e062 - The 315NY Weekly

Hi {{ first name | reader }},

Happy Friday, 315. Festival season hits full stride this week. The New York State Blues Festival returns to Chevy Court at the Fairgrounds, three days of world-class blues, admission free. The Syracuse Polish Festival brings three days of food, music, dance, a pierogi-eating contest, and the Miss Polonia presentation. Fort Ontario in Oswego stages a biennial Revolutionary War Weekend with a full reenacted siege as part of the America250 celebrations. And the Old Erie Canal Boat Float 'n Folk Festival pairs kayaking and paddling with live music at the Old Erie Canal State Historic Park. Pick a direction and you'll find something happening.

The stage is loaded. Syracuse Stage becomes the first theater in CNY to produce Disney's Frozen: The Broadway Musical. A Beautiful Noise, the Neil Diamond musical built with Diamond himself, plays the Landmark. Jagged Little Pill, the Alanis Morissette musical, runs at Redhouse. Syracuse Shakespeare in the Park returns for its 24th season with King Lear. Players of Utica continues Sweeney Todd. And Merry-Go-Round Playhouse in Auburn opens A Bronx Tale: The Musical. If you like live theater, this is your week.

It's also Pride weekend across much of the region. The CNY Pride Parade and Festival takes over Progress Park at Syracuse's Inner Harbor on Saturday, Potsdam holds its 4th Annual Pride Festival at Ives Park, Rome runs its Pride Fair downtown on Sunday, and Auburn Public Theater hosts a Pride Drag Show. Munson also kicks off a weekend-long Juneteenth observance Thursday evening with art, music, and food, the start of a community-wide celebration across the city.

A few quieter picks worth your time. The Voices from the Valley Ghostwalk takes you through the history of The Valley and present-day Nedrow at Heath Park. The Off The Dock Chamber Festival opens its season with Bach to Bluegrass at the Clift Park Gazebo in Skaneateles. Summer markets are in full swing, from the Fulton Downtown Arts Market to the Oneida County Public Market. And the strawberries are here, with Curtis Manor's annual Strawberry Festival running Sunday in Oswego County. This week's Foodie Corner heads to the north shore of Oneida Lake for The Cleveland House, a cozy lakeside spot turning out some of the best burgers in the region. More on that below.

Best, Jono

The admission-free 2026 New York State Blues Festival returns to Chevy Court at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, bringing three days of world-class blues and blues-inspired music to Central New York.

Step beyond the present and into the past with Voices From the Valley, an immersive Historic Ghostwalk at Heath Park in Syracuse. From its early days as The Hollow to present-day Nedrow, The Valley is rich with stories waiting to be rediscovered. Walk, listen, and experience the voices that shaped this place.

Created in collaboration with Neil Diamond himself, A Beautiful Noise is the uplifting true story of how a kid from Brooklyn became a chart-busting, show-stopping American rock icon. Catch the performance at Syracuse's Landmark Theatre.

Inspired by the Grammy-award winning album of the same name and 15-time Tony nominated musical, catch the show at Redhouse Arts Center in Syracuse.

The Syracuse Polish Fest is a three-day, family-friendly celebration of Polish culture, heritage, and traditions. In addition to Polish food, arts and crafts, music, and dance, the festival offers a pierogi-eating contest, a Miss Polonia presentation, and more.

Syracuse Stage is proud to be the first theatre in Central New York to produce Disney's Frozen the Broadway Musical for our cool community. Get ready for a blizzard of magic, breathtaking performances, and show-stopping songs that will melt your heart faster than a snowman in summer.

Syracuse Shakespeare in the Park returns for its 24th season with performances of "King Lear".

The CNY Pride Parade and Festival is a vibrant, family-friendly celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community, held annually at Progress Park in Syracuse's Inner Harbor. The parade features an energetic, colorful procession along Solar Street and West Kirkpatrick Street, showcasing the diversity and resilience of the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies.

Come on out to the Old Erie Canal State Historic Park for Boat Float N' Folk 2026. Join us for a great day of kayaking, paddling, music, food, and family activities.

Come to Pulaski Village South Park to stock up on local produce.

You're in for a treat. On The Brink and Anna Marie will be rockin' the Stick & Rudder in Sterling.

Enjoy some tunes with us at Brandon's Pub in Sterling.

Come to Fulton to enjoy live music, artisans, local farm and market vendors, a kids zone, and food trucks.

Join us at The Foundry in Oswego for a free day of live music, shopping, cocktails and beer, food, kids activities, and local vendors.

Get ready for an unforgettable summer of live music, great vibes, and outdoor fun at Lakeview Lanes & The Yard. Gather your friends, bring your lawn chairs, and enjoy incredible performances under the open sky.

Join us at Fort Ontario for our biennial Revolutionary War Weekend and reenactment. This event is part of our America250 celebrations and will feature a large-scale reenacted siege of the Fort starting at Washington Park. There will be encampments, demonstrations, and talks throughout the day inside and outside the Old Stone Fort.

Curtis Manor's Annual Strawberry Festival is back. Join us for a bounce house, games, crafters, live music, strawberries, drinks, chicken BBQ, and more.

Join us and connect with local authors, learn how to build characters and storylines, or simply come for the great company.

Find fresh fruits and veggies, unique items from local vendors, and enjoy fresh dishes from food vendors all season long.

Come experience the wild yet smooth stylings of a brand new purely original local band. With a whirlwind improvised performance format, COAX OUT guarantees to bring you on a magic carpet ride of unexpected turns through styles, moods, and raw emotions. Join us at The Other Side in Utica.

Enjoy some live music at Copper City Brewing in Rome.

Step into the shadowy streets of Victorian London and experience Sweeney Todd, the razor-sharp musical thriller by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler that has captivated audiences for decades. Catch the show at Players of Utica.

Backyard Hope, the City of Utica Youth Bureau, and Safe Schools Mohawk Valley are excited to invite you to Utica Unity Weekend, a series of free events designed to bring our community together through fun, connection, and support.

Join us for a day of fresh flavors, local goods, and community fun. Browse a wide selection of locally grown fruits and vegetables, homemade baked goods, artisan products, and more. Meet the farmers and makers behind your favorite items and enjoy a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere for all ages.

Spend the day exploring a variety of local vendors, enjoying food, games, and live demonstrations at Bellamy Harbor Park in Rome.

Join us in downtown Rome for our annual Pride Fair. We will have dozens of vendors, fun activities, flags, stickers, and many other doodads available, all for free.

Come to Copper City Brewing in Rome for beer, smiles, and music.

Gigs on the Green is back for Summer 2026 and we're kicking off the summer fun with Ryan Quinn. Come join us in Rome for food, music, drinks, and lawn games.

Munson celebrates the start of the weekend-long, community-wide observance of Juneteenth with a special evening of art, music, food, and cultural connections. Join us as we honor this important day with a welcoming gathering that sets the tone for a vibrant weekend of reflection and remembrance across the city.

Join us for an evening of lively trivia, 50/50 raffle, food and drink, and friendly competition. All proceeds cover the costs associated with relocating and rebuilding a safe, fun community dog park.

Our Pride Weekend drag show is back with an all-star cast. Come join us in Potsdam.

Indian Creek Nature Center will host "Dragonflies of the Center". Dragonflies and damselflies, known as aerial acrobats, will be observed in aquatic habitats around the center's ponds, trails, and fields.

Join St. Mary's Church in Canton for a musical afternoon as part of their 150th Anniversary celebrations. Bring your own lawn chairs or picnic blankets and enjoy a free performance by dynamic husband-and-wife duo The Dotys.

Come to Parishville Beach for the 5K or 1-mile fun run, food, games, live music, art, and more.

It's our 4th annual Pride Festival. Join the fun at Ives Park in Potsdam.

NRCIL is proudly participating in the second annual Get Outdoors and Get Together Day. Join us for a trip to Southwick Beach State Park for a beautiful day at the beach, a picnic lunch of hotdog, chips, and water, and a Sandcastle Contest.

1UP Wrestling and The Northern Federation of Wrestling team up for the first time ever to present Double Noggin Knocker. Join us in Watertown for the show.

Come to CCE in Watertown to learn the basics of hot water bath and steam canning and make a jar of strawberry jam to take home.

Who is Dominic Gambaiani and how did he get here? Join us at Auburn Public Theater to experience his "Road to Auburn".

Enjoy some live music at the Weedsport taproom.

In this experimental workshop, students will learn lashing and chaotic weaving methods for building skeletal structures with rattan and bamboo. On these frameworks, explore methods for building skins with rice papers, pigmented and unpigmented gut, and recycled netting. Come explore your artistic side at Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center in Auburn.

Based on the critically acclaimed play that inspired the classic film, this streetwise musical comedy will take you to the stoops of the Bronx in the 1960s, where a young man is caught between the father he loves and the mob boss he'd love to be. Join us at the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse in Auburn.

Auburn Public Theater is proud to present the Pride Drag Show, hosted by Ivanna Michaels and Ginger Gigi Diamond. Celebrate Diversity, Love, and Pride Month with a drag show.

Rosé Soirée, a yearly fundraiser put on by Geneva Community Projects, highlights Finger Lakes Dry Rosé while creating a classic soirée-style celebration.

Off The Dock Chamber Festival presents Lakeside Kickoff: Bach to Bluegrass at Clift Park Gazebo in Skaneateles. This lakeside event features an engaging program for strings ranging from Bach to Bluegrass. Bring your seat and some snacks, and settle in for some great music.

Stop down at AT Walley in Auburn and enjoy the tunes, the food and beverage, and of course, the view.

Thank you for reading, sharing,
and being part of this.

Jono Chowdhury
Founder, 315NY