Looking for something fun to do this weekend around Central New York? There are plenty of options to celebrate a variety of events in and around the city of Syracuse, including Pride, Juneteenth, Blues Fest and even a celebration of local Polish heritage.
It kicks off today with the start of the annual New York State Blues Fest at the State Fairgrounds. The event runs through Saturday and includes a variety of performing artists at the Chevy Court stage. See the lineup.
Juneteen celebrations will take place Friday and Saturday in the city, the first to be held downtown since the day, which honors the official end of slavery in the U.S., was established as a state holiday. There will be a flag raising, festivities and a pageant at City Hall and a parade, starting at the Dunbar Association.
Polish Festival will also begin on Friday and run through Sunday in Clinton Square with plenty of authentic food, dance and interactive fun for the whole family.
There are some traffic alerts if you're planning on traveling downtown, with street closures starting Thursday morning.
Here's what you need to know:
- 7 a.m. on June 16, the 300 block of East Washington Street, from Market Street to South State Street, will be closed through Sunday morning
- 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 16, the 200 block of East Washington Street, east of the KeyBank drive-through to State Street, will be closed through Sunday morning
- 5 p.m. on June 16, Montgomery Street, from East Washington Street to East Fayette Street, will be closed through Sunday morning
- 5 p.m. on June 16, Montgomery Street, from East Water Street to East Washington Street, will be closed through Sunday morning
- 5 p.m. on June 16, Market Street, from East Washington to East Water Street, will be closed through Sunday morning
Beyond the city, an inaugural Pride Parade will step off in Cazenovia at noon on Saturday. For more information on the village's parade and Pride Festival, click here.