Downtown Syracuse Events
It’s time to engage! Applications are now open for Citizens Academy!
FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc., 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to fostering community engagement, announces the opening of applications for its highly acclaimed Winter/Spring 2025 Citizens Academy. Applications will be accepted until Wednesday, January 1, offering an opportunity for the community to deepen their understanding of local governance and community involvement.
The Citizens Academy is an interactive 11-week educational program designed to familiarize participants with the structure of local governments, funding mechanisms for services, and strategies for community engagement. Through in-person sessions focused on economic vitality, social equity, and environmental health, participants gain insights essential for active civic participation.
| Date/Time | 12/11/2024 (All day) |
| Runs | 11/18/2024 - 1/01/2025 |
| Cost | It is free to apply. If accepted, program tuition is $100 per participant, and limited needs-based scholarships are available. |
| Contact Phone | 315-448-8732 |
| Contact Email | focus@focussyracuse.org |
| Venue | City Hall Commons Atrium 201 E. Washington St. Syracuse, NY 13202 315-448-8609 |
Veterans Creative Arts Festival
Across the country, Department of Veterans Affairs facilities incorporate creative arts into their therapy programs to help Veterans recover from and cope with physical and emotional disabilities. The National Veterans Creative Arts Festival is an annual celebration of the progress and recovery made through that therapy and is a way to recognize the creative achievements of our nation’s Veterans. The competition begins at a local level, where Veterans enrolled in VA health care facilities submit work in visual arts categories ranging from oil painting to leatherwork, as well as categories in the performing arts and creative writing. First, second, and third place entries are awarded for each category, and the competition culminates in a national exhibition featuring selected gold medal winners. A selection of the participants from the Syracuse VA Medical Center are displayed at the Everson.
| Date/Time | 12/11/2024 (All day) |
| Runs | 11/09/2024 - 12/15/2024 |
| Cost | $14 – Adults $10 – Seniors (65+), Students $5 – Children 6-12 $2 – with EBT card FREE – Everson Members, Children 5 and under, Military (w/ ID) P |
| Contact Phone | 315-474-6064 |
| Contact Email | everson@everson.org |
| Venue | Everson Museum of Art 401 Harrison St. Syracuse, NY 13202 315-474-6064 |
It Came From the 70s
The 1970s were a time of radical change in the field of ceramics. Artists began to grasp clay’s potential when it came to Conceptual Art, Minimalism, Land Art, Performance Art, and other movements of the era.
In the wake of the 1960s, artists felt free to use humor for self-expression, shock value, or to serve as a “spoonful of sugar” to deliver a message. While the 1970s are usually seen as a time of wild individual expression, the decade also saw the development of a network of galleries and collectors that would ultimately professionalize the field and develop grudging respect from the fine art world. It Came From the 70s features groovy works from the Everson collection that tell these stories.
| Date/Time | 12/11/2024 (All day) |
| Runs | 11/09/2024 - 3/31/2025 |
| Cost | $14 – Adults $10 – Seniors (65+), Students $5 – Children 6-12 $2 – with EBT card FREE – Everson Members, Children 5 and under, Military (w/ ID) P |
| Contact Phone | 315-474-6064 |
| Contact Email | everson@everson.org |
| Venue | Everson Museum of Art 401 Harrison St. Syracuse, NY 13202 315-474-6064 |
Simply Simon: Pottery from the Collection of Michael Simon and Susan Roberts
Over the course of five decades, Georgia-based potter Michael Simon’s name became synonymous with American functional pottery. Simon was born in Minnesota and studied with legendary pottery Warren MacKenzie. After building his own kiln near Athens, Georgia in 1980, Simon began setting one exemplary piece from each kiln firing aside for posterity. These “pick of the kiln” pieces are a testimony to Simon’s enduring influence on the field of ceramics.
In 2018, Simon donated one of his favorite “pick of the kiln” vases to the Everson’s permanent collection. With the vase came a donation of more than thirty functional pots by other artists that Simon and his wife Susan Roberts had collected over the years. Simon passed away in August of 2021, but left an immense legacy through his work, which now graces the collections of more than a twenty museums across the United States. The works exhibited in Simply Simon reflect the qualities that Simon valued as a potter, while also illuminating his enduring relationships with his friends and colleagues.
| Date/Time | 12/11/2024 (All day) |
| Runs | 11/23/2024 - 4/27/2025 |
| Cost | $14 – Adults $10 – Seniors (65+), Students $5 – Children 6-12 $2 – with EBT card FREE – Everson Members, Children 5 and under, Military (w/ ID) |
| Contact Phone | 315-474-6064 |
| Contact Email | everson@everson.org |
| Venue | Everson Museum of Art 401 Harrison St. Syracuse, NY 13202 315-474-6064 |
Jazz at the Cavalier
Enjoy the finest vocalists in the region every Wednesday from 6 to 8:30 p.m, free valet parking, special 11 Waters menu, and jazz cocktails. The Cavalier Room provides the lovely surroundings. No cover, no minimum, maximum enjoyment!
| Date/Time | 12/11/2024 6:00 PM |
| Runs | 10/02/2024 - 5/21/2025 |
| Cost | FREE |
| Contact Phone | 315-479-5299 |
| Contact Email | info@cnyjazz.org |
| Venue | Cavalier Room at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown 100. E. Onondaga St. Syracuse, NY 13202 (315) 554-3541 |
Sascha Brastoff: California King
There are many wild and colorful characters in the history of American ceramics, but most pale in comparison to Sascha Brastoff. We most remember Brastoff as a prolific designer of midcentury dinnerware, but he also served in the US Army during World War II, where he created props and costumes for Special Services events to entertain troops. Brastoff also performed as his drag alter-ego, G.I. Carmen Miranda, and was cast in a Broadway production, Winged Victory (later adapted into the 1944 movie of the same name).
When the war ended, Brastoff moved to Los Angeles to design costumes for film stars, including the real Carmen Miranda. Brastoff then built a dinnerware empire (bankrolled by a Rockefeller) after taking a top prize in the Syracuse Museum of Fine Art’s 1948 Ceramic National exhibition. Throughout his career, Brastoff rubbed elbows with celebrities and was at the heart of L.A.’s Queer underground. Besides his work in ceramics, Brastoff also mastered jewelry, metalwork, enamels, and created erotic works for many private clients.
| Date | 12/11/2024 |
| Multiple Times | Monday: Closed |
| Runs | 8/31/2024 - 12/29/2024 |
| Cost | $14 – Adults $10 – Seniors (65+), Students $5 – Children 6-12 $2 – with EBT card FREE – Everson Members, Children 5 and under, Military (w/ ID) P |
| Contact Phone | (315) 474-6064 |
| Contact Email | everson@everson.org |
| Venue | Everson Museum of Art 401 Harrison St. Syracuse, NY 13202 315-474-6064 |
39th Annual Gingerbread Gallery
Each year the second floor of the Museum is transformed into a 19th century canal town adorned in festive decorations. This year 47 gingerbread creations submitted by amateur and professional bakers from the community. Museum visitors are encouraged to vote on their favorites to award the coveted People’s Choice award.
Gingerbread creations have been entered into four categories: Youth, General, Senior, and Confectioners. The final category awards cash prizes to first, second, and third place winners. Among the entries include homages to Beetlejuice and Wicked, a cozy forest cottage, the Seneca Chief canal boat, a display commemorating the Erie Canal’s 200th anniversary, and more.
| Date | 12/11/2024 |
| Multiple Times | Open Daily from 10 AM - 4 PM |
| Runs | 12/02/2024 - 1/12/2025 |
| Cost | $10 Adults, $7 Seniors (65+), $4 Children 3-18, Free 2 & Under |
| Contact Phone | 315-471-0593 |
| Contact Email | director@eriecanalmuseum.org |
| Venue | Erie Canal Museum 318 Erie Blvd E Syracuse, NY 13202 315-471-0593 |
The Sound of Music
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammestein II
Book by Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse
Directed by Matthew Winning
Suggested by "The Trapp Family Players" by Maria Augusta Trapp.
The inspirational story, based on the memoir of Maria Augusta Trapp, follows an ebullient postulate who serves as governess to the seven children of the imperious Captain von Trapp, bringing music and joy to the household. But as the forces of Nazism take hold of Austria, Maria and the entire von Trapp family must make a moral decision. The final collaboration between Rodgers & Hammerstein was destined to become one of the world’s most beloved musicals.
This performance is rated G and has an approximate two and a half hour running time, with one fifteen minute intermission.
Tickets are available at www.theredhouse.org or by calling the Box Office at (315) 362-2785.
Performance Dates/Times:
Friday, December 6 @ 7:00 PM
Saturday, December 7 @ 2:00 PM
Saturday, December 7 @ 8:00 PM
Sunday, December 8 @ 2:00 PM **
Thursday, December 12 @ 7:00 PM
Friday, December 13 @ 7:00 PM
Saturday, December 14 @ 2:00 PM *
Saturday, December 17 @ 8:00 PM
Sunday, December 15 @ @2:00 PM
Thursday, December 19 @ 7:00 PM
Friday, December 20 @ 7:00 PM
Saturday, December 21 @ 2:00 PM
Saturday, December 21 @ 8:00 PM
Sunday, December 22 @ 2:00 PM
*ASL Interpretation seating available
**Talkback following performance
THE SOUND OF MUSIC is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization. www.concordtheatricals.com
| Date | 12/11/2024 |
| Multiple Times | Friday, December 6 @ 7:00 PM |
| Runs | 12/06/2024 - 12/22/2024 |
| Cost | $50.00 with a $5 box office fee. |
| Contact Phone | 315-362-2785 |
| Contact Email | info@theredhouse.org |
| Venue | Redhouse Arts Center 400 So. Salina St. Syracuse, NY 13202 315-425-0405 |
Disney's The Lion King
More than 100 million people around the world have experienced the phenomenon of Disney’s THE LION KING, and now you can, too, when Syracuse’s best-loved musical returns to the Landmark Theatre. Winner of six Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, this landmark musical event brings together one of the most imaginative creative teams on Broadway.
Tony Award®-winning director Julie Taymor brings to life a story filled with hope and adventure set against an amazing backdrop of stunning visuals. THE LION KING also features some of Broadway’s most recognizable music, crafted by Tony Award®-winning artists Elton John and Tim Rice. There is simply nothing else like THE LION KING.
| Date | 12/11/2024 |
| Multiple Times | 12/4 - 7:30PM |
| Runs | 12/04/2024 - 12/15/2024 |
| Contact Phone | 315-475-7979 |
| Contact Email | info@landmarktheatre.org |
| Venue | Landmark Theatre 362 S. Salina St. Syracuse, NY 13202 |
A DIY Candle Experience - Come make your own custom fragrance!
CAMP is your one – stop destination for all your candle needs! We are a retail shop that allows customers to design and create their own custom candle with our variety of seasonal scents, curated jars, and accessories. Our knowledgeable Fragrance experts are always on hand to guide you through the process of creating your own unique blend, from initial scent selection to final creation. Camp is the perfect place to relax and unwind, whether individually or with a small group, all are welcomed. With handmade candles, USA sourced materials, and a cozy atmosphere, we offer a unique experience designed to soothe the soul while connecting locally. Ignite your happy place at CAMP Candle Bar.
| Date | 12/11/2024 |
| Multiple Times | Monday + Tuesday : Closed |
| Runs | 1/24/2024 - 1/31/2025 |
| Cost | $45.00 + tax |
| Contact Phone | 680-322-7406 |
| Contact Email | hello@campcandlebar.com |
| Venue | Armory Square Armory Square Syracuse, NY 13202 |
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