Spooky season is upon us! That means witchy movie drive-ins, haunted hayrides, a celestial symphony event and supernatural ballets, alongside lighter fare like the Ithaca apple harvest festival, knitting club and cider flights. A couple of local events: TAP into the MOST is back and there’s the Downtown Diaper Walk on Thursday. Plus, tango lessons or a The Killers concert to get the blood pumping. Just watch out for vampires.
Know of an event you would like to see on this list? Email us at features@syracuse.com.
Monday
The Killers
American rock band The Killers will play at Turning Stone Resort Casino on Monday night. The band of “Mr. Brightside” and “Somebody Told Me” fame has sold more than 28 million records worldwide and headlined Madison Square Garden and Wembley Stadium. Tickets for the Monday show are $106 after fees and up through turningstone.com.
Where: 5218 Patrick Rd., Verona
When: Monday at 8 p.m.
How much: $106 and up
Social Knitting
Working on a project? Pop in to the Cortland Free Library on Monday evening for some social knitting (or crocheting, sewing, whatever you like). The group is open to all skill levels from age 12 and up, and meets at 6 p.m.
Where: 32 Church St., Cortland
When: Monday at 6 p.m.
How much: Free
Tuesday
Tango Free Practica
Syracuse Tango will host free practica Tuesdays for the next couple of months. Practice is at Skybarn on Acre Road in Syracuse and goes from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Go to dance the Argentine tango, share moves and technique, or just hang out. You don’t have to bring a partner. More information at the Syracuse Tango Facebook page.
Where: Skybarn, 151 Farm Acre Rd., Syracuse
When: Tuesday from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
How much: Free
Thursday
Cider flights
South Hill Cider in Ithaca will have guided flight tastings for $38 as part of Cider Week NY. Here’s the menu: Stone Fence Farm dry cider paired with pickled quail egg, Full Bloom Orchard dry cider paired with smoked feta with ground cherries, Patina dry cider with camembert, String Theory semi-dry cider with gouda, and Dabinett Pommeau with fall squash panna cotta and chevre. Tastings are from noon to 4 p.m. Thursday through Monday. Reservations are recommended and can be made on southhillcider.com.
Where: South Hill Cider, 550 Sandbank Rd., Ithaca
When: Thursday through Monday from noon to 4 p.m.
How much: $38 each
Downtown Diaper Walk
The CNY Diaper Bank will coordinate the “Downtown Diaper Walk” on Thursday at 11 a.m. with the Early Childhood Alliance and the Downtown Committee of Syracuse. The walk will start at Salt City Market and end at City Hall, and is open to individuals and businesses. Registration is free but donations of money or diapers are encouraged. The event is just one of several for “Diaper Need Awareness Week.” Go to cnydiaperbank.org for more information.
Where: Walk begins at Salt City Market
When: Thursday at 11 a.m.
How much: Free to register. Donations encouraged
Rick Springfield
Rick Springfield, the Australian-American musician behind “Jessie’s Girl” and “Affair of the Heart,” will perform at del Lago Resort and Casino on Thursday night. Springfield has performed all over the world and won a Grammy Award in 1982 for best rock vocal performance. Tickets to the Thursday show are $49 to $97 after fees through dellagoresort.showare.com.
Where: 1133 NY-313, Waterloo
When: Thursday at 8 p.m.
How much: $49 to $97
Friday
TAP Into the MOST
The Museum of Science and Technology will host its “TAP into the MOST” on Friday, its annual tasting event. Beer, wine, cider and spirits vendors like 1911 Established, Old Home Distillers, Rising Storm Brewing Co., Hall Island Distillery and more will hand out sips, while Modern Malt, Glazed & Confused, Pastabilities and others will provide the snacks. Tickets are $70 through most.org.
Where: 500 S. Franklin St., Syracuse
When: Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
How much: $70
Nightmare Express
It’s opening night for 13th Hour Rising’s 2022 season. Climb aboard the “Nightmare Express” haunted hayride and take a ride through scare grounds crawling with creatures, then head into “The Passage” haunted house. The park is open on Friday and Saturday this weekend and every weekend through October. Tickets are sold at the gate. It’s cash only. Go to 13thhourrisinghayride.com.
Where: 84 Merritt Rd., Fulton
When: Rides open at 7 p.m. and close at 10 p.m.
How much: $27
The Firebird
Syracuse City Ballet will perform “The Firebird” this weekend at the Oncenter Carrier Theater. The ballet is a folktale about rebirth, beauty and the supernatural, and is set to the music of Stravinsky. Tickets after fees are $60 for adults and $41 for children. The show is on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and on Sunday at 2 p.m. Go to syracusecityballet.com for more information.
Where: 421 Montgomery St., Syracuse
When: Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m.
How much: $41 for kids and $60 for adults
Apple Harvest Festival
Ithaca’s annual Apple Harvest Festival will be back this weekend, which means cider donuts, apple picking and cider flights all weekend long. There will be farmstands, food trucks, live music and entertainment in downtown Ithaca; go to downtownithaca.com for more information about the vendors and to see a map of where everyone will be set up.
Where: Downtown Ithaca
When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday from mid-morning to 6 p.m.
How much: Free
Saturday
Symphoria
Symphoria Orchestra will play Strauss’s “At the Beautiful Blue Danube” and Holst’s “The Planets: Jupiter” to a film featuring images of Earth taken from the International Space Station. The film was taken by Dr. José Francisco Salgado and includes photos, historical illustrations and space visualizations from NASA and the European Space Agency. The two-hour show will be at the Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater. Tickets are $34 to $77 through experiencesymphoria.org.
Where: 421 Montgomery St., Syracuse
When: Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
How much: $34 to $77
Spooky Movies
Drive out to The Rink in Ithaca on Saturday for a drive-in movie screening of spooky season classic “Hocus Pocus.” The gates open at 6 p.m. for tailgating to rock and country music and the movie starts at 9 p.m. If “Hocus Pocus” isn’t your thing, there are different Halloween movies every Saturday for the rest of October. Head to eastshoreevents.com for the details. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids.
Where: 1767 E. Shore Dr., Ithaca
When: Saturday at 9 p.m. Tailgating starts at 6 p.m.
How much: $10 for adults and $5 for kids
Sunday
Uticon
Utica’s longest-running comic book benefit show will set up at Mohawk Community College on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Authors Marcus Kwame Anderson, Larry Hama, Conor Hughes, Maegan Cook and more will be there, plus many, many vendors. Entry is $5 for adults, $3 for teens from 13 to 17, and free for kids 12 and under. All proceeds go to the American Cancer Society. Go to uticoncomicsshow.com for more information. Cosplay is welcome.
Where: Jorgensen Athletics Center, 1101 Sherman Dr., Utica
When: Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
How much: $5 for adults, $3 for teens and free for kids
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