14850zine

Category: Free

  • What a Riot!

    What a Riot!

    With the name of “Mid-Winter Puppet Extravaganza” presented by a puppet theater company appropriately called ‘It’s a Riot Puppet Theater’, I am (perhaps overly) excited to publish my first Wild Card post. This event certainly seems to fit the bill: This Saturday there will be a single, after-dark performance of life-sized puppets! Perfectly ‘wild card’ sounding!

    Adding to the mystery of the show, I know little about this event beyond the event announcement. Billed as an event for all ages, it will take place outside tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 1st from 6-7 p.m. behind the Standard Art Supply shop at 308 E. Seneca Street. It is hosted by the Durland Alternative Library and is free and open to the public; donations appreciated. Following the puppet show there will be live music and a reception with warm drinks. Dress warmly and have fun!

  • First Friday Gallery Night

    First Friday Gallery Night

    First Friday Gallery Night is a monthly community event hosted by galleries and art houses in downtown Ithaca. On the first Friday of every month, year round, downtown galleries, art houses, and boutiques show special screenings, new exhibitions, host receptions, uncork wine bottles, and showcase work of local, national, and international artists. It is free and open to the public and is generally an excuse to meet up with friends, have a few drinks and enjoy some colorful artwork and an evening stroll along the Commons.

    To be sure, gallery hopping on a balmy summer’s evening has its allure, but First Friday Gallery Night is also something that can be especially enjoyed on a darkened winter evening to kickstart the weekend. Sample the art, warm up with a glass of wine, grab some hors d’oeuvres and duck in and out of the galleries with quick jaunt in the frosty wintry night between each stop. Capping the evening off with a dinner at one of the downtown restaurants ain’t a bad idea either.

    First Friday Gallery Night takes place on the first Friday of every month from 5-8pm. Gallery guides with maps of participating locations and show descriptions are available at all participating venues. In all there are usually about 20 venues.

  • Learn to Cook with Kuzu*

    Learn to Cook with Kuzu*

    For today’s post I am excited to talk about the many wonderful classes offered by GreenStar Coop. For several years I’ve attended many of GreenStar’s evening classes and workshops and have always found them informative, inspiring, and personal. With class topics ranging from “Backyard Medicinals and Wild Edibles,” to “Gut and Psychology Syndrome,” to “Raw Food Desserts” the emphasis is on health, wellness, natural care, cooking, and alternative and homeopathic healing modalities.

    Earlier this week I attended the “Fall Harvest Desserts” class led by Theresa Joseph and assisted by Anita Devine,two familiar faces who lead several of the popular macrobiotic cooking classes throughout the year. (The pair is featured above in the photo). This class was noteworthy, (not only because I got to sample loads of delicious – and relatively healthy – desserts made by Theresa), but because this was the inaugural class to be held in GreenStar’s newly opened classroom space. Simply christened “The Classrooms at GreenStar,” this space sits just across the street from the Buffalo St. GreenStar store and holds three classrooms dedicated to continuing and expanding their educational endeavors. Additional plans are in the works to further renovations of this new space to include a functional teaching kitchen, (you know, one with those nifty ceiling mirrors above the countertop workspace for the audience).

    The class series is organized and run by Education Coordinator, Pam Wooster. Pam has been with GreenStar for 21 years and started these classes back in 1995. With the task of setting up the class calendar, selecting topics, and soliciting guest practitioners specializing in a range of topics, I think she has one of the most interesting jobs in town and I told her that if she is ever in need of an assistant that yours truly would no doubt make an awesome assistant.  🙂

    In any case, with or without an assistant, Pam does a great job of running this program, balancing topics, and selecting engaging practitioners. As a general rule, practitioners in the realm of health and wellness who have a degree, certification, or training in their area of specialty are invited to teach a class or workshop. (Though I hear plans are in the works for a possible more informal ‘home-based’ series where the teachers do not necessarily need to be professionally trained, but could be self-taught and have years of experience).

    Classes range from lecture-style seminars, to more informal discussion sessions, to hands-on workshops and can address both physiological and psychological needs. One of my favorite hands-on workshops that I’ve attended (besides ones in which I get to sample tasty treats), has been an aromatherapy workshop led by Kash Iraggi of Balance Aromatherapy. Students had the chance to mix their own blends of essential oil spritzers from dozens of heavenly pure oils. I made a enlivening concoction from citrus, clove, and eucalyptus oils. Many of the cooking classes that I’ve attended have been invigorating and refreshing, challenging me to be more creative in my cooking methods and introducing me to new ingredients I had never tried.

    Pam draws upon local resources, listings in local media, and a network of practitioners to find instructors for the classes and develop new class subjects. Attendees to every class add suggestions for new class topics that would interest them, and practitioners themselves are welcome to contact Pam at pam [at] greenstar.coop if they feel they have something unique in the realm of health and wellness to share with the community. Over the years some of the more popular classes have been Pricilla Timberlake’s annual Thanksgiving cooking class and Anita Devine’s macrobiotic cooking classes. This past summer “Beer 101” drew a large attendance with the Ithaca Beer Co. leading a class on beer history and brewing.

    All classes and workshops are one-time events, and you simply sign up per class ahead of time by calling the GreenStar at 607-273-9392. Classes are held at their main store at 701 W. Buffalo Street. Many of the classes are free, but the more materials-intensive classes (such as the cooking classes), usually cost $8 for GreenStar members and $10 for non-members. Visit GreenStar’s Event’s page to see the calendar listing each month’s class offerings.

  • Hollenbeck's Cider Mill

    Hollenbeck's Cider Mill

    Though I am slightly breaking the rules by covering something just outside the Tompkins County line, I thought a mention of Hollenbeck’s Cider Mill too good to pass up. A longtime tradition of my husband’s family, and now mine, an October visit to this charming cider mill just outside Cortland is a festive and tasty way to indulge in the fall season.

    An apple orchard, country store, farm stand, and cider mill, Hollenbeck’s feature attraction is the antique cider press that is still in use. On weekend days they do several open apple pressings for the public and onlookers are treated to just-off-the-press cups of the golden cider as it pours from the spout. The cider is cool, crisp, and sweet, and if your in the mood, you can pair it with an old-fashioned doughnut that they roll out hot on the spot from their doughnut maker.

    Mr. Hollenbeck, who was been in the apple and cider business for decades, skillfully operates the giant wood and iron press. You can watch as a cascade of apples bounce and tumble into a chopper, then the resulting juicy pulp is carefully sandwiched into layers of burlap between wood planks as the press is prepared. The fun starts when the press jumps into gear and squeezes the heap of apple pulp and a waterfall of cool cider pours down into the cider spout.

    After you’ve had your fill of cider and doughnuts, you can pick up bushels of fresh apples (there are dozens of varieties to choose from), pumpkins and other fall harvest goods, as well as homemade fruit and berry pies from the adjoining bakery and sundries such as maple candies, nut and chocolate fudges, cheeses, and honey products from the store. The store also has an unusually impressive offering of tasty-looking canned goods – everything from onion jams to pickled hot peppers to fruit marmalades.

    Hollenbeck’s Cider Mill is located at 1265 New York 392. Be sure to call ahead at 607-835-6455 to ascertain whether they are doing a pressing later that day.

  • How'd You Like Them Apples

    How'd You Like Them Apples

    This time of year you can spend each weekend at a different u-pick apple orchard, but if you are serious about your apples then stop by the Cornell Apple Orchards for a tasting of unique Cornell-bred apples. Though the orchards are off limits for picking, their roadside store offers an abundance of fruits and cider as well as a selection of honey products, maple candies, Cornell Dairy treats, and locally-made cheeses. The Cornell Orchards is a collection of orchards, vineyards, and fruit farms managed by the Department of Horticulture. While the orchards are split into a variety of locations and their research facility is in Geneva, the Cornell Orchard shop site includes the storage and packing facilities, a cider press, and a research lab, and is surrounded by 37 acres of fruit plantings.

    Upon entering the shop you are overwhelmed by a deliciously sweet and crisp fragrance of apples. Baskets of apples are laid out inviting visitors to sample all the varieties. Don’t be shy – try one of each! Bags of apples and other fall produce – corn, plums, pears, gourds, and pumpkins – line the shop shelves. At the back of the store workers sort bins of apples that cascade from a conveyor belt emerging from the back storage area.

    The opening of the Cornell Apple Orchards is always a welcome fall treat, and I stopped in this past weekend. I was delighted to sample, among others, “Autumn Crisp,” a Cornell variety which is a cross between a Golden Delicious and a Monroe. Developed by Cornell (at the Geneva research station), it is the 63rd apple released from their breeding research station. It is juicy, crisp, and sweet, but not cloying. I loved it and bought a bag to take home.

    There is also cider to sample and sometimes pears to taste. Upon asking one of the store clerks/researchers I was treated to a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the back storage room. Crisp, cool, and fragrant with an even more intense sent of fresh apples, the store room was stacked floor to ceiling with giant crates of apple in all varieties.

    The Cornell Apple Orchards shop is open from mid-August through April. Hours change, so check the website. The shop (in Ithaca) is located at 709 Dryden Rd. (across from the Cornell Vet School).

  • Happy Birthday, Johnson Museum!

    Happy Birthday, Johnson Museum!

    This Friday evening the Johnson Museum celebrates its 40th anniversary as well as the opening of its five fall exhibits. A special lineup of artsy concert performances, music, and a reception get the festivities going and a and ’70s-themed dance party continues the revelry late into the night.

    Here is the evening’s schedule of events (as described on the Museum’s website):

    Opening Reception for the Fall Exhibits
    5:00–7:00 p.m.
    Throughout the Museum

    Performance by Michael Ashkin, Tim Feeney, and Annie Lewandowski
    7:00–8:00 p.m.
    Lynch Conference Room, Floor 6
    *Please arrive early, as elevator access will be restricted to avoid interrupting the performance.
    Depot/Centralia/Tiber features works filmed by Professor Michael Ashkin (CU Department of Art) at a decommissioned military depot in upstate New York, in a Central Pennsylvania mining town, and in Rome along the Tiber River. The improvised soundtrack is performed by Annie Lewandowski (lecturer, CU Department of Music) on piano/electronics and Tim Feeney (former lecturer, CU Department of Music) on percussion. This performance was made possible in part by the generous support of the Cornell Council for the Arts.

    Performance: Mother Mallard’s Portable Masterpiece Co.
    8:30–9:30 p.m.
    Lecture room, Floor 2L in the wing
    Mother Mallard returns to the Museum, where they have held performances since its opening 1973! Founded and directed by David Borden in 1969, Mother Mallard is the world’s first synthesizer ensemble. Their program will feature selections from Borden’s Earth Journeys, all variations on “Happy Birthday” and receiving their first performance tonight. Mother Mallard dedicates this performance to the memory of Tom Leavitt (1930–2010), founding director of the Johnson Museum.

    Performance: Cornell Avant Garde Ensemble
    9:30 p.m.
    Mallin Sculpture Court, Floor 2 (rain location: Appel Lobby)
    The Cornell Avant Garde Ensemble performs music inspired by Leo Villareal: Cosmos under the installation and the stars.

    ’70’s Dance Party
    10:00 p.m.–12:00 midnight
    Get up and get down with the best ’70s grooves, plus art, activities, and far-out fun. Can you dig it? Wear your sharpest ’70s threads and party hearty!

  • Porchfest

    Porchfest

    This Sunday  is the seventh annual Porchfest! If you have never been, Porchfest is an Ithaca music festival held on the porches of houses in downtown Fall Creek and Northside neighborhoods. This year music-goers can wander the neighborhood streets and hear over 100 bands playing on various porches. Maps are created to show what bands are playing, where, and when. According to the Porchfest website, music this year will range from classical to roots, rock to country to pop to reggae to punk rock, and from Appalachian to Brazilian to Irish to Swedish to Zimbabwean, and more.

    The thing I like about this festival is the community involvement and local flair. Fall Creek and Northside homeowners volunteer their porches – either to bands they know, bands they like, or even bands they know nothing about. Many of the bands are local, and it is fun when you stumble upon a porch with your normally staid co-worker playing drums for a rock band.

    The event is refreshingly simple and the only street vendors to be seen at this festival are two tasty food trucks at Thompson Park and the occasional lemonade stands manned by entrepreneurial grade-schoolers. Porchfest 2013 is sponsored by Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, a non-profit, community development corporation whose mission is to revitalize Ithaca’s neighborhoods, encourage stability and diversity, and to help people of modest incomes obtain affordable housing on a long-term basis. The event is free, though donations toward the cost of printing the maps is appreciated.

    Porchfest 2013 takes place this Sunday, Sept. 15th from 1:00pm – 5:00pm with an open jam session to follow at 5:30pm in Thompson Park.

  • A Country Fair

    A Country Fair

    For a sweet, old-time, country fair, head to the Ellis Hollow Fair today at the Ellis Hollow Community Center. With horse drawn wagon rides for kids and a berry pie stand, there is a homespun feel to this small fair. Each year the Ellis Hollow community comes together to put on this fair to raise money for the community center. Residents donate old household items, toys, furniture, and clothes to be sold in a ‘White Elephant’ sale. Unwanted house plants are donated and sold at a plant stand. Residents man the various booths – a pie stand, a country kitchen, farm vegetables, grilled corn on the cob, baked goods, and an ice cream stand. Fairgoers picnic on makeshift picnic tables and blankets as bands perform music. Kids enjoy face painting, relay races, games, and an ever-popular dunking booth. There is even a quilt raffle. Held each year on the first weekend in September, it’s usually still warm and sunny, but with high blue skies and a crisp edge to the air heralding the change of seasons, this is a delightful way to enjoy one last summery activity in the countryside. The Ellis Hollow Community Center is located at 111 Genung Road. The fair is held today, Saturday, Sept. 7th from noon to 5:00 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

  • Enchanted Garden

    Enchanted Garden

    A hot day at the end of summer seemed like an opportunity to fit in one last picnic lunch before the weather begins to turn, and so I found myself this afternoon at the Ithaca Children’s Garden. Likely you’ve seen the colorful sign at the entrance of Ithaca Children’s Garden on your way out of town via Route 89 but may have not stopped to visit. Next time you have a moment or if you have a child in tow, stop in to take a peek at this unique garden.

    Built for children with the goal of introducing them to the outdoors, nature, and gardening and to the concepts of permaculture and sustainability, this park offers a fun array of activities, programs, and sights to explore. At one end of this park there is a huge mound of earth sculpted into a giant turtle. Artfully arranged stones create the turtle’s back and invite little ones to scramble over the turtle mound. At the other end of the park a mud pit, entitled “The Anarchy Zone,” offers carte-blanche to rambunctious kids to get crazy and messy. And in between lies a troll house, a tadpole pond, a maze, a sandpit, a rain garden (for water-loving plants), and various paths. A large beautiful tree in the center of the park offers shade and seating for organized storytelling sessions.

    There is an edible garden where visitors are invited to sample the vegetables and herbs and help water the plants. Next to the garden there is an outdoor kitchen where workshops are held for kids to make their own pizzas, teas, or salads using the produce from the garden. A compost and a greenhouse, ingeniously made from recycled plastic soda bottles, also sit next to the edible garden and introduce kids to the full cycle of growing, gardening, and composting.

    One of the sweetest and most moving parts of the Children’s Garden is the Bulb Labyrinth Memorial Garden which was planted to honor local babies and children who have passed away. Lushly filled with perennial bulbs, it becomes a beautiful sight to see in spring when it is in full bloom.  Nearby a wildflower garden attracts bugs and nets and jars are available for children to capture and study the flying and creepy-crawling inhabitants of the wildflower garden. Future plans for the park include a edible forest where children can learn about foraging.

    If you are interested in becoming involved, the Ithaca Children’s Garden is always looking for volunteers to help with gardening, maintenance, and running its numerous events and programs. The Garden works in partnership with the Cornell Cooperative Extension. It is located just south of Cass Park on Route 89 on the Cayuga Inlet and is open from sunrise to sunset every day. Pack a picnic, grab a kid and stop by this delightful garden and start exploring.

  • Welcome to 14850zine

    Welcome to 14850zine

    Welcome to 14850zine! Well, at least welcome to the approximately four people who are reading this initial post (hi mom, dad, husband, and, if lucky, at least one of my sisters!) My hope is that a readership of plus four will soon exist. After much time spent dreaming, planning, designing, and building, I am excited to launch 14850zine. Named after the main Ithaca zip code, 14850zine will cover all things Ithaca and surrounding area – with reviews on restaurants, free events, exploring hidden nooks and crannies in the gorges, classes, and much more. While 14850zine does not claim to be an exhaustive listing of events and things-to-do (see other great blogs, such as IthacaEvents.com or VisitIthaca.com, for up-to-date listings), this blog aims to cover interesting finds – both old and new, and celebrate the small jewels and quirkiness this area has to offer.

    It has been a long time coming, but I am happy that the launch of this blog will catch at least the tail end of summer. Though there are more than enough stories to cover  in every season, summer is especially abundant with exciting events: The ever-popular Farmer’s Market, the Scottish Festival, outdoor movies at the Straight, Shakespeare in the Park, Taughannock Falls concerts, salsa nights at the Big Red Barn, 4th of July festivities and fireworks, the Ithaca Festival, and of course the opportunity to explore the many surrounding trails and gorges.

    Thank you for visiting 14850zine. Please check back regularly for more posts as we go forward and get in touch with us if you have ideas to share.