varieties of sauces, but Korteling recently told Syracuse.com there might be plans in the works to roll out additional varieties of dried pasta. 

Click here for the full story

If you own a small business located in the Central New York area, and have great idea for enhancing the community's health and wellness, you may be eligible for UnitedHealthcare's $10,000 Community Care award. A team of local judges, including representatives from CenterState CEO, will evaluate project submissions. In November, the top five finalists, and nonprofit partner representatives will present their ideas at The Tech Garden. A panel of business and healthcare experts will select the 2017 UnitedHealthcare Community Care Award winner. Applications are due by next Friday, September 29. Please submit a 300-word description of your project, and details on the community nonprofit that you choose to work with.

Click here for more information

If your travels will take you to Downtown this - or any upcoming - weekend in the next few months, and you plan to use the ride-sharing service, Lyft, Budweiser may have a deal for you: Starting today (Thursday, September 21), Budweiser has started to share a unique code on its Facebook and Instagram pages. The first 10,000 people who are at least 21 years old may claim a $20 credit (good for two $10 one-way rides) taken between 5:00 pm and 5:00 am Thursday, Friday or Saturday nights. The offer is available in any city that Lyft services in New York State, as well as ten other states. The offer is good through the end of the year. A new code will be made available every Thursday at 2:00 pm.

Click here for more information

Come to FHIIT Barre & Bodyworks for a healthy happy hour and help raise money for the Le Moyne Student Occupational Therapy Association! Each class costs just $10, and supports a hardworking student-run organization.

Class schedule:

Wednesday, October 11: 4:45 pm HIIT class and 5:30 pm Yoga class

Wednesday, October 18: 4:30 pm Barre class and 5:30 pm Yoga class

Spots are limited, and signing up online is recommended. 

All proceeds go to the Le Moyne Student Occupational Therapy Association.  

Click here for more information

Fabio's Antica Cucina, located in Icon Tower, is offering a special deal designed for residents of Icon Tower. All Icon Tower residents will receive 20% their purchases at Fabio's. Fabio's, located within Icon Tower at 344 South Warren Street, opened at the start of the summer. 

Click here for more information

Nathalie Emmanuel, who plays Missandei on 'Game of Thrones,' was recently spotted in Downtown Syracuse grabbing a bite at Original Grain. The HBO star is in the area filming a romantic comedy called "Holly Slept Over." The film will is expected to be released in 2018, either late next spring, or early next summer. 

Click here for the full story