Brass band, clothing swap, Cavalcade of Cars: 12 things to do in CNY this weekend

It’ll be an eclectic weekend in Syracuse, with everything from Verdi’s “Don Carlos” to a horror film festival to an 8-piece brass band concert (plus, the Oscars! Check out what you need to watch to hold your own at a screening party). It’s the last couple of days of Maple Weekend, so head out to your nearest maple farm for pancakes and sweet treats. There’s also a sampling event at McCarthy Mercantile this weekend, with a spread of $1 snacks from vendors around Syracuse, and then a charity clothes swap the next day. The Palace Theater in Eastwood will screen classic horror flicks and or Syracuse University will host a comic book-con focused on diversity and inclusion. There’s a car show too, a book sale and a presentation on the only woman ever to have won a Medal of Honor.

Know of an event you would like to see on this list? Email us at [email protected].

Maple Weekend

Maple Weekend is heading into round two this Saturday and Sunday. Maple farms all over upstate New York opened up their doors last weekend from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at most locations for tours and treats, and they’re doing it all over again this weekend. A bunch of maple farms will also host pancake breakfasts, like Smokey Hollow Maple in Jordan, which will have pancakes at their pavilion from 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The farm will also have coffee, orange juice, sausage patties, hash browns and maple syrup, of course. Breakfast is $10 for adults, $5.50 for 4- to 10-year-old kids and free for kids under 4 years old. Critz Farms in Cazenovia will also have a pancake breakfast from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It’s $4.95 for kids ages 3 to 7, $8.25 for kids ages 8 to 12 and $11.95 for everyone over 12 years old. Head to mapleweekend.nysmaple.com for a full list of maple farms hosting pancake breakfasts, and for a list of maple farms offering up samples and tours.

Where: All over the state

When: Saturday and Sunday

How much: Tours are free at most farms, pancake breakfast prices vary

The Fab Four

The Emmy Award-winning Beatles tribute band “The Fab Four” will play at the State Theatre in Ithaca on Friday. The band is known for their note-for-note renditions of Beatles classics like “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Yesterday,” “A Day In The Life,” “Twist and Shout” and “Hey Jude,” and they have performed around the world in Brazil, Germany, Hong Kong, the U.K. and more. They’ll make three costume changes and sing songs from every era in Beatles history. Tickets for the show go for $15 to $55 and can be purchased through stateofithaca.org.

Where: 107 W. State St., Ithaca

When: Friday at 8 p.m.

How much: $15 to $55

The Soul Rebels

The Soul Rebels brass octet stepped into the national spotlight in 2021 following the release of their latest album, “Poetry In Motion.” They’ve played with Dave East from Def Jam, Nas, Big Freedia, Icona Pop, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Portugal. The Man, Matisyahu and more, and performed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and NPR’s Tiny Desk. The New Orleans-bred group will perform their blend of funk, jazz, R&B and hip-hop at del Lago Resort and Casino on Thursday night. Tickets for the show are $10 to $25 and can be purchased through dellagoresort.com.

Where: 1133 State Rte. 414, Waterloo

When: Thursday at 8 p.m.

How much: $10 to $25

Clothing swap

Take a hard look at your closet. When’s the last time you’ve actually pulled anything from the lower half of your T-shirt pile? Bring your unloved clothes over to McCarthy Mercantile on Sunday where Cherry Pit vintage store will host their fifth annual charity clothing swap. You can drop off gently used clothes, shoes and accessories and pick up an equal number of new (to you) items from the swap to bring home. Avoid bringing in da
maged or stained clothes. Go for quality over quantity. The Cherry Pit will also be accepting cash at the event to The Vera House, a Syracuse non-profit that helps domestic abuse survivors. Check out The Cherry Pit’s Facebook page for more details about what clothes to bring in. All sizes and genders welcome. Happy swapping!

Where: 217 S. Salina St., Syracuse

When: Sunday from noon to 2 p.m.

How much: Donations accepted

Verdi’s Don Carlos

The Munson Williams Proctor Arts Institute will screen the Metropolitan Opera’s performance of “Don Carlos” to their auditorium in Utica on Saturday at noon. It’s the first time in the Met’s history that they’ve performed Giuseppi Verdi’s five-act French opera set against the backdrop of the Spanish Inquisition. Tenor Matthew Polenzani will perform the title role alongside soprano Sonya Yoncheva as Élisabeth de Valois and mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča as Eboli. Tickets are $26 for the general public and can be purchased through wpai.org. “The Met: Live in HD” is a live-stream production.

Where: 310 Genesee St., Utica

When: Saturday at noon

How much: $26

Geek/Art CONfluence

Calling all geeks and artists. The Geek/Art CONfluence will return for its third year this Sunday at Syracuse University. Comics professionals like artist Alexandre Tefenkgi of “The Good Asian,” Jeff Trexler from the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and C. Spike Trotman, founder of Iron Circus Comics will speak at this diversity- and inclusion-focused event. There will be plenty of activities like a cosplay demonstration, live music, gaming and trivia, as well as a cosplay contest. The full schedule of events is at geekartconfluence.com. The “CON” is free and open to everyone. Free parking will be available at the Q4 lot. Pizza will be ordered around noon.

Where: Shaffer Art Building at Syracuse University

When: Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

How much: Free

Horror Fest and Kung Fu Fest

After Dark and Reckless Cinema will host two movie events this weekend at the Palace Theater in Eastwood. First up on Friday is “Kung Fu Fest,” a screening of four movies on original 35 mm print: “No Retreat, No Surrender,” “Revenge of the Ninja,” “Chinese Hercules” and “Dirty Ho.” On Saturday, the theme of the night is horror. (Leave the kids at home for this one.) The show starts at noon with “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” followed by “Guru the Mad Monk,” “Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS” and “Audition.” There will be a 30-minute break and then the movies start up again with “The Final Terror,” “Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II,” “Carrie,” “Vampire Hookers” and “Death Screams.” Good luck falling asleep that night. Tickets for Kung Fu Fest are $25 and can be purchased through showclix.com. Tickets for Horror Fest are $35 and can be purchased at showclix.com. Anyone under 17 has to be accompanied by an adult.

When: Friday and Saturday

Where: 2384 James St., Syracuse

How much: $25 for Kung Fu Fest or $35 for Horror Fest

Cavalcade of Cars

Some beautiful cars will be rolling into Syracuse this weekend, as part of a new Syracuse extension to the Hamburg Cavalcade of Cars charity event. The indoor car show, formerly Syracuse Motorama, will fill up the New York State Fairground’s Center of Progress with a parade of shiny classic cars on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $12 for adults and free for children 12 years old and under. Two-day passes are $20. Some of the proceeds are donated to local charities and the Buffalo Autism Project. Head to cavalcadeofcars.com for more information.

Where: Center of Progress Building, Massapequa Ave., Syracuse

When: Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

How much: $12 for adults, free for kids 12 years old and younger. $20 for weekend passes

Upstate Eats

McCarthy Mercantile has your post-brunch snack cravings covered. At noon head to the basement under Wildflower Armory for “Upstate Eats,” a sip an
d sampling event with vendors from all over Syracuse. For $1 per sample, you can taste chicken riggies from The Brasserie, Mac ‘n Cheese from Three Lives, cake truffles from CakeBar, acai bowls from Baga Bowls, Henny wings from Miss Prissy’s, cold brew from Nectar, baklava from Pita Dream, vegan ice cream from Farm Girl Juicery and more. Andy Shredder will play prog rock during the event. Head to Wildflowers Armory’s Instagram for more information about the day.

Where: 217 1/2 S. Salina St., Syracuse

When: Saturday from noon to 3 p.m.

How much: Free to enter, $1 per sample

Book sale and can drive for Haiti

The Church of St. Michael and St. Peter will host a used book and bake sale, and a bottle and can drive every day this weekend. Head to the church basement for the book sale or bring your bottles and cans to donate in the parking lot on the corner of Velasko Road and West Seneca Turnpike on Onondaga Hill. All proceeds will fund meals for kids at the church’s twin parish in Haiti. For more information, go to stmichael-stpeter.org or call (315) 469-6995.

Where: 4781 West Seneca Tpke., Syracuse

When: Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

How much: Free

Women of the Civil War

The Oneida County History Center will host historian Cheryl Pula, who will present about the contributions made by women during the Civil War as doctors, nurses, spies, combat soldiers and beyond. Pula will also talk specifically about Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, the first female U.S. Army surgeon and the only woman ever to have received a Medal of Honor. Over 3,500 medals have been awarded in total. Walker was also the second woman to graduate from Syracuse Medical College. Pula will speak at 1 p.m. on Saturday and her presentation will be livestreamed on Zoom. For more information, go to oneidacountyhistory.org or call the history center at (315) 735-3642.

Where: 1608 Genesee St., Utica

When: Saturday at 1 p.m.

How much: Free

Breakfast & dinner

There are a couple of meal events coming up, if you’d rather have someone else do the cooking this weekend. On Saturday night the Brewerton United Methodist Church will have a takeout spaghetti dinner from 4:30 p.m. until they sell out. The meal is $10 and comes with spaghetti and meatballs, salad, bread and cookies. Call the church at (315) 668-3999 for more details. Then on Sunday morning the Kirkville Fire Company will host an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. to noon. There will be pancakes of course, and scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns, fruit, coffee, milk and juice. It’s $10 for adults and $7 for kids 12 and under or seniors 65 and over. Call (315) 656-3093 for more information.

Where: Near Syracuse

When: Saturday night or Sunday morning

How much: $10 and under