Syracuse beer week is hosted from November 7, 2010 to November 13, 2010.
This social event has a goal to make it affordable for people to experiment with different types of beer.
Exposing people to something different in hopes to change beer’s usual stereotype of being just some yellow or pale liquid that comes in a can. Beer can take on different shades of color along with different tastes.
While the different beers are being sampled, Don Cazentre, the Food & Drink editor for The Post-Standard in Syracuse, educates the crowd on the beer. He has been covering the beer scene in Upstate New York since the mid - 1990s.
Originally reported for NCC News on November 9, 2010.
Something is brewing in downtown Syracuse this week. Armory Square is home to many establishments serving what has often been called "the nectar of the Gods:" beer. During the 3rd annual Syracuse Beer Week these establishments are serving up something special.
Patty Sheridan, the general manager, says they are offering their home brews (their unique tap handle shown here) at Happy Hour prices all day throughout the week, as well as serving special German food dishes. However, some of the customers say they didn’t even know Syracuse Beer Week was happening.
Donna Nichols, a customer (in photo to right), just happened to be in the Syracuse Suds Factory to support her friend during tango lessons in a side room of the establishment. Nichols feels that marketing the event missed a target demographic with older, middle-aged people in Syracuse.
“There are a lot of people in my age group that enjoy having a good time and having a few beers,” said Nichols.
Another customer, Cherie Tuxill, thinks next year the Beer Week organizers should offer something unique for the event or providing a theme in order to increase patron participation.
Having kicked off on Sunday, Syracuse Beer Week is in its third night and has a slow showing at the Suds Factory. Sheridan is optimistic this will change for them by the end of the week and that the crowds will pick up.
Andrews Memorial United Methodist Church in North Syracuse is being used for more than just church service. Ron Brown, a Modern-Western square dance caller, conductssquare dance lessonsthere once a week.
Square dancing is where four couples form a square and then perform moves when another person gives the command. The students learn these calls and then practice them.
“They’re out there having a good time and I taught them how to do it. That’s rewarding," said Brown.
Brown teaches five weekly classes throughout New York from Rochester to Rome. After 22 weeks of lessons, the students graduate, becoming members of the North Syracuse Square Club.
“Half the time I don’t know who my partner is. I just wait for a guy to grab me and lead me away," said Cindy Fong. She has been going to the class for four weeks.
Square dancing began in America and has spread throughout the world. The calls are universal commands in English, so square dancers can dance anywhere in the world.
Two hours of square dancing equals walking about five miles, Brown says, and people can burn 500 calories an hour.
Brown says Henry Fordis responsible for reviving square dancing back in the 1940s from the pioneer days.
More than 100 regional vendors displayed a variety of unique foods and beverages at the second annual Pride of New York Harvest November 6 and 7th. The popular event took place at the State Fairgrounds in Syracuse.
The theme for this year’s event was ‘Indulge your taste buds’ and attendees had ample opportunities to do that. In addition to more than 30 of the area’s best wineries and a dozen breweries, gourmet food vendors tempted visitors with their hottest products.
William Cooper from Koop's Kitchen said he had “the best gourmet hot sauce your lips will ever taste.”
The chances to not only taste so many savory products in one location, but also to purchase them for the upcoming holidays proved to be advantageous.
A number of attendees tried various wines, beers, cheeses, and sauces. However, with so many choices, some visitors said they could not decide what to try, so they “tried everything,”said one small group.
The event also had educational seminars on wine, cheese, and chocolate tasting, as well as how to pair your favorite beers and foods. Afterward, the eager participants loaded up on the vendor’s products, which the seminars highlighted.
Both vendors and visitors had a great time. A small group of energetic women exclaimed, “Harvest Fest was awesome!”
The ‘Pride of New York Harvest Fest’ kicked off the holiday season for many local residents with distinctive foods and beverages. Albany hosts their 15th annual Harvest Fest event November 13 and 14th at the Empire State Convention Center.
The Pride of New Yorkis held at the Fairgrounds in Syracuse and in Albany. The Fest in Syracuse is from November 6-7 and there are a lot of wine vendors. There was more than just wine there…they had different type of beer, foods and maple treats.
Caitlyn Pilc was passing out samples of maple monkey bread and vendors were going through loafs, as the people would bread this sweet tasting bread. If you wanted some ice cream you could even get it made with wine.
Some of the vendors were having a hard time trying to sell the wine but Kevin Lee did say he was pouring a lot. There was another person selling hot sauce and met a lot of people while he was trying to get his name out to the public. William Cooper gave everyone a sample of theKoop’s Kitchen, which ranges from 1 being mild to 10 being very hot. He did claim, his sauce would be the finest hot sauce your lips would ever taste. The people were really having a good time and since the weather was a little chilly, it brought friends together.
It doesn't matter if you don't know anyone, the people there would just put a smile on your face. One lady said, she felt like she's getting everything for free. If you like wine or you just want to see what it is like for the first time, it is a good place to hang out with friends and family.
Originally reported for NCC News on November 8, 2010.
In Syracuse there are some businesses that have felt less of a pinch during the on going work recession in America. Multi-Image Corporation is a screen printing business owned by Brian Russell that has been around for 35 years. Russell says, “I think Syracuse has been a little bit insulated from the major down turn in the economy. I think that a lot of the major businesses had already left Syracuse for some reason or another. So that the local economy never really got beat up very badly.” Multi-Image Corporation has
actually been more productive this year than in past years.
Screen printing as an independent business is a fairly inexpensive investment. The competition comes and goes very quickly due to the fact that the equipment is obtainable to own. Russell says the key to staying a float in this industry is “Flexibility, deep pockets at times, customer services, and a decent product at a decent price.”
The screen printing process consists of many different steps. First the customer must agree on the artwork used. The art is then produced through an ink jet printer on a plastic velum, which is a semi-translucent film used to transfer images. Then the velum is taped to a screen coated with a light sensitive liquid called emulsion. Once the emulsion dries, the image is burnt through the coating on the screen with ultraviolet lights for approximately 20-minutes. The screen will then be aligned to a pallet on a screen printing press. At this time the printing will begin using squeegees and screen printing ink. The end product is sent down a dryer that heat cures the ink to the t-shirt before it is ready to be sold as a finished product.
According to Russell screen printing is a valuable means of advertising. Everyone from high school sports teams to local businesses can use screen printing to provide uniform designs to identify their team members or employees. However in m
any screen printing operations the work slows down in the wintertime. This does not have to do with the economy but has more to do with the fact that t-shirts are a screen printer’s main commodities. Logistically less t-shirts sell in the colder months of the year than the warmer months.
Enchanted Beaver Lake is an event well that is well known for its family atmosphere. It is held every year around Halloween at Beaver Lake in Baldwinsville, NY. This event has been happening for eight years.
When it first began it was just an event that had one trail with 75 pumpkins and received around 200 visitors, but now there are two trails with 750 pumpkins and thousands of visitors each night. There are also more festivities to enjoy such as: a magician, a storyteller, a reptile rescue, and a presentation from a wildlife rehabilitator.
Most of the focus is on the pumpkins and luminaries, because when the sun goes down they light the trails with some familiar faces. A lot of the pumpkins are carved to resemble famous characters.
Volunteer, Meg Volovic, says one of the most rewarding things about working an event such
as this is the appreciation. Most of the people that work at the event are volunteers, and Meg believes that knowing people appreciate the work that is put into the event makes it all worth it.
