Annual Festivals & Events in Syracuse

You’ll find entire months dedicated to the food, culture and experiences that make Syracuse the destination that it is. Food, tunes, fam fun and even more food. Syracuse is home to dozens of annual events and festivals focused on the 

Pick A Season, Any Season

Summer

Syracuse really shines in the summertime. Any festival you can think of, we’ve got it covered — Polish Fest, Greek Fest, Nationals, Pride Parade & Festival, New York State Blues Fest, even the great New York State Fair! Get down and groove at one of the many outdoor music events or catch national recording artists live at the St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview and make plans to catch an SU basketball game at The Dome.

Fall

Fall Festival Fun

Beautiful foliage, apple orchards, pumpkin patches and all the fall things — our picturesque landscapes make for the ideal autumn backdrop, and we’ve got everything from Irish Fest to the Apple Festival and Syracuse Film Festival, the semi-annual Syracuse Fashion Week, hayrides at the “best apple orchard in the country” at Beak & Skiff, Oktoberfest and epic tailgating before the big SU football games.

Winter

Ice skate and usher in the holiday season at the famous Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony in Clinton Square, check out Winterfest in the Inner Harbor or hit up the “most idyllic Christmas town” in the country with Skaneateles’ Dickens Christmas Festival, where a cast of over 50 actors take over the streets in a live-action production of A Christmas Carol. Recognized as the snow capital of the country, Syracuse is the ideal destination for fresh powder, snow-themed festivities and plenty of fun.

Spring

Syracuse springs back early. Kick off St. Pat’s celebrations with a green beer on Green Beer Sunday at Coleman’s on Tipp Hill followed by the Shamrock Run, CNY Irish Feis and St. Patrick’s Parade in March, or tune into the Syracuse Trad Fest, spring Syracuse Fashion Week or the Salt City Horror Fest at the Palace Theater.

January

Snow Leopard Days | Rosamond Gifford Zoo 

Free Ice Skating Wednesday | Sunnycrest Ice Rink 

Salt City Winter Antiques Show | NYS Fairgrounds 

New York State Sportsman Expo | NYS Fairgrounds 

February

Syracuse Winter Fair | NYS Fairgrounds

Syracuse Winterfest | Downtown Syracuse 

CNY Winter Boat Show | NYS Fairgrounds 

Sled For Red Cardboard Sledding Derby | Four Seasons Ski Resort 

Green Beer Sunday | Coleman's, Tipperary Hill (City of Syracuse)  

March

Syracuse Trad Fest | Various Venues

Shamrock Run | Tipperary Hill (City of Syracuse) 

St. Patrick's Parade | Downtown Syracuse 

CNY Irish Feis | NYS Fairgrounds 

Salt City Horror Festival | Palace Theater, Syracuse

Syracuse Half Marathon | Oncenter/ Syracuse 

April

TAP into the MOST | Downtown Syracuse 

Syracuse Fashion Week | Downtown Syracuse

Syracuse Wine Festival |  CNY Regional Market 

NCAA Tournament Watch Parties | Various Locations

May

Syracuse University Commencement Weekend | University Hill + Downtown Syracuse

LeMoyne College Commencement Weekend | East Side Neighborhood of Syracuse

Crawfish Festival | Clinton Square, Syracuse

Syracuse Food Truck Battle | NYS Fairgrounds

Mountain Goat Run | Downtown Syracuse + Surrounding area 

Maker Faire Syracuse | NYS Fairgrounds

June

Taste of Syracuse | Clinton Square, Downtown Syracuse 

St. Sophia Greek Cultural Festival | St. Sophia's Church, DeWitt 

Polish Festival | Clinton Square, Downtown Syracuse 

Juneteenth Celebration | Clinton Square, Downtown Syracuse 

New York State Blues Fest | Chevy Court, NYS Fairgrounds

Syracuse Jazz Fest | Clinton Square, Syracuse

CNY Pride Parade & Festival | Inner Harbor, Syracuse

July

Middle Eastern Cultural Festival | St. Elias Church, Syracuse 

Syracuse Nationals | NYS Fairgrounds  

Skaneateles Antique & Classic Boat Show | Village of Skaneateles 

Syracuse Arts & Crafts Festival | Columbus Circle, Downtown Syracuse 

Northeast Jazz and Wine Festival | Clinton Square, Downtown Syracuse 

August

Skaneateles Festival | Village of Skaneateles 

St. George Macedonian Ethnic Festival | St. George Macedonian Church, Syracuse

CNY Scottish Games & Celtic Festival | Long Branch Park, Liverpool 

Great New York State Fair | NYS Fairgrounds 

 

September

Irish Festival | Clinton Square, Downtown Syracuse 

Golden Harvest Festival | Beaver Lake Nature Center, Baldwinsville 

Festa Italiana | Downtown Syracuse 

KlezFest CNY | Jewish Community Center, Syracuse 

October

Lafayette Apple Festival | Route 20, LaFayette 

Retro Game Con | Oncenter/ Syracuse

Syracuse Film Festival | Various venues in Syracuse

Syracuse Bavarian Oktoberfest | NYS Fairgrounds

 

November

Annual Christmas Tree Lighting | Clinton Square 

CNY Wine & Chocolate Festival | NYS Fairgrounds

December

Lights on the Lake | Onondaga Lake Park, Liverpool 

Gingerbread Gallery | Erie Canal Museum 

Dickens Christmas in Skaneateles | Village of Skaneateles 

Festival of Trees | Everson Museum of Art 

Holidays in the City | Downtown Syracuse