Genealogy FAN Club

Who are your ancestors’ FANS (friends/family, associates and neighbors)? By learning about them, you can more easily trace your own family. Learn where to get information on these FANS and how to use it in your research on your family. Visit bit.ly/FANClubJune5 to sign up. Participants will be sent a Zoom meeting link.

Free To Be – A Juneteenth Celebration

Join Sankofa Wellness & Resource and Liberty Resources for a virtual Juneteenth celebration honoring Black liberation. The event will include guest speakers, spoken word and more.

Friday Facebook Live with Curator Bob

Onondaga Historical Association's Downtown Syracuse location is a lot bigger than what you may have seen. So much of its downtown building is collections and storage. Tour the exhibits, offices, collections and special storage with OHA's Curator of History Bob Searing virtually at 1:30 p.m. every Friday. Searing will go live to take you through different parts of the museum while telling the stories and history of our county.

What Are You Reading? Online Book Discussion Group

Attention Book Lovers. This is your chance to meet with other book lovers to share your thoughts about the books you’re currently reading or listening to. Amanda from Betts Branch and Joanne from Soule Branch will keep the discussion rolling with thought-provoking questions about your latest read. Registration is required. Visit bit.ly/BookDiscussionJune24 to sign up. Participants will be sent a link to join a Zoom meeting.

OCPL Presents: Shakespeare Unstaged

Onondaga County Public Libraries has partnered with Syracuse Shakespeare In The Park (SSITP) to virtually stage "Shakespeare Unstaged!" Enjoy a sampling of scenes, monologues and sonnets performed by the talented volunteers of SSITP on Facebook Live. Visit facebook.com/OnondagaCountyPublicLibraries on Thursdays at 2 p.m. to tune in.

Virtual Nature Talks: Caves

In this program, Leah Hill from CNY Young Naturalists will introduce you to cave geology and cave ecosystems. Participants will learn about caving as a hobby and a science, and will go on a virtual tour of a cave system located somewhere in North America. During this tour, features of the cave will be pointed out and explained. If you are interested in attending, register by visiting bit.ly/NatureTalkJune25. Participants will be sent a Zoom meeting link.

Friday Facebook Live with Curator Bob

Onondaga Historical Association's Downtown Syracuse location is a lot bigger than what you may have seen. So much of its downtown building is collections and storage. Tour the exhibits, offices, collections and special storage with OHA's Curator of History Bob Searing virtually at 1:30 p.m. every Friday. Searing will go live to take you through different parts of the museum while telling the stories and history of our county.

Friday Facebook Live with Curator Bob

Onondaga Historical Association's Downtown Syracuse location is a lot bigger than what you may have seen. So much of its downtown building is collections and storage. Tour the exhibits, offices, collections and special storage with OHA's Curator of History Bob Searing virtually at 1:30 p.m. every Friday. Searing will go live to take you through different parts of the museum while telling the stories and history of our county.

2020 Photo Walk Contest

This summer The Stand's annual Photo Walk will be held as a citywide photo contest. The community won’t gather in person due to the pandemic, but photographers can still document the city during this unique moment in time. The contest is open for the entire month of July. Images will be accepted on a rolling basis until July 31. Participants may enter up to two photos in each of the five categories and a panel of local judges will pick top winners – plus there will be prizes.

Contest Categories Include:

   •  #CuseSummer2020 — A shot that best captures this new normal — new now — for the city of Syracuse.

   •  #CuseCOVIDchildhood — A shot showing our city’s youth — from coping with our current crisis to enjoying childhood innocence.

   •  #CuseSocialDistancing — A shot displaying creative ways the city and its residents continue on safely.

   •  #CuseMinorityImpact — Studies show this virus impacts Blacks and minorities disproportionately, how can this reality be visualized?

   •  #CuseBLM — Nationwide racism is being called out. How is Syracuse pushing for progress?

Photographers are encouraged to share images throughout the month on social media by tagging @MySouthSide and posting their favorite shots with each contest category hashtag. Final images will be shared with the community online, featured in The Stand’s September print issue and exhibited downtown, projected onto the Everson Museum of Art, thanks to a partnership with the Urban Video Project (UVP).

To enter and be considered for prizes, photographers must follow recommended health guidelines, submit photos taken only in the city of Syracuse during the month of July and enter images online using The Stand’s entry form.

VeganCNY Community Food Share: 1st Sundays

Cafe Sankofa 2323 S. Salina St., Syracuse, NY, United States

Vegan CNY Community Food Share provides healthy, vegan food to people who need it. Typically available  is an assortment of homemade and packaged food like hot soup, bread, along with fruit, coffee and clothing and other items.

While the mission of the program is to share with the most vulnerable, it is not all about “charity.” Food Share is an opportunity to be in solidarity with those who are most often overlooked, who fall through the cracks in our system. The group provides food; in return, they get the opportunity to know their neighbors better, to hear music, engage in conversation and share stories.