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SET THE TONE FOR THE SEASON O U R A N N U A L H O L I D AY G I F T G U I D E
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LO CAL S OVERCOMING CHALLENGE S , INSPIRING OTHERS
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Contents Features
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Holiday Presence
A holistic approach to gifting, with finds from local shops.
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Playing Center
Set the holiday table with these creative ideas for an eye-catching display.
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Wrap Song
Make a gift even more memorable with stylish presentation.
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On a Mission
Meet four Central New Yorkers who turned personal heartbreak into hope and healing for others.
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Departments
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6 Editor’s Letter 11 It’s All Good
What to savor in CNY now... A Good Feeling, Downtown Doings, Caught Doing Good.
24 The Seen
A pictorial review of Central New York’s socially distanced gatherings.
76 Our Town Live like a local in Onondaga.
78 CNY Scout
New downtown Syracuse bar is a game changer.
81 Farm to Table
Salt City Market’s Mamma Hai shares a recipe for a comforting stew.
84 Art Profile
How local galleries adapted to the pandemic.
88 Galleries
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What’s on display in the art world.
90 Flashback
Presidential visits to Onondaga County.
91 Last Word
With Lights on the Lake Coordinator Debbie Dennis.
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CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE
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It’s All Good
Season of lights
Fill a basket or bowl with pinecones gathered from a walk outside. Add a string of battery-operated fairy lights and set anywhere for a naturally festive look that carries all through winter.
Raise your spirits (and a glass) with holiday goings on and picks of the season. BY M J K R AV EC
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G I F T
BY AMY BLEIER LONG
G U I D E
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PHOTOS BY AMELIA BEAMISH
THIS YEAR, WE DON’T WANT TO GIVE OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY GIFTS JUST FOR GIFTING’S SAKE. WE WANT TO ENTERTAIN, UPLIFT AND COMFORT. HERE ARE OUR PICKS FOR PRESENTS TO NOURISH THE MIND, BODY AND SOUL. Naughty/Nice gift tag, $3.50 for four tags, Pig mini canvas, $16, both The Rose Cottage, 214 S. Manlius Street, Fayetteville, 315-637-1330, therosecottageny.com.
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Set the holiday table with these creative ideas for an eye-catching display.
STORY AND PHOTOS BY ALAINA POTRIKUS
With twinkling lights or rustic dried florals, vintage linens or seasonal blooms arranged by hand, a tablescape adds a special touch when celebrating the holidays or connecting with guests. We asked five Central New York artists to create a centerpiece that beginning DIYers could replicate at home.
G I F T I N G G E T S E X T R A S P E C I A L W I T H C R E AT I V E P R E S E N TAT I O N STORY AND PHOTOS BY ALAINA POTRIKUS
Gift wrap can be sleek and modern or full of festive flair. But the choice of ribbons, wrapping paper, bows or baubles can make the perfect present even more special. We asked several local artists and gift shop owners to dress up a box to showcase their signature style.
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CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
ON A MISSION BY JEANNE ALBANESE
The pain … Of hunger. Of losing a child. Of fighting an addiction. Of slowly going blind. MEET FOUR CENTRAL NEW YORKERS WHO TURNED THEIR HARDSHIPS INTO PERSONAL MISSIONS TO HELP OTHERS.
Farm to Table
Cinnamon it A VIETNAMESE BEEF STEW FROM MAMMA HAI IN SALT CITY MARKET SERVES UP COMFORT FOOD IN ONE AROMATIC BOWL OF COZINESS.
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The Last Word
With Debbie Dennis S E N I O R R EC R E AT I O N L E A D E R AT O N O N DAG A L A K E PA R K , C O O R D I N ATO R L I G H T S O N T H E L A K E .
What better way to close the year than to chat with the coordinator of one of CNY’s most popular holiday traditions? Debbie Dennis is senior recreation leader at Onondaga Lake Park and coordinator for Lights on the Lake, an event featuring more than 300 displays, 600,000 light bulbs and an average of more than 41,000 vehicle visits per year.
How long have you been with the program? This will be my 15th season coordinating Lights on the Lake. The program is in its 31st year.
Tell us a little about day-to-day operations. Lights on the Lake is essentially a year-round program, with set up beginning just after Labor Day each year. Budget, purchasing new displays, rehab, extension cords, tools and bulbs, helping to plan infrastructure improvements and scheduling are some of the main things I do as a coordinator.
What time do you get up in the morning and how do you take your coffee? I get up at 6 a.m. during the week. Weekends are another story. Coffee with cream any time of day works for me.
Tell us about the first time you went through Lights on the Lake… The first time I drove through Lights on the Lake was actually the first year I worked on the program. We turn the entire show on before we open to the public… It was exciting for me to finally see how everything came together after months of work. The program truly is a team effort and I know how proud we all are of our work.
What’s the electric bill like? Lights on the Lake is 100 percent LED, so converting to that over time has made a significant impact on the amount of power we use.
Do you have a favorite holiday song for Lights on the Lake drive-thru? Sunny 102.1 is the official radio station for Lights on the Lake. They play holiday music throughout the show. One of my personal favorite holiday songs is “Little LIGHTS ON THE LAKE PHOTO BY SCOTT SCHILD
Drummer Boy.” My kids love “Dominick the Donkey.”
We have to ask (because we’re holiday movie geeks): Ever get that feeling like the moment in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation when Clark Griswold plugs in his outdoor lights and nothing happens? Haha, no. Several of our displays are actually on timers, and we have 22 breakers that need to be turned on each day to illuminate the displays. That’s one of the reasons why we test everything out before we open to the public. But when the lights do come on and you can see how everything fits together, it’s truly a magical moment.
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