249. Golden Harvest Festival

I know I sound like a broken record here when I continue to say “it’s after labor day, and summer is over…”

But guys, summer is basically over. Not only are we all back at school again, and when I woke up it was probably 40 degrees outside…was that snow??! (just kidding).

I digress.

The Golden Harvest Festival is really awesome.  It’s lots of live music, activities, eating, and more. It’s held at Beaver Lake Nature Center Saturday & Sunday, September 7 & 8, and you’ll have a chance to go canoeing one last time, partake in a pie eating contest (!!!!), enjoy a scavenger hunt through the woods, listen to some live music (Los Blancos is playing there!)

It’s going to be an action packed weekend, and you won’t want to miss it!

Tip: It’s $5 for adults and $1 for Children (6-17)

Location: Beaver Lake Nature Center, 8477 East Mud Lake Road
There will be free parking on site and at the River Mall with continuous shuttles back and forth

229. Blueberry Jam

For the past few months I’ve been hearing everything there is to hear about the local band Sophistafunk.  It seems like they’re on everyone’s minds here in Syracuse…and for good reason. They’re really great! You’ve got a chance to see them perform today at the Blueberry Jam.

The Blueberry Jam is held by Critz Farms. They’re celebrating Blueberries and Live music and fun and community and this is going to be such a great time! Did you know that Blueberries are a superfood? So, on top of enjoying yourself at the Blueberry Jam you’re also improving your health!

The event is held at Critz Farms from 11am-8pm on Saturday August 17th. They’re going to have a variety of live music performances and also wine tastings (sign me up!), lots of food, and more!  I think I should change the name of the blog to 365 Things Wine in Upstate NY…maybe next year.

Tickets are $10 in advance, or $15 at the door.

Tip: While you’re there you can actually pick your own blueberries!

location: 3232 Rippleton Road – State Route 13, Cazenovia, NY 13035

223. Rachel Lyn Ice Cream

This is one of those very secret things here in Syracuse.

Have you ever gone to get ice cream at the Red Caboose?

The flavors, the serving sizes, the options..it feels incredibly endless.

On hot summer nights this is my favorite place to go to grab some ice cream with my folks or some friends. It’s super cheap, and you can even make your own flavor combos! And they’ve got 30+ flavor combos they can mix up for ya!

It looks like a red caboose right in front of the baseball fields on Downer Street…right off 690 for all you fellow city dwellers. This makes you feel like a quiet life is the perfect life.

It’s open during the summer months, and closed down in the winter time.

Tip: TRY THE BACON FLAVORED ICE CREAM!

location: 2289 Downer Street, Baldwinsville

217. Shakespeare In The Park

There’s excitement everywhere in Syracuse these days. So many fun things to do, so little time!

How are you planning on spending the last few weeks of summer?

Another fun little gem I found while researching for 365 Things Syracuse is Shakespeare in the Park.

Shakespeare in the Park is exactly what it sounds like…some really talented actors performing Shakespeare…in a park. Thornden park, to be specific.

This years production is of the comedy/romance, A Winter’s Tale. This is a free event in the park! Cool! The shows will be August 8-11 and August 15-18 starting at 5:30pm, Sunday shows starting at 2pm.

This sounds like a really cool way to incorporate the beautiful scenery of Thornden Park, the arts and the community. I will definitely be checking this out!

Tip: This event is held in the ampitheater section at Thornden Park, bring your own seats if you don’t want to sit on rocks or grass!

location: Thornden Park the park is located between Ostrom Avenue, Madison Street, and South Beech Street

216. Irongirl

The Irongirl competition is really cool…it’s designed primarily for women, primarily for first time competitors to take on the daunting task of completing a very difficult challenge.

It’s sort of a preface to the Ironman.

Today, August 4, at Oneida Shores there will be the 5th annual Irongirl competition. It’s a 600 meter swim followed by a 30k bike ride and finally a 5k run….whew! Serious hard work!

It’s today. Go cheer on all the competitors! If you’re feeling inspired, keep up with Athleta and Irongirl to know when to register for next years race!

Tip: If you’re going to go cheer on the competitors, make a cool sign to carry! Here are some cool ideas!

211. Hinerwadel’s Open Clam Bake

If you haven’t already figured it out I am a sucker for seafood. I love clam chowder, especially from The Bville Diner…(it is the best, i swear!) I recently had a delicious seafood chowder at Blue Tusk, and I have made a point to mark my calendar for Hinerwadel’s Open Clam Bake.

Hinerwadel’s is cool, it’s available for private parties,…so basically you need to know someone who is throwing a clam bake…anyone interested in inviting me, you know where to find me. You can also buy fresh seafood there if you’re looking to throw a clam bake of your own.

Every year, however, Hinerwadel’s throws an open clam bake, for people who haven’t found that invite from a friend for their private clam bake. And every year, hundreds of people show up, and clams are served in quantities so large it makes your eyes bulge. There’s fried clams, raw clams, steamed clams, clam chowder…and for the non-seafood lover, there’s hotdogs, and their famous Salt Potatoes.

Presale tickets are $67.50 through August 9th…so get them quick before the price rises the day of the event to $72.50. They’re available only at Hinerwadel’s so you’ll have to drive out to North Syracuse to get your tickets, but trust me on this one…it’s worth every penny! The food is unlimited and there’s a lot of really fun events going on, like lawn games and live music.

Did I mention you get a free mug for going?!

If you’ve lived in Syracuse for a while and you’re looking for something to do August 10th from 1-6pm and you’ve never been to the Hinerwadel’s open clam bake…or if you’re new and you have never visited Hinerwadel’s…now is the time to try it out! This is going to be one heck of a party..and they’re going to have lots of clams! YUM!

Tip: If you wait until the day of the event to buy the ticket, it’s cash only at the door.

location: 5300 W Taft Road, North Syracuse

210. Brew at the Zoo

This weekend marks one of the most anticipated events of the summer.

When I moved to Tipp Hill I was advised there were a few staple events all the neighbors attend, one being Green Beer Sunday, the other Coleman’s Block Parties and the third was Brew at the Zoo.

Brew at the zoo is a really cool concept. You essentially buy a ticket and drink beer at the zoo. Sounds fun enough, right?! A lot of people attend this event every year. It’s become a very important part of Syracuse. Knowing that we’ve got a zoo in our city is kinda cool…not a lot of places can say that. To know that the zoo collaborates with it’s neighbors is even better. It’s a joint effort. There are lots of beer on tap, including locals like Ommegang, Genessee, Empire, Ithaca and More…check it out, this is definitely a fun event! They’ll also have wine for the non-beer drinkers too!

The tickets for this event sell out, so purchase them here for $45. In the off chance that they don’t sell out, tickets are $50 at the door. The event starts at 5:30 and ends at 8. Perfect starts to an evening of fun with friends!

Tip: There’s a round trip shuttle from Armory Square (in front of the MOST) departing at 5pm & 5:15pm.

location: Rosamond Gifford Zoo, One Conservation Place, Syracuse, NY 13204

206. Harborfest

Every year at the end of July, Oswego throws the biggest party upstate NY has seen.

Featuring tons of live music, vendors, food, entertainment, the list goes on…Harborfest attracts a whole lot of people looking for a great time.

People can bring their boats and park them in the marina. From there, they wander the streets of Oswego looking for fun and entertainment, which is really everywhere.

I love Harborfest, when I was younger I loved it and as an adult it’s an entirely new experience. A lot of people come out for this celebration, and it’s a lot of fun.

It’s free to attend, it runs from today, July 25 to July 28th with the most exciting night being the 27th with the grand fireworks spectacular. This is a really fun weekend in Oswego, and even if it’s 30 minutes away from Syracuse it’s worth the drive… it’s going to be a really fun time with great weather! Don’t miss out! For all your harborfest information find it on their website here.

Harborfest has a tendency of becoming a big party with a lot of adult beverages, make sure you’ve got a Designated Driver. Police will be out in full force issuing tickets ranging from open container laws to drunk driving.

Tip: The best viewing for the Entergy “Fireworks Spectacular by Grucci” ranges from Fort Ontario on the east side of Oswego to the inner harbor and Breitbeck park areas on the west side.

204. Jazz and Wine Fest

This is one of my favorite festivals of the year… combining jazz and wine..does it get any better?!

This is a free event to attend, and 2 full nights of entertainment…you just buy your wine tickets and food at the various vendors and listen to the sweet sounds of jazz through the evening.

There’s wine tasting courses to sign up for as well, both Friday & Saturday. Do that quick, you don’t want to miss out on this great chance to taste some of the finest wines in Syracuse & Upstate New York.

You’ll also be able to enjoy some really great food prepared by Sophistications, Columbus Bakery, and more! Check out the vendor list here. Not to mention, some pretty awesome Jazz ensembles.

This event is great, and it attracts a lot of people. Don’t miss out! Did i mention the wine tent is air conditioned?!

Tip: Bring some chairs, there’s limited seating and you want to be able to relax!

location: Clinton Square

202. Renaissance Festival

I’m sure you all knew this one was coming…

I love the Renaissance Festival..and even though it’s all the way out in Sterling (about 45 minutes outside of Syracuse).

The Renaissance Festival is for everyone. You like food? They’ve got great food. You like comedy? They’ve got great comedy. You like riding elephants?! They’ve got that too! Everything you can imagine…transport yourself into a time of no technology (but don’t forget to instagram a few photos while you’re there). Enjoy some brews, some muddy scenery and most importantly the costumes!

I’m a huge fan, and you can bet I’ll be going.

It runs all summer from July 6-Aug 18th rain or shine.

Admission is about $26 per adult and $16 for children.

Tip: Really feel like getting in the spirit? You can rent costumes while you’re there!

location 15385 Farden Rd Sterling, NY 13156