Summer is here and now is the time to relax and have some fun. Luckily living here means fun is easy to find! Syracuse is getting to be known as the “City of Festivals” and there seems to be one, sometimes two, just about every weekend.
We don’t all have the opportunity to venture around the United States or take dream vacations to exotic island destinations, so if you need something in your own backyard, Clay has got you covered. Did you know about all the town of Clay offers? It has many programs for children and adults alike. You may have gotten the summer program schedule in the mail, or picked one up at the town hall, but if not you can find it on the web at www.townofclay.org. Look under recreation and it will lead you to all the programs that the Clay is offering. These include playground programs, youth sports teams, art with clay programs, drama, swimming, golf lessons, history camp, science camp…the list goes on and on. There really is something for everyone, old and young.
If music al fresco is your thing, the staggered schedule means you could go to almost all the concerts throughout the summer. And the band played on…all over the place. There are concerts everywhere in Clay, which also encompasses parts of Baldwinsville, Liverpool, and North Syracuse.
The town of Clay has a concert series at Clay Central Park on Wetzel Road. The concerts have different restaurants selling food each week. You can come with the family or by yourself, relax, eat and listen to the tunes. The schedule is printed on page …..
Baldwinsville has their concerts on Paper Mill Island located near the Four Corners of Baldwinsville. You can find concerts for the July 4th weekend at www.papermillisland.net. The village also has the annual Seneca River Days the weekend of July 10-11 with rides, food booths, and the big Duck Race.
In Liverpool, the concerts are in Johnson Park right in the middle of the village. They are every Monday and Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. from June 1-Aug.19. You can find the full schedule with detailed information on the kind of music each group plays at www.liverpoolchamber.com.
North Syracuse also has a Concert in the Park series at Lonergan Park on Route 11 (behind Goldberg’s Furniture). They are Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. and run from June 24 to Aug. 26. The full schedule of their summer events can be found at www.northsyracuse.org.
And if you’re not tired yet, you could venture to different venues for the variety of festivals that are taking place throughout the summer. The schedule is listed below:
June 6-7 Oz-Stravanganza in Chittenango
June 6-7 Taste of Syracuse in Clinton Square
June 12-14 Balloon Fest at Jamesville Beach Park
June 13 Juneteenth Celebration in Clinton Square
June 19-21 Polish Festival in Clinton Square
June 26-27 Jazz Festival at Onondaga Community College
July 10-12 NYS Blues Festival at Clinton Square
July 17-19 St. Elias Church Middle Eastern Cultural Festival
July 24-26 Oswego Harborfest in Oswego
July 24+25 Northeast Jazz and Wine Festival in Clinton Square
July 24-26 Arts and Crafts Festival Downtown Syracuse
Aug. 2 Bavarian Festival at Onondaga Lake Park
Aug. 8 CNY Scottish Games and Celtic Festival at Onondaga Lake Pk.
Aug. 14-15 Hottest Chick N Wing Festival at the Inner Harbor
Aug. 15-16 Latino Festival in Clinton Square
Aug. 27- NYS Fair (11 days ending on Labor Day) at the Fairgrounds
You can find more information at www.events.visitsyracuse.org.
