Author: Michael Davis

In addition to some of its more risqué nights, the annual Syracuse Fashion Week culminated in some down-home looks inspired by farm life. Models strutted down the runway at Cazenovia’s Empire Farms Brewery on April 29, decorated in chic denim overalls, whimsical braided up-dos and blooming springtime flowers to embody the spirit of the season. Garden fairies, fruit baskets and even a tiny pig were also featured.

The rain may have delayed the game, but die-hard Syracuse Chiefs fans still came out to show their support during the 2018 home opener at NBT Bank Stadium. The diamond was covered in tarp and viewers sat in the stands in plastic ponchos or under umbrellas. The Chiefs ended the match against the Norfolk Tides with a 9-8 win.

The “One House” initiative aims to promote neighborhood revitalization.

The United States Bowling Congress is bringing its Open Championships tournament, called one of the largest participation sports in the world, back to Syracuse. The competition was last held in the city in 1999. More than 40,000 bowlers are participating, and fans are welcome to head down to the Pirro Convention Center to watch.

The Carol Watson Greenhouse along Sentinel Heights Road in LaFayette is a hidden gem in Central New York. The nursery is open year-round, pushing aside the area’s sometimes harsher climate to make way for perpetual tropics. The greenhouse offers a variety of rare and common household and outdoor plants.

It was the inaugural edition of the Salt City Drag Battle held March 23, and judging from the packed house at Syracuse Stage, it likely won’t be the last. Co-hosted by Mrs. Kasha Davis and Miss Darienne Lake, the evening was filled with bawdy humor and splashy fashions.

More than 1,000 people packed the James M. Hanley Federal Building Plaza for the March For Our Lives rally. The March 24 event attracted teenage sign carriers as well as Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh, although most of the photo ops featured a man dressed as President Donald Trump (or maybe it was an Alec Baldwin costume).

This year’s annual St. Patrick’s Parade, which actually fell on March 17 for a change, featured mostly sunny skies and chilly temperatures that helped make matters more bearable than 2017’s dangerously frigid edition. Former Onondaga County Sheriff Kevin Walsh once again led the parade as St. Patrick, with Congressman John Katko among the dignitaries who marched in the first division. Bands, dancers, sheriffs, fire departments, dogs and horses also marched the downtown blocks, while greengarbed onlookers standing on both sides of the South Salina Street sidewalks formed their own wacky costume parties.

There’s a new Syracuse name and location to learn: City Center, in the 400 block of South Salina Street. That’s what we have been calling just the Redhouse at City Center: 40,000 square feet in a multimillion-dollar design by Schopfer Architects LLP, with two theaters, one up to 350 seats and the other with 125 seats, plus a studio/rehearsal room that seats up to 65. All around is lots of razzle-dazzle space, including a catering kitchen, suitable for upmarket parties and wedding receptions. And there is enough parking to accommodate every visitor. Read the rest of the story… Photos courtesy…

Yemen Tounsi had never heard of Syracuse before he responded to an ad for a bakery position here. The Frenchman, who was living in Austin, Texas, at the time, had to “put it on Google” to see where it was and make sure it wasn’t Siracusa, Sicily. After lengthy correspondence and conversations with Eric Alderman, Tounsi was fairly sure he wanted to come to this Syracuse to help shape the Stoop Bakery Café and put it on the map. And Alderman was confident he had found the missing ingredient in his restaurant team. Read the rest of the story… Photos…

Witness the splendor of another casino in Upstate NY

Photos courtesy of staff photographer Michael Davis

Sammy Awards, the annual celebration of the music scene here in Syracuse. Staff photographer Michael Davis captured all of the glitz and glam at the Palace Theatre this year: Continue Reading

The 2018 Hair Blowout at the Landmark Theatre was a huge success this year; drawing not only a large audience but the most talented hair stylists form the area. Staff photographer Michael Davis was there to capture the action: Continue Reading

The Syracuse New Times began its second annual Ultimate Date Night contest in the Jan. 24 issue to see which local couples could get the most “likes” on social media. The event would send two lucky pairs out for a romantic, luxurious night on the town, with more than 15 local business sponsors donating dinners and prizes. A first-place winner quickly emerged: Ashlee Burgess and Nick Barbano, of Oneida. The pair’s inspiring story of strength after losing triplet sons in April 2017 resonated with Facebook users, and the young couple ended the competition with more than 600 votes. Read the…