Apple Picking Season & SU Football is Here

Hello, Syracuse

Labor Day weekend hits this week and the Fair closes out its final week. Beak & Skiff opens for apple picking, which is officially the moment summer starts turning into fall. Starbucks already has pumpkin spice lattes flowing, Wegmans has pumpkin beer, and the cooler nights lately have been a vibe so I can’t say I am complaining. SU football's home opener is Saturday at the Dome against New Hampshire and the Mets are home for a full six-game series.

Looking for trivia nights this week? We just published a full guide to every trivia spot in Syracuse.

Onondaga County's aquarium: an exclusive first look inside

NewsChannel 9 got a hard-hat tour of the Harborview Aquarium at the Inner Harbor while construction crews were still on site. The building is on track for an August opening. If you've been curious what $100 million of aquarium actually looks like from the inside, this is the closest look anyone has gotten.

A super El Nino is forming and CNY winter could look very different

One of the strongest El Ninos on record is developing in the Pacific, and it's likely to reshape our winter. Former NY state climatologist Mark Wysocki says CNY should expect a winter well above average in temperature and well below average in snowfall, with more rain and ice than the deep lake-effect dumps we got last year. As a lifetime skier this bums me out but I know for many locals they have their fingers crossed.

More than 114,000 people crushed the Fair on Day 4

Saturday, August 29 pulled 114,644 people through the Fair gates, the highest single-day attendance in seven years. The last time the Fair saw that many visitors on any day was Day 12 back in 2019.

Common Council will hold a public hearing on the Westcott Theater's future

The Syracuse Common Council is opening the floor for public comment on what happens next at the Westcott Theater, one of the city's most beloved music venues. The hearing gives neighbors, musicians, and regulars a chance to weigh in before any decisions on ownership, licensing, or renovation get finalized. If you care about the Westcott, this is your window to say so on the record.

Pitch Social is revamping Blucy's

Pitch Social, is taking over and reworking Blucy's. Pitch Social orginally started at Rutgers and became a popular college venue. Now they are bringing the same concept to the hill.

Shake Shack is coming to Cicero

The long-rumored Shake Shack in the Cicero commons area is moving sort of. The planning board was reluctant to approve the plan without knowing the other potential tenants. It tabled the topic and asked the developer to return once it has a second tenant lined up.

A Syracuse high-rise got a full makeover, but nobody can move in

A downtown high-rise that spent years as a health-and-safety nightmare has been fully renovated. 80 rennovated apartments. So why isn't anyone living there yet? The story is a walk through the permitting, financing, and inspection tangles that keep finished building sitting empty.

Turning Stone opens a new ballroom and convention space

Turning Stone unveiled a new large-format ballroom and convention space with a black-tie gala over the weekend. The addition doubles down on the resort's push into corporate events, weddings, and conferences. Photos of the gala are worth a scroll if you like a good chandelier.

Why Syracuse is facing a budget deficit and how the administration wants to fix it

The Daily Orange breaks down where the city's projected budget gap is coming from. The administration's early plan leans on a mix of departmental cuts, delayed capital projects, and a modest tax adjustment.

7 Brew coffee is coming to Cicero

7 Brew, the drive-thru coffee chain, proposed a location for the Route 11 corridor. If it gets approval, it will be the second the 7 Brew in Onondaga County.

598 W Genesee Rd, Lysander

$875,000 | 4 bed | 4 bath | 3,341 sqft

Roughly 12 acres in the Baldwinsville school district. The main level has an open great room drenched in natural light and a first-floor primary suite with vaulted ceiling and updated bath. Upstairs there are three more large bedrooms and a full bathroom. The finished basement adds another ~1,200 sqft (not counted in the total) with a bar, fireplace, and half bath.

Outside is the real sell. Inground pool, a koi-stocked pond, a 3-car garage, and enough acreage to run the dog, host the party, or just sit on the deck and hear absolutely nothing. Move-in ready, updated throughout, and about as close as you'll get to "private retreat" while still being 20 minutes from downtown Syracuse.

A carousel of NYS Fair main gate photos through the decades

Syracuse History on Instagram just posted a scroll-through of the Fair's main gate from every era. Watching the arches, signage, and crowds evolve is a fun little time capsule of what our biggest local event has looked like across generations. Worth a swipe, especially while the 2026 Fair is running its final week.

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