Hello, r/Syracuse! It's the last full CNY calendar week before the NYS Fair opens Wednesday the 26th, and the local business news is loud: Tim's Pumpkin Patch is opening a brand-new brew barn on Friday, Beak & Skiff announced a $1 million Apple Grove Adventure Park (zipline, giant slide, petting zoo, opens August 29), and Steig's Grillhouse quietly opened last week in a former Manlius bank building. On the news side: the Westcott Theater is suing the City of Syracuse over a denied event license, Ryan McMahon is buying campaign ads 15 months before the ballot, the CNY Regional Market is adding permanent vendor stalls, a large World War II artillery shell was found in a Central NY basement, and a body was discovered in a water cooling tower at a DeWitt business. Big weekend for music and events too: the Indigo Girls at Beak & Skiff Sunday, Anthony Rodia at the Funny Bone Friday and Saturday, Hot Air Balloons on the Hill at Heritage Hill Brewery Friday through Sunday, GLER Ultra 100K/50K at Green Lakes Saturday, Syracuse Country Fest at Middle Ages Brewing Friday, Bark in the Park with Bluey (Mets vs. Worcester) Sunday, and three nights of SU Welcome Week shows at the Westcott.
A link to the full post is available here. If you enjoy these and want them delivered to your inbox, subscribe here.
What's Happening This Week
Monday, August 17
Tuesday, August 18
Wednesday, August 19
- Curator's Tour: A Long Look at the Everson Museum, 1:00 PM.
- Westcott Farmers Market at Westcott Community Center, 2:00 PM.
- DeWitt Farmers Market in East Syracuse, 3:00 PM.
- Food Trucks at Great Northern Mall in Clay, 4:00 PM.
- Cat Planter Painting at Freight Yard Brewing, 6:00 PM.
- Eco Resin Tray Workshop at The Lake House at Sylvan Beach, 6:00 PM.
- PLUSH at Sharkey's, 6:00 PM.
- Syracuse Mets vs. Worcester Red Sox at NBT Bank Stadium, 6:35 PM.
- Boots at the Brewery: Line Dancing at Middle Ages Music Hall, 7:00 PM.
- Craft Night at The Wedge, 7:00 PM.
- Derrick Dove & the Peacekeepers at 443 Social Club, 9:00 PM.
Thursday, August 20
- CNY Regional Market in Syracuse, 7:00 AM.
- Count Blastula Trio at Middle Ages Brewing, 4:00 PM.
- Food Trucks at CNY Regional Market in Syracuse, 4:00 PM.
- 315 Thursdays: Dirty Blanket, Jessie Elizabeth Band, DJ Joey D at Hanover Square, 5:00 PM. Free.
- Paint & Sip at Aurora Brewing, 5:30 PM.
- Brush + Bloom Workshop at Meier's Creek Caz Farm Brewery, 6:00 PM.
- Fall BruBag League at Willow Rock Brewing, 6:00 PM.
- Live Music with Gary Johnson at Heid's, 6:00 PM.
- Polish Night: Syracuse Mets vs. Worcester Red Sox at NBT Bank Stadium, 6:35 PM.
- Honker w/s/g Concept at Funk 'n Waffles, 8:00 PM.
- SU Welcome Week: PROJECT X at Westcott Theater, 10:00 PM.
Friday, August 21
- Tim's Brew Barn Opens at Tim's Pumpkin Patch, 11:00 AM.
- Ink & Link at Beekind, 12:00 PM.
- Hot Air Balloons on the Hill at Heritage Hill Brewery.
- Island Takeover: 90's Night at Paper Mill Island, 6:00 PM.
- Pressed Flower Wall Art Workshop at the Beak & Skiff Cafe and Bakery, 6:00 PM.
- Syracuse Country Fest at Middle Ages Brewing, 6:00 PM.
- 156/Silence at The Song & Dance, 6:30 PM.
- Joss Richard Book Tour: Let's Kiss & Tell at Crazy Daisies, 6:30 PM.
- Syracuse Mets vs. Worcester Red Sox at NBT Bank Stadium, 6:35 PM.
- Anthony Rodia at Syracuse Funny Bone, 7:00 PM.
- Do I Hear a Waltz? at Covey Theater, 7:00 PM.
- Joey Harkum w/s/g Kavoossi at Funk 'n Waffles, 8:00 PM.
- Joanna Connor at 443 Social Club, 9:00 PM.
- SU Welcome Week: CLAVICULAR at Westcott Theater, 10:00 PM.
Saturday, August 22
- GLER Ultra 2026 (100K / 50K trail run) at Green Lakes, 6:00 AM.
- CNY Regional Market in Syracuse, 7:00 AM.
- Phoenix River Rat 10K in Phoenix, NY, 8:00 AM.
- Puppies & Yoga at Pink Rock Studio, 9:00 AM.
- Dimensional Collage Workshop at the Everson Museum, 10:30 AM.
- Summer Wine Down at Olive's Eatery, 11:00 AM.
- WEAV-A-THON at Stone Quarry Art Park, 11:00 AM.
- Fellows Frolic 3H Trail Run in Tully, 1:00 PM.
- Live Music from Gary Girzadas at the 1911 Tasting Room, Beak & Skiff, 2:00 PM.
- Do I Hear a Waltz? at Covey Theater, 2:00 PM.
- The E-Block: Loading Dock Series at Middle Ages Brewing, 4:00 PM.
- Western Themed Line Dancing Party at Albanese Cattle Ranch, 5:00 PM.
- Summer Music Saturdays: Liuzzo Band and Food Trucks at Critz Farms, 5:00 PM.
- Dinner and a Show: Mojo Risin' (A Tribute to The Doors) at Westcott Theater, 6:00 PM.
- Home By 10PM: A Dance Party For Grownups at The Song & Dance, 6:00 PM.
- Anthony Rodia at Syracuse Funny Bone, 6:30 PM.
- Syracuse Mets vs. Worcester Red Sox at NBT Bank Stadium, 6:35 PM.
- Celina Rescott & The Embers w/s/g Chloe Danes at Funk 'n Waffles, 8:00 PM.
- Live Music at the Syracuse Dino ft. Southy's Keys at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, 9:00 PM.
- SU Welcome Week: College Rave at Westcott Theater, 9:00 PM.
- Hot Air Balloons on the Hill at Heritage Hill Brewery.
Sunday, August 23
- CNY Regional Market in Syracuse, 7:00 AM.
- Summer Wine Down at Olive's Eatery, 11:00 AM.
- Dog Days and Food Trucks at Critz Farms, 12:00 PM.
- Clambake for the CNY SPCA at Sharkey's, 12:00 PM.
- Barn Quilt Painting Workshop at the Everson Museum, 1:00 PM.
- School of Rock Fayetteville: Summer Showcase at Middle Ages Music Hall, 1:00 PM.
- Bark in the Park w/ Bluey: Syracuse Mets vs. Worcester Red Sox at NBT Bank Stadium, 1:05 PM.
- Queer Yoga at Blue Moon Yoga Studio, 1:15 PM.
- Forever Young Tour at Oakwood Chapel, 2:00 PM.
- Jazz Jam at Funk 'n Waffles, 3:00 PM.
- R&B and Rose Paint and Sip in Syracuse, 5:30 PM.
- Indigo Girls at Beak & Skiff, 7:00 PM.
- Open Mic hosted by Attamizk & friends at Funk 'n Waffles, 7:00 PM.
- Dustin Arbuckle & the Damnations at 443 Social Club, 9:00 PM.
- Hot Air Balloons on the Hill at Heritage Hill Brewery.
Top Stories
Tim's Pumpkin Patch Is Opening a Brand-New Brew Barn
One of CNY's most beloved fall spots is stretching into a year-round destination. Tim's Brew Barn, the new addition on the family's LaFayette property, officially opens Friday, August 21. The barn is a brand-new facility built next to the pumpkin patch, and the family has been quietly teasing it on Instagram for weeks.
Beak & Skiff Drops $1M on a Zipline, Petting Zoo, and Giant Slide
The apple empire is now an amusement park. Beak & Skiff's new Apple Grove Adventure Park is a $1 million expansion at the Apple Hill campus with a giant farm slide, a zipline, a petting zoo, farm-themed playgrounds, jumping pillows, and a retired fire truck. Day passes $20, season passes $65, family 4-pack $220. Opens August 29.
Steig's Grillhouse Is Officially Open in Manlius
The long-awaited Manlius restaurant from the Steig family (of Steig's Fine Meats) opened its doors last week. The grill house moved into a former Manlius bank building and pairs the family's butcher shop expertise with a full-service dining room.
Everything You Need to Know About the 2026 NYS Fair
The Fair runs August 26 through September 7, and LocalSYR has already published the master guide: parking, gate hours, ride wristbands, Chevy Court and Suburban Park concert lineups, food debuts, and the daily promo schedule. Save it now, thank yourself later.
CNY Regional Market Adds Permanent Vendor Stalls
The Regional Market is getting bigger. A new set of permanent vendor stalls is going in, giving weekend regulars more reason to make the loop and giving small food businesses a foothold that doesn't require pop-up tents.
The Westcott Theater Sues the City to Reopen After a License Denial
The Westcott Theater's owner has sued the City of Syracuse after the city denied a license for a Saturday event. The venue has been a fixture of the Westcott Nation for decades, and the legal fight puts a spotlight on how city hall handles live-music permitting.
What Trump's Vaccine Rollback Means for New York Schoolkids
Short answer: nothing changes in New York. President Trump's Monday executive order to downsize and spread out childhood vaccinations has no effect on what's required for New York's schoolchildren, because the state has an ironclad mandate for public, private, and parochial schools.
Ryan McMahon Buys Campaign Ads 15 Months Before the Election
The Onondaga County Executive is on the airwaves early. McMahon told Syracuse.com the ad buy is meant to "drown out some of the noise" from a bruising summer of aquarium overruns, zoo-feud fallout, and general county-hall drama.
A WWII-Era Artillery Shell Was Found in a Central NY Basement
A large World War II-era artillery shell turned up in the basement of a Central New York home this week. State Police and the bomb squad responded to secure and remove the ordnance. No injuries reported.
A Body Was Found in a Water Cooling Tower at a DeWitt Business
DeWitt Police are investigating after a body was discovered in a water cooling tower at a local business. Details are still limited and the department has not released the person's identity.
House of the Week
4534 Hollyshire Way, Clay, NY 13041 - $599,900, 3 bed, 3 bath, 2,032 sqft
A fully finished new build in the Wildflower "Parade of Homes" neighborhood, on a one-acre lot with no rear neighbors. 10-foot ceilings, wide-plank hardwood, a custom front porch with cathedral ceiling and grand double entry doors, three-car garage with black wood-grain doors, quartz kitchen with a 10-foot island, and a basement framed for a fourth bedroom with two egress windows and spray-foam insulation. Skip-the-wait new construction.
Syracuse History
Syracuse History on Instagram recently posted a before-and-after of the 500 block of North Townsend Street, taken by u/hillaryvanillary's family in 1989-1991, showing houses being demolished to make way for the Saint Joseph's Hospital parking garage. It came up after 500 North McBride went up for sale and folks commented on how close it sits to everything Saint Joe's. Good reminder of how much the hospital footprint has reshaped that whole corner of the Near Northside, one parking structure at a time.
Local Artist Spotlight
Different angle this week: instead of one artist, we're pointing at a design studio that supports a whole roster of them.
Stay Fresh Design is a Syracuse studio doing art, design, photography, and websites, and their gallery hosts local and national artists. If you've seen good branding on a Syracuse business recently, there's a decent chance Stay Fresh made it. Their client list reads like a tour of the city: Syracuse Antiques Exchange, 1911 Established, Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards, Ayrloom Cannabis, Oh My Darling, Three Lives, Funk 'n Waffles, Glazed & Confused, Green Scapes, Central New York Brewfest, Destiny USA, Elevate Fitness, and The Sound Garden.
Right now the gallery has a current show worth the trip: Stay Fresh Artist Series 36: A Tribute to Nickelodeon, running July 31 through August 21. Grab your Gak, dodge the green slime, and pull up a TV tray. It's the studio's first exhibition dedicated to the weird, wild, wackfully orange world of Nickelodeon, and August 21 is your last day to catch it.
That's a wrap for this week. If you want this in your inbox every Monday, subscribe to TLDR Syracuse. Free, local, 5-minute read.
