Westcott Nation

20th Annual Westcott Street Cultural Fair
Sunday, September 18, 2011
12:00—6:30pm
www.westcottfair.org

The Westcott Street Cultural Fair is an annual, one-day celebration of the diversity and uniqueness of the Westcott neighborhood through its culture, visual and performing arts, food, service organizations, and activities geared to families and university students returning to the neighborhood. The fair attracts more than 8,000 people annually to the Westcott Business District in mid-September for a day filled with great sounds, sights, tastes and more.

The fair takes place on Westcott street, in between Concord Street and Dell Street, as well as some of the side streets off Westcott.

Click here to sign up to volunteer anytime between 8am-8pm.

Got a Phat Ride?

Did I just date myself with that title? Car politics talk like this all the time: if you've got a car in da Cuse, you can get out to the fly Wegman's in DeWitt like butta'. But if you ain't, you a scrub. Then you got the infamous example of Margaret Thatcher denouncing men over 30 who took the bus. She obviously knew no hipsters. Happily, over the past two years new options have opened in Syracuse. A third-way between owning your own and sharing with your mom. Or taking the bus. Or biking. Or walking. To the point- we have car share companies.

Zipcar, well established as a car share company in large-scale metropolitan areas, has two Prius cars for rent to members and SU students on campus (parked in the paved zone between the gym and the quad). They're awkward to find but once you have, easy to use. http://www.zipcar.com/su/

CuseCar is a local start-up car share company. CuseCar now has Prius cars to rent to members downtown, in Hawley-Green, and at the Westcott Community Center on the East side (see below).For more information about CuseCar, please visit us at www.cusecar.org or call CUSECAR (287-3227)

CuseCar Makes a Home at the Westcott Community Center and Opens up Membership in the Westcott Neighborhood. A CuseCar can now be found parked at the Westcott Community Center, on the corner of Euclid & Westcott Streets.

Are you in need of a ride? Tired of lugging groceries on the bus? Spouse has the car and you want to take the kids for a ride? GRAB a CuseCar, membership is only a key stroke a way. You can join CuseCar online choosing from a number of different membership plans; including the Out and About Plan, Student Plan, or Commuter Plan. Usage rates as low as $5.95 an hour, when using a CuseCar there is no additional charge for insurance or gas, it’s all included in the membership.

The Westcott Community Center is thrilled to be providing a CuseCar to the neighborhood. We are committed to improving the environment we live in and the CuseCar will be a step in this direction. It helps bring our mission alive-- Building Community One Brick [or car] at a Time.

CuseCar is a not-for-profit community car sharing organization, with the mission to provide a sustainable transportation program in Onondaga County that will reduce vehicle miles traveled, lower the carbon footprint, improve air quality, and assist in developing the new green energy fuel distribution in the community.

CuseCar is offered to drivers 18 and up, who qualify for membership. CuseCar has designated convenient parking throughout the City of Syracuse and Onondaga County.

Sound of Music, the

Ah, that used to be my favorite movie. My grandmother earned sainthood watching it with me what must have been hundreds of times. I've never been to Austria, but I live in a pretty hilly place and we've got lots o' music.

I don't care how tone def you are, you'll find your way down to The Sound Garden (310 W Jefferson St next to the MOST in Armory Square). Old style record shop with thousands of new and used cds/dvds, bobble head dolls, hipster caps, and some snacks for those who wander in with the (inevitable) munchies. Check out the "local" section. When it's stocked, you're looking for Sophistafunk, Joe Driscoll, Larry Hoyt, Mandate of Heaven...gosh golly, the list goes on. Go on and experiment. Don't pay any attention to this poor slob.

Where else for tunes? If you're into political rock/folk check out Syracuse Cultural Workers (400 Lodi St, look for the renewable energy murals). They've got a smashing selection of local artists like Colleen Katau, Jolie Rickman, and emma's revolution.

Books & Memories LLC ( 2600 James Street, Syracuse) has vinyl, cds, and tapes. They're open 7 days a week and I'm not allowed to go with you. I have some self-control problems around great used book stores that sell excellently roasted local coffee. :shrugs: The first step is admitting the problem.

We've also got some recording labels in town and some live music venues that make My heart want to beat/Like the wings of the birds/That rise from the lake to the trees. I'm just going to run down some names and you can investigate at your leisure:
The Folkus Project: Folk and Acoustic Music in Syracuse and Central NY; Westcott Community Center (I hear they do a lot of Punk shows); Westcott Theater & Performing Arts Center; Empire Brewing Company; Dinosaur BBQ; Society for New Music; Funk & Waffles (great open mic nights); Al's Wine & Whiskey Bar; Bull & Bear Pub...and the list goes on. As Julie Andrews taught us, sometimes you need to step out of your comfort zone, expand your horizons, meet a hunky captain and make clothes out of curtains.