Join FOCUS Greater Syracuse for a free, virtual public forum at 12:05 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28. FOCUS is seeking community input for future FOCUS forums. The group seeks feedback on topics that residents would like more information about or feel that the community should be more informed on. FOCUS’s “Forum on the Future” will provide a space for conversation, idea-sharing and most importantly, listening to the residents of Central New York. Registration is required to receive a Zoom link. Register at: https://www.focussyracuse.org/focus-forums/

The 2022 Syracuse Pond Hockey Classic, a one-day outdoor hockey tournament on scenic Hiawatha Lake in the city of Syracuse, will take place Saturday, Jan. 29. After a successful inaugural tournament in 2020, the tournament will expand this year to 16 teams competing on six rinks. The 2021 event was canceled due to COVID-19.

Round robin play will begin at 9 a.m. Championship round play is scheduled to start around 3:30 p.m. Upper Onondaga Park has space for a large crowd of spectators on the banks of Hiawatha Lake.  The event also features music, food and beverages. Attendance is free. The contingency date for unfavorable weather conditions is Feb. 5.

For the month of February, live music will be performed each Wednesday to celebrate local Black artists, organized by Syracuse JAMS. Performance by Carter & Brooks will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

A Pocketful of Progress: A Retrospective Look at the Machines Found in our Smartphones opens 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 3, downtown at the Onondaga Historical Museum. The exhibit displays machines from the past 150 years which performed functions that, today, can be done on a smartphone. The array of machines, many which originated right here in Syracuse, offer a stark juxtaposition to the incredible technological tool you carry every day in your purse or in your pocket. The is a free event. RSVP to ohamuseum@cnyhistory.org. For the safety of all staff and patrons, proof of vaccination is required to attend.

Every Thursday in February, Chef Kuukua will instruct in making a traditional African soup or porridge, in commemoration of Black History Month.

The World-Famous Harlem Globetrotters will bring its newly re-imagined Spread Game tour to Syracuse, featuring ankle-breaking moves, jaw-dropping swag and rim-rattling dunks. Part streetball from the players who defined it, part interactive family entertainment, the new tour will show off the best of the Globetrotters in a dazzling exhibition of talent and game. 

Join in celebrating Black joy, culture and cinematic talent every Friday night during Black History Month for a different movie. "Friday" (R) will be screened.

The Tomorrow's Neighborhoods Today South Side sector will hold a virtual community meeting at 6 p.m. Feb. 7. Regina Morris, supervisor with the 911 call center, will be a guest speaker and a presentation to discuss and vote on special projects will be held. To learn more, contact Tina Zagyva,  TNT operations manager, at  TNTsyracuse@gmail.com  or (315) 448-8178. 

Mario Powell, S.J., the sixth president of Brooklyn Jesuit Prep, will serve as keynote speaker at the 2022 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation, which will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 4 p.m. The event will be held in Grewen Auditorium or virtually; if attending virtually, register at lemoyne.edu/mlk

For the month of February, live music will be performed each Wednesday to celebrate local Black artists, organized by Syracuse JAMS. Performance by Sam Wynn & Mikal Serafim will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m.