This is CNY

Bert Kreischer Comedian Bert Kreischer is shown in 2024. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images) As the weather cools, fall festivals continue and indoor events ramp back up. Start off the week by learning a new skill with Arabic cooking classes, cocktail-themed cookie decorating and tiny art creation. Dive into the weekend with a full docket of entertainment, including Babelfest, Redhouse Arts Center’s four-day festival showcasing new American plays, comedy shows from Bert Kreischer and Marcus D.

Eva's European Sweets Eva Zaczynski's restaurant, Eva's European Sweets, was picked as New York’s representative on a new list of restaurants with the biggest cult following in every state. (Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com) Syracuse, N.Y. — New York has roughly 20 million people, thousands upon thousands of restaurants and one very big city that tends to hog the culinary spotlight.

Saturday at the NYS Fair The 2026 New York State Fair attracted 962,795 people this year. (Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com) Less than a month ago, Central New York was still enjoying summer’s biggest party: the New York State Fair. The 2026 fair, which ran Aug. 26 to Sept. 7, began with an attendance bang when more than 114,000 people attended on the first Saturday, breaking a seven-year attendance record. Daily attendance remained high until a series of storms on Sept.

Dinner at A.W. Wander, Manlius, N.Y. A trio of pizzas at A.W. Wander, Manlius, N.Y. Dinner at A.W. Wander, Manlius, N.Y. L'ultima Moda, an Italian pilsner from Wild East Brewing Co., at A.W. Wander, Manlius, N.Y. Dinner at A.W. Wander, Manlius, N.Y. Going international: Gurutzeta Sagardoa Basque Cider (left) from Spain and Rothaus Märzen from Germany.

Oompa Loompyas Azella Alvarez stands in front of her Filipino food truck, Oompa Loompyas, at Solvay Field Days on Aug. 8, 2026. When Azella “Zell” Alvarez cooks, she comes alive and so does her kitchen. ‘80s music blares in her small Mattydale ghost kitchen as garlic, vinegar and cooked rice aromas permeate the air. Alvarez hums along to the music as she cooks, adding sauces and seasonings. Just a few years ago, she rarely felt joy in the kitchen.

Attilio's opening in new location Attilio's will open Tuesday in the former home of Strada Mia on North Geddes Street. (Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com) Syracuse, N.Y. — Attilio’s has a bigger home, plenty of parking and, starting today, customers to feed. The longtime Syracuse Italian restaurant begins serving lunch Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 313 N. Geddes St., the former home of Strada Mia Italian Steakhouse. Full lunch and dinner service follows Oct. 6.

RetroGameCon Mike Roach, 5, cosplays as Jack Skellington from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" at RetroGameCon 2024 in Syracuse, N.Y. (Maxine Wallace for Syracuse.com) Video games, pumpkins, live music and Syracuse’s very own international Film Festival dot this week’s list of things to do as we enter October. You are almost guaranteed to find something of interest.

Finger Lakes Running Company Finger Lakes Running Company, which has operated a store in Ithaca for 20 years, has a new location in the Syracuse Inner Harbor. There’s a brand-new place to buy running shoes and gear in Syracuse. Finger Lakes Running Company, which has operated a store in Ithaca for 20 years, opened a new location in the Inner Harbor this spring. The store is located just off the Onondaga Creekwalk, a popular place for runners, walkers and bikers.

Dinner at Eva's Dinner entrees at Eva's European Sweets (Danielle Benjamin | Contributing Writer) Syracuse, N.Y. — For those of us who grew up spending Sunday evenings having dinner at our grandparents’ house, there’s a restaurant in Syracuse that replicates that atmosphere perfectly. Every time I’ve dined at Eva’s European Sweets, I’ve been transported back in time to my Polish grandmother’s kitchen, dining on the dishes of my heritage. My most recent visit was no different.

Camillus The Camillus Erie Canal Park’s Canalway Trail on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Camillus, N.Y. (Chloe Trofatter |ctrofatter@syracuse.com) There’s never a bad time to get outdoors in Central New York, but early fall and its vibrant changing leaves is an excellent opportunity to take a hike or nature walk (even a run) in a local park. These easy-to-moderate outings are nine of the many beautiful and peaceful places around the Syracuse area to take a stroll.