360. Noexcuses Tours

When I first started this blog, I was approached by an individual who wanted to help me in whatever way he could.  He had mentioned he was trying to start his own company here in Syracuse, which offered distinctive tours in three distinctive locations throughout the city.

Immediately, I thought it was a brilliant plan. How great to get to know Syracuse from someone who is passionate about this place!

As time went on, he included 365 Things Syracuse on his blog, featuring something to do every Tuesday.  It was not only great exposure, but it was also a reminder that I was doing the right thing with 365 Things Syracuse. It was and still is, an honor to have a little link on his blog!

He has finally started to put the finishing touches on the tours, and just launched a new website, which is awesome because now I can feature him on this blog before it’s too late! (5 days…people!)

I went on a sort of “mock tour” this summer as part of a test-group and loved every second of it. We went to all the hot spots in Armory Square, we got to taste some AMAZING scallops at BC, delicious irish liqueur shots at Kitty Hoynes and even a sample of Empire Brews…we learned about the history of the buildings and walked the streets of Armory Square learning about the family and relationships the restaurants, bars and stores have created.

Afterwards, I immediately told all of my friends that when these tours launch they HAVE to go on one!

The tours range from $40-85 dollars, and they’re well worth it! You have to sign up

Tip: Like NOexcuses on facebook to learn about fun happenings in Syracuse!

Location: Armory Square, Hawley-Green or Tipp Hill

263. Tipp Hill Music Fest

It’s no surprise that I am a huge fan of Tipp Hill…I love the proximity to dowtown, the zoo, the restaurants, the houses, I love it all…

and there’s always some really awesome events going on! Remember way back when, the winter warmer beer fest? Tipp Hill Brew Fest? Thursday Night Block parties?!

If only every neighborhood were as jam packed full of fun as Tipp Hill…

This weekend there’s another event happening in the Tipp Hill neighborhood and it’s a combination of music, the last remaining days of nice weather (maybe….) and community.

They’ll have live performances on Saturday, September 21 starting at noon and going until 7pm! That’s an entire day full of live music! It will be taking place at the Burnet Park Ice Rink (due to weather reports).

Tip: Don’t let pending weather reports deter you, bring a chair or a blanket and come join in on the festivity!

location: Burnet Park Ice Rink Pavilion

176. Tipp Hill Beer Fest

We’re a small city with a big appetite.

A big appetite for good food, for good music and most importantly…good beer.

When it comes to Beer Fests we’ve seen our fair share this year…and it is not over yet!

This Saturday from 5-10pm is the official Tipp Hill Beer Fest. It will feature local brews from Empire & Middle Ages but will also have national beers such as Brooklyn Brewery, Sam Adams and a personal favorite…Breckenridge Brewery.

There’s a lot to be excited about with this Beer Fest. It’s held in the Coleman’s Pavilion, which is taking on a name of it’s own as a hot spot to enjoy a drink during the summer months. Honestly, who doesn’t like drinking outside? There’s something special about being able to leave an establishment and drink outside that gets people really excited.

They’re going to have music from Coleman’s favorite’s like Mere Mortals and Dark Hollow too! This sounds like it’s going to be one heck of a time…

Tip: Buy your tickets before Saturday, they’ll be a little more expensive at the door. Tickets can be purchased at The Sound Garden, Coleman’s, Brillbecks or here. They’re $35 each.

location: Tipperary Square/Coleman’s Pavilion

149. Burnet Park Golf Course

For anyone that has any sort of coordination, I’m sure they’ve tried golf…whether it’s mini golf or regular size golf, you’ve probably held some sort of club in your hand…

I think after many failed attempts at being a great golfer, I’m sticking to Mini Golf…but for those of you interested in a quick 9, designed with beginners in mind, Burnet Park has the best golf course for you. It’s located right on Tipp Hill…home to many bars, festivals and fun events.

With 9 holes, the largest one maxing out at 250 yards, this is a great course to learn on…not to mention, it’s open till 9 and it’s only $6 to play. Did I mention, this is one of the oldest courses in New York State? How cool is that?! …and it also has some of the best views of the city, too!

Who knows, maybe I’ll dust off my clubs and check this course out…but for anyone within spitting distance, beware of flying golf balls!

Tip: The first hole features the country’s only “shamrock” shaped bunker!

location: Avery and Coleridge Avenue

138. Coleman’s Block Party Kickoff

One of my very favorite things to do in the summer is to go to the Coleman’s Block Parties…and they’re free to attend (drinks will be for sale.)

They’re a lot of fun. People (21+, obviously) from all over town usually head to Coleman’s between 6’ish-2am on Thursday’s and they hang out in the Coleman’s Pavilion, listen to live music, drink some beers, dance around, mingle, etc… You can grab your drinks inside or outside, they’ve got a variety under the pavilion, too! Just make sure you’ve got cash on you!

This goes on every Thursday throughout the summer.

You can expect quite the crowd on Tipp Hill tonight…not to mention, all of the college students have gone home for the summer, so the huge 21 year old crowds die down and they begin to attract the mid-20’ish crowd.

Tonight they’ll have live music from Coleman’s favorites, Mere Mortals from 6-10pm & also The Boatmen from 10-1:30am.

Tip: Parking is hard to find on Tipp Hill these nights, beware of the parking rules, Odd & even day’s alternate sides.

location: Coleman’s Pavilion

108. Tipp Hill Bluegrass Festival

Tipp Hill is home to some great local bars, activities, and festivals. Throughout the year you’ll learn that they’ve got something going on for the people of Syracuse. So exciting!

This weekend they’ve got their Bluegrass Festival. They’ll have 6 totally awesome bands playing in the Pavilion. They’ll have live music and booze throughout the day and inside you can grab a bite to eat, or just come in from the cold/rain/sun…whatever the weather decides to be like for that day.

Tickets are $14.20 and can be purchased here.

Tip: The festival starts at 4, but I suggest getting there early to find a spot to park. Now that the weather is nice, a lot of people will be out and about and it’s bound to be crowded!

location: Coleman’s Pavilion

98. Smartass Trivia at Nibsy’s

Remember when I said that I liked trivia? And remember when I featured Smartass Trivia, a few weeks ago? Did you know that there’s more than one Smartass Trivia located in the Syracuse area? There’s quite a few, actually!

Exciting!

When people ask me what to do around town the first thing I tell them is trivia. I don’t know what it is, but I love trivia. Not to mention, there is literally trivia played every single night in Syracuse. I really enjoy being able to put my knowledge of random facts together with my friends. We walk away either arguing over a question or high-fiving because we pulled an answer out of nowhere and it was right!

Every Monday you can find my friends and I huddled in the corner at Kitty Hoyne’s playing trivia, and more recently at Coleman’s but now I’m tempted to venture out…check out other trivia’s…and one of those trivia’s on my list is at Nibsy’s.

Just a few blocks from Coleman’s, Nibsy’s has a rival (and MUCH less crowded) trivia going on.  Their questions are equally as hard and it’s just as competitive. Coleman’s trivia on Tuesday nights is a lot of fun, but there are a lot of people…sometimes more than 30 teams (!!!) and you need to get there VERY early (think 7:30-8pm for 9pm trivia) to reserve a spot and freshen up on random facts.

If you’re interested in something a little more low key with less crowd, pop on over to Nibsy’s.

They’ve got themed “quizzes” as they like to call the trivia, and 3 separate games. Starting at 7:30, 8:30 & 9:30 get a 6 chances to win prizes & drinks! WOO!!

Tip: You can only have 6 people on your team, so choose from your friends wisely!

Also, check the Nibsy’s facebook page on Tuesday’s for the evenings categories.

location 201 Ulster Street

75. Coleman’s

I know I’ve featured a few other Coleman’s activities before, like trivia, the Winter Warmer Beer Fest, and Green Beer Sunday to name a few…but in honor of St. Patrick’s Day I think it’s an obvious choice.

Coleman’s is one of my favorite bars around town…not only because it’s authentically Irish (outside they’ve got a small phone booth & door for Leprechauns)  & within walking distance to my house, but for a variety of other reasons as well. They’ve got great bartenders, a young professional crowd, a neighborhood feel, great events, live music, a variety of great beers on tap, a huge selection of whiskey, free popcorn (!!!), the list goes on…

I am partial to Irish pubs here in Syracuse though, I’m a huge fan of Kitty Hoyne’s & Blarney Stone and frequent Coleman’s regularly. I especially like how they’ve got a framed picture of FDR behind the bar…

 

St. Patrick’s Day at Coleman’s is the definition of a green celebration. It’s what the bar has been waiting for all year. They’ve been serving green beer for a few weeks and they’re ready to tap the keg. Their menu offers a variety of Irish food choices as well, their Reuben is delicious!

You can even buy t-shirts to celebrate the occasion.

Tip: They’ve got great dirty girl scout shots! Perfect for St. Patty’s day celebrations!

location

 

64. Coleman’s Trivia

Question: What river forms much of the border between Canada and New England?

Being from New York, most of you, I expect you to know that the answer is the St. Lawrence River….y’all.

Trivia questions are difficult…I will admit, I get maybe 46% of them right…but playing trivia with friends is so much fun. Each (and almost) every Monday you can find me & some friends at Kitty Hoynes trivia. We have won, we have lost…but each time we have fun.

So, imagine my excitement when I realized that there’s basically trivia every night around town! Tuesday’s trivia is at Coleman’s.

Hosted by The Syracuse Trivia Company, they attract teams — sometimes as many as 9 players, to partake in the chance of becoming the smartest people in the neighborhood one day a week. Which, if you’re ever feeling like you’re not that smart…just win trivia…you’ll immediately feel like you can change the world, one factoid at a time.

Coleman’s trivia sign-up starts at 8pm on Tuesdays (it’s free to play!), but you might want to get there a little early to grab a bowl of popcorn, a drink & a table. Here are the rules on how to play.

Tip: Click here to figure out how to win bonus points!

56. Tipp Hill Shamrock Run

This saturday celebrates the 8th annual Shamrock Run on Tipp Hill. At 11am, thousands of local runners will gather at Burnet Park and run the 4 mile hilly course through historic Tipperary Hill.

This is a great run for those who are willing to be challenged and rewarded.  Last year, the conditions for the run were cold and gloomy but the live music and neighborhood support made the run a lot of fun, and despite the difficulty of the course and the weather there was nothing that would stop me from registering again this year.

The hills provide for a challenging course while running up and down Avery Avenue, Tompkins, Coleridge, etc, etc… local bands and organizations come out to support and distract runners with live music and cheering.

Register here, it’s $30 through March 1st and $35 the day of the race.

This run is a great way to prepare for the even harder Mountain Goat race.

Like them on facebook to get up-to-date info regarding the race. Even if you’re not interested in running, they’re always looking for Volunteers to help pass out water and cheer on the runners!

Tip: After the run, head to Coleman’s for a green beer!