This was the second year the Chinese lantern festival has been in Syracuse. This was my first time…read more Tickets are $16 at the door or $15.50 online. There are discounts for groups over 20 people. There are also senior discounts and children's prices. The event is best at night when the lights look prettiest. Inside the international building there's a show that takes place thrice a day. Come early to get seats. I loved the show. It included jugglers, hoop jumping, foot juggler, face changing act and a bowl balanced. I thoroughly thought the acrobats and entertainers were extremely talented and the show was entertaining from beginning to end. I had a wine slushee here that was $7 and was more like a wine snow cone. The ice wasn't blended with the liquid. They sold beer for $5, ice cream for $5 and flurries for $6 (like a McFlurry). Other food included gyros, baklava, Cajun fries and a few other options. My favorite lights display were the zodiac arches. Each arch was shaped like a zodiac animal and under the arch was a description of each sign as well as the years that correlated with it. Parking is free for this event. Overall the event was very fun but a little on the small side considering the price. I would still recommend that everyone check it out (and do not miss the show).

This year marked the 64th annual Polish Festival! I've gone to the Polish Festival twice so far. It…read moreis a 3-day festival that takes place in the summer in Clinton Square. They have live music, performances, awards (or scholarships that were given to high school students who also performed), Polish beer, pierogis, kielbasa, ice cream, face painting, hot dogs, shopping and much more. The first year I was here, I got pierogis. The 2nd year I came, I got a bunch of different desserts from Eva's European Sweets, ice cream, and pierogi. The ice cream didn't taste that great but but the other foods were good. It is a great outdoor event for families, kids and dogs. There are only ~6 food stands. I would love for there to be more. The festival itself is pretty small but I am guessing the Polish community here is also small. The crowd this year was smaller than last year's. I've never been to any other Polish festival before in any other town, so as far as I know, this one is great.

So I have decided to go through and review some of the festivals that we have here and Polish Fest…read moreis definitely on the list. So I am going to come right out and say that I was extremely disappointed this year when I went. I could almost rate it a 1 or 2 star. So here is the skinny on why I was so bummed. The food was just not what I expected. Now don't get me wrong, I love Eva's with a passion. They pretty much made this review a 3. What I was upset about was the utter lack of variety there. I remember there being Eva's, a pastry place that was meh, the fair style Philly cheesteak place, and maybe one more place. I honestly came here because I thought I would find a variety of delicious Polish food. I dragged my wife down there with the promise of a yummy cultural adventure. What we got was just Eva's. Again...love it there, but I don't need Polish fest to have them. We go there all the time. I wanted to see multiple restaurants/vendors/people selling delicious food and try new things. Instead we ate Eva's on a picnic table and watched dancing. I hope they improve this next year.

So glad that the rain stopped, so I could get to the Taste of Syracuse this afternoon. I try to go…read moreevery year. This event showcases the breadth of flavors and cuisine in the region. It's a great place for trying something from a new food venue or having a fan favorite. This year I had samples from: Catering by Chef Jeff - Cheesesteak slider - This was the perfect slider in terms of size, flavor, and lack of messiness. BTW I have a friend who has been at events Chef Jeff has catered, and she raved about his cooking. https://chefjeff.pro/ Congo Box - Chicken sample - I first had food from Congo Box at a previous Taste of Syracuse and have visited their food truck at different events. They sell food from their food truck all year round on West Fayette in Syracuse. Their chicken is awesome...hot off the grill! https://www.facebook.com/p/Congo-Box-100070485204944/ Gilligan's Ice Cream - Mango habanero vodka ice cream. They had an amazing list of homemade ice creams and offered samples for sale of each. Delicious! https://www.gilliganssherburne.com/ Inka's - Peruvian fried rice - Amazing to have Inka's set up at the Taste of Syracuse within a "stone's throw" of their restaurant. The fried rice had a light, unique flavor. Now I really want to go to this restaurant! https://inkassyracuse.com/ Over the Cuse Deli & Grill - Halal chicken over rice. I've driven by this eatery and had no idea what it had to offer. Delicious food and a place I need to visit. https://www.overthecusedelingrill.com/ All of the vendors were wonderful and the food awesome! This is definitely the premier food event in Syracuse and one that everyone should go to!

This is the first time I've been to Taste of Syracuse in a few years, and it's still a fun time…read more Prices have raised and samples are now $2 each, which is understandable given inflation. Some restaurants seem more generous with their offerings than others, but it's always been that way. I love the diversity of food options. Some Syracuse staple restaurants like Strong Hearts, with lots of newcomers as well. I felt like there were a lot of different restaurants compared to the last time I attended, but since that was 4 years ago that was to be expected. As a vegetarian, it was super easy to find plenty of samples to eat. In fact, I didn't make it to everywhere I intended to. I like to go right at opening time. It was already crowded, but not as crowded as it gets later in the day. There were a lot of people to wade through, but the lines at the food stands moved pretty quickly during the earlier hours I was there. Be aware parking does take some pre-planning. I found a spot on Walton and walked over, but a lot of the surrounding streets around the event are closed, and the lots and garages jack up their prices for the event. Seems like this year they did QR codes instead of paper maps. Definitely more environmentally friendly and no need to clean up after litterbugs, but I will say it was a tad easier to navigate the old way instead of squinting at a cell phone screen. I'd recommend next year they have a couple of big signs of the sample list/maps placed around for folks, or at least make the map/list one of the first pages of the book so you don't have to flip through a bunch of pages to find it every time you put your phone away. Nevertheless, a fun thing to do during the summertime in Syracuse and a nice tradition.

Always amazing fireworks! Lots of great music all across the festivities. The trolley (D bus) is…read morewell worth the 3 bucks for all you can ride. It especially came in handy this past weekend with the downpour. Wine court has lots of free samples. Don't forget to pick up a bottle and enjoy it with live music and fireworks show! I would like to see more food trucks to better support local businesses. Also, there were no recycling bins available and hope to see that improved for next year!

The fireworks were great but I wish they brought bck the laser We enjoyed the laser show last year…read moreand was looking forward to see it again this year plus we were happy to see the shuttle this yr but Very Upset that we had to wait over an hr to get on a shuttle bck to the race track that has discouraged us for coming bck next year

I love living so close to the fair. I like to go every year. I don't really do the rides anymore…read morebut did as a kid. The Indian village is awesome and has some great mac and cheese. I love that they started including a Latino and Asian village. I personally love the chevy court concerts and they do often include Latino artists. So nice catching a free concert. It is fun seeing what special fair items Fair Deli and Toss n Fire come up with as they are newer fair staples. I have gone with my nephew and he enjoyed the exhibits in the expo center.

Deep fried ribs! Lawrence & Perry Barbeque @ NY State Fair…read more Cooked to order, tender, and meaty. Down home season/flavor and not greasy. Finger lickin' thicc bbq sauce. Deep Fried Ribs - (BBQ, Lemon Pepper, Sweet Chili, Jamaican Jerk, Carolina Mustard) www.lpquenc.com

Great day at a fun fair. Fun to taste apples from a variety of local farmers. I also loved the free…read moresamples of cider. It was crowded, but not too crowded and other vendors if you got tired of the apples, but who gets tired of apples. Fun memorable date or outing for kids. Free to get in and very reasonably priced items. Parking close can be challenging if you get there later in day.

Awesome! Usually held the first weekend in October. Living up to its motto, "Tempting to the Core,"…read morethis festival attracts over 30,000 people and features performers, entertainment, farmers, wineries, bakeries, crafters, food vendors, an apple pie eating competition, music, dancing, eating, food from local restaurants, education, a Ferris wheel, giant slide, Iron Chef event, crafts, and APPLES. The Festival also tries to be environmentally friendly, as it uses compostable utensils and paper plate. A local favorite is the kettle corn. I'm a fan of the candied apples. Om nom! Lots of fun, definitely come enjoy the celebration if you're in Ithaca around this time!

2026 Food Truck Battle! The day started out chilly, but there was no rain and it started to warm…read moreup. I like that there are play areas for the kids and other vendors to walk around and see. The music was really good and with all the food it really was a "Festival". Over 55 Food Trucks serving up samples and full size portions! One of my favorites was Blueberries and Lace's Banana Draft Latte with an oatmeal sandwich cookie on top....enough coffee flavor to balance the sweet banana and milk. The oatmeal sandwich cookie with the frosting middle was a super delicious treat! Redneck Reuben Union truck was serving up , what I like to call, the "best Reuben in the Syracuse area", house smoked corned beef with warm sauerkraut, lots of melty swiss and smoked thousand Island dressing perfectly grilled. Carvel ice cream sundae with very flavorful chocolate ice cream and crunch kot, caramel and whipped cream....so good. Vietnamese Noodle House - chopped beef Banh mi with an Asian beef dipping sauce that I could have just drank alone. Mamacita's Seoul Nachos were crispy and delicious with fried wonton skins, beef, a creamy topping and a sweet sauce. Ji-Woos Korean manu dumplings and There Bibimbop. There were so many great trucks....Toss & Fire Pizza ( wood fired and always one of my favorites... I'm glad I am near one of their brick and mortar stores so I can get their pizza anytime!), Calle Tropical, Moonchot, Via Napoli, Bold Coast Lobster, Exhale Bakery, Silo Chicken, Fair Deli, Lucky 7, and so many more. Put this show down for next year as a "Must Go!!"

This was my first time at the food truck battle! We went on a Friday and luckily the weather was…read morereally nice. We were able to find parking pretty easily in the Brown lot. They do have security checkpoints at the entrance which made me feel safe. As for the food, all the trucks had such amazing samples! They're pretty big and the pricing was usually $5 per sample from each truck. I really enjoyed the lobster roll from Bold Coast Lobster, it was probably the best thing I had the at this event that was not a sample. I would say the best sample and best bang for your buck is definitely the banana draft latte from blueberries & lace, just look at that entire oatmeal cream pie that comes with it! The latte itself was also not too sweet and a the banana and coffee flavor really blended together nicely. The ramen elote from Elm Street Tacos was yummy but I do wish the noodles were a little less cooked and a bit more al dente to give more texture to the overall dish. The Seoul street nachos from Mamacitas were very popular from what I saw but I do wish that they used a gochujang based sauce over a Thai chili sauce to make it more a "Korean" fusion dish. That being said the Seoul street nachos were still very delicious and was a great way to start off the food truck battle tasting. Something not pictured that I'd like to shout out is the pork belly burnt ends from Salt City Smokehouse. The portion size was the smallest compared to the other samples but it is all meat so I'm not surprised. I would say it's definitely worth it to try regardless of the size because it the pork belly has a great smoky flavor and was very tender. Overall, I enjoyed the food truck battle and I will be returning again next year! The event was definitely organized and I never felt it was too overcrowded despite there being a lot of people.

This is the first time I went to the Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival. It was totally awesome…read more Great music of all styles and genres. People dancing together. Electricity and magic in the air. Sumptuous food vendors of all cuisines Had a wonderful time! Will be back next year!

These four days of amazing music and dance from around the world attract day-trippers and campers…read morein droves. I've attended for the last eight years and it's still hard to put into words how wonderful a festival this is. Four stages of top-quality performers from around the world operate from about 10am straight through until 2am every day (or in the case of the dance tent, until 6am--where folks stay up dancing all night to Zydeco music). (Check out http://www.grassrootsfest.org/festival/ for an impressive list of past performers.) A huge variety of healthy food (much better than standard fair fare) is available from centrally located vendors and a secondary area of vendors offers products from local craftspeople. At the center of the festival is a hug campground where people mingle, play music together, and share cocktails (no one has to drive home!). A vibrant Kidsfest area keeps the little ones happy all day long. The festival also has a robust recycling and composting program, as well as a strong commitment to social and environmental issues.

If you are looking for something fun to do the 2nd weekend in December head out to the real Beford…read moreFalls, aka Seneca Falls NY the town that inspired the movie. From a parade, to food, to shops and vendors, to cosplayers walking around the street in costume, this festival made for an enjoyable day. There was quite a variety of things to do including visiting the bridge that looks just like the one for a movie, with a real life saving a suicide attempt story to boot. We chatted with Bert, who was out writing tickets on cars and getting to know all the visitors. There were free horse drawn carriage rides, and free tastings of roasted chestnuts which I had never had before. The It's a Wonderful Life Museum is open and was packed as people checked out the information, pictures, and toys they had. Besides the many things to do the big appeal of this festival is just how much it feels like the real Bedford Falls. So many shops opened up their doors and offered free snacks and free hot chocolate bars to visitors and locals alike. Everyone was so friendly, from the local townspeople and vendors to the guests and visitors as well. To me, this encompasses the exact feel of the movie. There were some great food options, from Mrs. Martini's spaghetti dinner and trivia which we missed as it was on Friday night, to local restaurants bringing out tents and serving their best chilis, hotdogs and burgers, and tacos outside, there was something for everyone. The bars and restaurants were also fully staffed indoors if you needed a break from the cold. My husband and I really enjoyed our time in Bedford Falls, if you are looking for something fun and different to do on the 2nd weekend in December, make the trip out to Seneca Falls to feel the It's a Wonderful Life spirit!