Introduction to Performance Storytelling Workshop
2025-09-20 10:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | Community School of Music and Arts, 330 East State Street, Ithaca
Join us at CSMA for a storytelling workshop led by Jay Leeming! In this workshop we will learn how to take traditional myths, fairy tales, folk tales and epics from the page into our voices so as to perform them for others. We will work to see these stories in their wild wholeness, finding in them generations of thought and action and exploring them as spoken maps to the world around and within us. Special attention will be given to voice, imagination, and the use of the body. We will enter the forest and hope to return changed.
* Use Discount Code FAMILY and receive 15% off when registering another person in your household.

Autumn Still Life Watercolor Workshop
2025-09-20 13:00 - 16:00 | Community School of Music and Arts, 330 East State Street, Ithaca
Join us at CSMA for a seasonal still life watercolor workshop led by instructor Jennifer Gibson! We will learn some basics through various exercises, then dive into a fall still life scene. In this workshop, participants will explore fundamental painting techniques while painting autumn still life scenes.
Whether you’re new to watercolor painting or experienced and looking for some extra practice, this workshop offers a supportive environment to learn and experiment under expert guidance.

The Kaplan Cousins Improvise
2025-09-20 19:30 - 21:30 | Hangar Theatre, 801 Taughannock Blvd., Ithaca, 14850
Ilan and Gavin Kaplan have been improvising together for 8 years, and have known each other for 31. Together, they have taught workshops and performed all around NYC and beyond, including their undefeated run on Improv Cagematch New York, where they won 14x in a row with their team, confusingly named “The Kaplan Brothers”. At this show, Ilan and Gavin will bring the chemistry they’ve been building their entire lives to a hilarious improv performance that creates an entire show on the spot out of a single word suggestion. Don’t believe it’s possible? Come see to find out!
Opening for the Kaplan Cousins are members of Ithaca’s own Third Place Theater, a local improv comedy theater that hosts shows, jams, and other events almost every week. Stay in touch with the Hangar to learn about opportunities for you to learn and perform improv in Ithaca!

Yoga to the People
2025-09-21 10:30 - 11:30 | Titus Triangle Park, S Titus between Plain and Fair, Ithaca
Free, accessible, family-friendly yoga therapy at Titus Triangle Park. Bring your mat or towel, water, curiosity, and enthusiasm.

ECODEVIANCE: A GENERATIVE WRITING CLASS
2025-09-21 14:00 - 16:00 | Buffalo Street Books, 215 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca
With nicole v. basta. ECODEVIANCE is a term borrowed from the poet CA Conrad. Here, we will use the idea (“subversive syllabus for a queer ecopoetics”) to practice presence with our words and with the earth outside the typical constraints of our society and our minds. Through extensive multi-step prompts, you will be asked to burrow forward without turning back (i.e. keep your pen moving in a way that allows your mind to slip out of its linear grip). This is a generative creative writing class where we will use the cycles of nature and the vastness of time (starting back in pre-human times) to explore unconventional ways to approach a page and emerge more potent writers. We will reject time and question what it means to be in touch with “nature” in a world constantly distancing itself/ exploiting nature. We will also borrow inspiration from queer revolutionaries and resistors. This class is meant for all types of creatives, all people.

Ithaca Irrealistic Readings
2025-09-22 19:00 - 21:00 | Liquid State Brewery, 620 W. Green St., Ithaca
A boozy reading series featuring authors of the fantastic, the surreal, the absurd, the speculative, and the odd.
This months featured authors are Don Pizzaro, and Parker M.O’Neill

BIPOC Rom. Book Club - Love Is a War Song
2025-09-24 17:00 - 19:00 | Buffalo Street Books, 215 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca
A book club focused on BIPOC authors that write romance and fantasy based on central-america, meso-america and indigenous cultures!

2025 Finger Lakes Comedy Festival
2025-09-25 18:00 - 2025-09-26 00:00 | The Downstairs, 121 West Martin Luther King Junior Street, Ithaca, NY, 14850
The Finger Lakes Comedy festival is a 3-day comedy festival that features over 30 comedians across 8 shows in the heart of Downtown Ithaca! Join for our 8th Annual festival which will be filled with belly laughs all weekend!

43rd Annual Apple Harvest Festival
2025-09-26 12:00 - 20:00 | Downtown Ithaca, United States
Downtown Ithaca’s signature fall celebration returns with farm stand apples, cider treats, craft vendors, and live entertainment on the Commons.
The festival opens Friday, Sept 26 (12–8 PM) with the Welcome Student Showcase, featuring performances by Cornell, Ithaca College, and TC3 student groups — capped off with a headline performance by Ithaca’s own Jimkata at the Bernie Milton Pavilion.
Saturday, Sept 27 (10 AM–6 PM) and Sunday, Sept 28 (10 AM–6 PM) bring continuous live music, over 150 local artisans and makers, 25+ New York State farmers and food vendors, apple-inspired treats, regional cuisine, and family activities.
Families can enjoy the Family Fun Zone with inflatables, pumpkin painting, and a petting zoo, while children’s entertainment includes interactive dance and storytelling.
Admission is free and open to all.

Fiberized: An Exploration of Identity through Handmade Art Yarn on Canvas
2025-09-26 17:00 - 20:00
This art gallery features fiber paintings by Sarah Lopez. All of her works (hand-dyed and hand-spun art yarn on canvas) from 2024 and 2025 will be on display. Food and beverages available for purchase at “The Rook”.
Please enter through “The Rook”, make your way to the lobby, and enter the door on the left.

Community Arts Partnership Networking Night
2025-09-26 17:30 - 19:30, 2025-10-09 17:30 - 19:30 | Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County, 110 N. Tioga Street, Ithaca
Come and hang out with fellow artists and creatives. We’ll do a few networking type conversation starters so you can meet new people! There will be snacks!

Drag Performance
2025-09-27 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-09-27 13:00 - 14:00 | Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 W State Street, Ithaca, 14850
A Family-friendly spectacular you do not want to miss! Come see a drag show featuring some of the best local Latine drag performers, hosted by Queen Tessential.
Reserve your spots here: https://app.arts-people.com/?show=296201
General Tickets: $10
2 shows! 11 am & 1pm
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¡Un espectáculo familiar que no te puedes perder! Ven a disfrutar de un show de drag con algunos de los mejores artistas Latine locales, presentado por Queen Tessential.
Reserva tu lugar aquí: https://app.arts-people.com/?show=296201
Boletas generales: $10
¡2 funciones! 11 a. m. y 1 p. m.
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This event was made possible by: The Kitchen Theatre & Latino Civic Association
Find us online:
Sitio web / website
• LCATOMPKINS.ORG
instagram
• instagram.com/lcatompkins

Workshop: ECODEVIANCE: a generative writing class
2025-09-28 14:00 - 15:15 | Buffalo Street Books, 215 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca

Making Connections – One Step at a Time
2025-10-02 08:00 - 2025-11-02 17:00 | State of the Art Gallery, 120 W State St #2, Ithaca, 14850, United Kingdom
Eva M. Capobianco will exhibit her photo-sculptures and books chronicling her experiences while hiking the Finger Lakes Trail from end to end.
Susan C. Larkin will display her striking photographic portraits of members of her community. The portraits and interviews of these Caroline neighbors are included in her latest book, Connections.
The show will run from October 2 – November 2, 2025. An opening reception will be held on Friday, October 3, 5–8 pm.
Regular hours Thursday-Sunday 12-5 pm. 120 W State St. Curbside parking and ADA accessibility. 607-277-1626. Made possible in part with funds from the NYS Council on the Arts, administered by the Community Arts Partnership.

QUEER HORROR BOOK CLUB - CHLORINE
2025-10-02 18:00 - 20:00 | Buffalo Street Books, 215 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca
Join us at Buffalo Street Books with author Jade Song, and our staff member Anamarie, in a book club discussion of Chlorine! A book about a ravenous swimmer and her longing to become a mermaid, by any means necessary.
Jade Song is a writer and artist whose debut novel Chlorine was published by William Morrow. Awarded the American Library Association Alex Award and the Writer’s Center First Novel Prize, Chlorine was selected as a New York Times Editor’s Choice and will be translated into French, Chinese, Italian, and other languages. Their second novel, I Love You Don’t Die, and debut short story collection, Ox Ghost Snake Demon, are forthcoming from William Morrow in March 2026 and 2027. Song has received support and fellowships from the Vermont Studio Center and the Black List, which selected her adapted screenplay of Chlorine for its annual Writers Lab. She is based in Brooklyn, where they pole dance and live with too many books.
Interested in other horrifying reads? Check out our Queer Horror Book Club page to get content warnings, meeting times, book titles, and more!

Latino Civic Association Exhibit Showcasing Talent of Latine Artists
2025-10-03 17:00 - 20:00 | Community School of Music and Arts, 330 East State Street, Ithaca
Join us for a vibrant group exhibition showcasing talented Latine artists from within 100 miles of Ithaca. Come meet the artists, buy unique works of art, enjoy appetizers, and learn more about the Latino Civic Association and curators Loreto Molina & Yen Ospina.
📅 Friday, October 3rd
🕔 5–8 PM
📍 Downtown Ithaca
This is a free community event—all are welcome!
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Acompáñanos a una vibrante exposición colectiva que presenta a talentosos artistas Latine de hasta 100 millas alrededor de Ithaca. Ven a conocer a los artistas, comprar obras de arte únicas, disfrutar de aperitivos y aprender más sobre la Asociación Cívica Latina y las curadoras Loreto Molina & Yen Ospina.
📅 Viernes, 3 de octubre
🕔 5–8 p. m.
📍 Centro de Ithaca
¡Este es un evento comunitario gratuito—todos son bienvenidos!
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This event was made possible by: Community School of Music & Arts, Latino Civic Association, and partially by Statewide Community Regrant program from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the office of the Governor and NYS Legislature, administered by the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County.
Find us online:
Sitio web / website
• LCATOMPKINS.ORG
instagram
• instagram.com/lcatompkins

MIX Art Gallery Presents “PURPLE” Group Art Exhibition and Special Performance by Poet Gold
2025-10-03 17:00 - 21:00 | MIX Art Gallery, 156 E. State Street, Ithaca, 14850
MIX Art Gallery Presents “PURPLE”
Group Art Exhibition and Special Performance by Poet Gold
ITHACA, NY — MIX Art Gallery is pleased to present “PURPLE,” a compelling group art exhibition opening October 3rd at 5PM and on view through November 1, 2025. The exhibition features a diverse range of media—including sculpture, fiber work, paintings, photography, and mixed media—from 28 accomplished artists. The gallery is located on the Ithaca Commons, a vibrant hub of arts and culture in downtown Ithaca.
As part of this month’s programming, MIX will host a special live performance and book signing by Poet Gold, former Poet Laureate of Dutchess County, New York. The performance is part of the Be the Poem – Living Beyond Our Fears tour, which blends poetry, prose, music, and conversation into a powerful, lived experience. Attendees are invited to engage deeply with the themes of vulnerability and resilience that underpin both the performance and the exhibition.
Event Details:
Date: October 3rd, 2025, 5-9 PM
Location: MIX Art Gallery, Ithaca Commons
Performance Start Time: 7:30 PM
Admission: Free before 8:00 PM; $20 after 8:00 PM
Light refreshments will be provided.
Exhibiting Artists Include:
Michael Sabin, Barbara Mink, Dede Hatch, Ivy Stevens-Gupta, Ileen Kaplan-Maxwell, Carol Spence, Tim Merrick, Nancy Medsker, Yen Ospina, Tia Eytina, Bethany Parisi, Amanda Marie, Raymond Crognale, Charlie Detelich, Barbara Behrmann, Grey Hinkle, Sarah Carman, Debra Sivigny, Carol Procopio, Sarah O’Donoghue, Shane A. Eversfield, Jessica Ritchie, Vera Kelly, Basil Bakhshi, Billie Bakhshi, Abby McCullough, and Deborah Goldstein.
Featured artwork includes “Prince” by the late Holly A. Evans.
Gallery Hours:
Thursdays and Fridays: 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Saturdays: 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Artwork from MIX’s roster of artists is available for purchase online at mixartgallery.com/shop-artists.
About Poet Gold:
Poet Gold is known for combining spoken word, music, and dialogue into a form she calls Poelodies—a poetic and melodic experience. Her latest tour invites audiences to move beyond fear and connect to the everyday joys that sustain us. Her book Be the Poem – Living Beyond Our Fears will be available for purchase and signing at the event.
For media inquiries or additional information, please contact:
Wendy Gherity
wendy@mixartgallery.com
MIX Art Gallery & Event Space
156 E. State Street “On the Commons”
Ithaca, NY 14850
607-319-4364

BUSKING FOR JUSTICE: DEEP TONES FOR PEACE
2025-10-03 17:30 - 19:00 | Cafe DeWitt, 215 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca, N, 14850, United States
We’re pleased to share news of Busking for Justice, a special fundraising series featuring
local musicians, that will take place at Café Dewitt in downtown Ithaca's Dewitt Mall on first
Fridays September through December. 100% of donations fund legal aid and bail for
immigrants impacted by the threat of deportation. Café Dewitt will offer sandwiches and
food for purchase.
The second busking event, featuring Rick Manning Deep Tones for Peace with Tristen Jarvis, Dave Muir, Ken O’Rourke, and crew, bringing bass, sax, and vocals into harmony for justice, will take place on Friday, October 3, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.

We hope you will join this uplifting evening of music and solidarity in service of compassion
and due process for those in our community affected by current immigration policy and
enforcement. Stay tuned for information about future events in this series!

POETRY AS SPELLCASTING - POETRY FOR PALESTINE
2025-10-03 17:30 - 19:30 | Buffalo Street Books, 215 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca
Join us at Buffalo Street Books for Poetry as Spellcasting – A Reading For Palestine
There will be a collection of Author Readings, as well as Zines, Broadsides, and Performances

Be the Poem - Living Beyond Our Fears Performance and Book Signing with Poet Gold at MIX Art Gallery
2025-10-03 19:30 - 21:00 | MIX Art Gallery, 156 E. State Street, Ithaca, 14850
“Be the Poem – Living Beyond Our Fears” book signing and performance tour is a poetic lived experience. Poet Gold, through poems, prose, music, and conversation, invites the audience to look deeply at our fears in order to connect to the small joys we seek. The audience may go from laughter to tears back to laughter all in the same breath. Poet Gold states, “It is a love note to all of you, humanity, holding the hope to break through the noise that holds us back, an inspiration to live beyond our fears.”
Join us at MIX Art Gallery, 156 E. State St., 2nd Fl., On the Ithaca Commons on October 3rd, at 5 PM for an evening filled with poetry, art, and inspiration. Performance starts at 7:30 PM. FREE before 8 PM, $20 after 8 PM.
Meet Poet Gold in person, get your copy of their latest book signed, and enjoy a captivating performance of Spoken Word and Poelodies that will touch your heart.
Mark your calendars and get ready for an unforgettable experience! Let’s have the conversation! Subscribe to Poet Gold on YouTube for all the latest tour updates.
We can’t wait to see you there!

4th Annual Heritage Fiesta
2025-10-05 11:00 - 18:00 | Press Bay Alley & Court, 110-118 W. Green St., Ithaca, NY, 14850, United States
Get ready for a vibrant celebration at the 4th Annual Heritage Fiesta, happening in the Press Bay Parking Lot on Sunday, October 5th! 🎶🌮
📅 11 AM – 6 PM
📍 Press Bay Parking Lot, Downtown Ithaca
Founded by Yen Ospina and organized by Yen Ospina & Stacey Dimas, this lively event promises a rich showcase of culture and tradition for everyone to enjoy.
✨ Explore:
🎨 Local artisans
💃 Captivating performers
🌮 Delicious food vendors
🤝 Nonprofit organizations supporting the community
It’s a day for the whole community to come together, celebrate, and experience the beauty of heritage. Don’t miss out—learn more and get involved at LCATOMPKINS.ORG.
💺 Don’t forget to bring a camping chair so you can relax and enjoy the festivities!
☔ In case of bad weather, please check our website and FB event page for rescheduling updates.
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¡Prepárate para una celebración vibrante en la 4ª Fiesta Anual de la Herencia, que se llevará a cabo en el estacionamiento de Press Bay el domingo 5 de octubre! 🎶🌮
📅 11 a. m. – 6 p. m.
📍 Estacionamiento de Press Bay, Centro de Ithaca
Fundada por Yen Ospina y organizada por Yen Ospina & Stacey Dimas, este animado evento promete una rica muestra de cultura y tradición para que todos disfruten.
✨ Explora:
🎨 Artesanos locales
💃 Artistas y presentaciones cautivadoras
🌮 Exquisitos vendedores de comida
🤝 Organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro que apoyan a la comunidad
Será un día para que toda la comunidad se una, celebre y experimente la belleza de la herencia cultural. ¡No te lo pierdas! Conoce más y participa en LCATOMPKINS.ORG.
💺 ¡No olvides traer una silla de camping para que te relajes y disfrutes de las festividades!
☔ En caso de mal clima, por favor revisa nuestra página web y el evento en Facebook para actualizaciones sobre la reprogramación.
This event was made possible by: Latino Civic Association, GIAC, Park Foundation and partially by Statewide Community Regrant program from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the office of the Governor and NYS Legislature, administered by the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County.
Find us online:
Sitio web / website
• LCATOMPKINS.ORG
instagram
• instagram.com/lcatompkins

ALMANAC: A MURMURATION - Christine Gelineau
2025-10-05 13:00 - 15:00 | Buffalo Street Books, 215 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca
Join us at Buffalo Street Books with local author Christine Gelineau for observations on the intersections between real life, stories, and the natural world in this contemplative memoir as she reads from her new book, ALMANAC: A Murmuration
About the Author: Christine Gelineau is past Associate Director of the Creative Writing Program at Binghamton University and teaches creative nonfiction and poetry at the Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Wilkes University, a program she helped to found. She is the prize-winning author of three books of poetry: Crave, Appetite for the Divine, and Remorseless Loyalty; and editor, with Jack B. Bedell, of the anthology French Connections: A Gathering of Franco-American Poets.
Almanac: A Murmuration is a memoir that is stitched through with a thread of autobiography and by a thread about the nature of language and narrative: the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves, the stories we fashion about how we matter as a nation, and stories we weave about our relationships with other-than-human animals and with the endangered natural world we are a part of.

READING TOGETHER - Katarzyna Bartoszynska
2025-10-07 16:00 - 18:00 | Buffalo Street Books, 215 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca
Join us at Buffalo Street Books for Katarzyna Bartoszynska in conversation with Alexis Becker as we celebrate the release of Reading Together
About the Author: Local author Katarzyna Bartoszynska is a professor in English and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Ithaca College, and is also a writer, translator, and avid reader.
About the Book: Reading Together is a memoir-essay about book clubs and different ways we read with different people; how books create community.

Make Me a Monster - Kalynn Bayron
2025-10-10 17:00 - 19:00 | Buffalo Street Books, 215 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca
“Sometimes the dead don’t stay dead”
Join us at Buffalo Street Books with author Kalynn Bayron for a reading from her newest novel, Make Me a Monster

27th annual Greater Ithaca Art Trail Open Studio Weekends
2025-10-11 11:00 - 2025-10-18 17:00 | Ithaca, NY
Go on an adventure through gorgeous fall foliage with multiple artist studios as your destination!
The Greater Ithaca Art Trail, a program of the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County, is hosting two Open Studio Weekends.
On October 11th, 12th and 18th, 19th, 30 fine artists across Tompkins County will open their studios to you!
Visitors can gather their art loving family and friends and enjoy a drive through our beautiful Tompkins County roads with artist studios as destinations. There’s no fee, and no appointments needed. Just a wonderful adventure with great art and great conversations.
REGISTRATION IS REQUESTED (so we can keep visitors up to date) and there are three ways to enter into two different RAFFLES with over 27 chances to win art or offers donated by participating artists or gift cards.
You’ll meet painters, illustrators, photographers, sculptors, printmakers, and potters. You’ll see wood turning, wood carving, calligraphy, parquetry, gourd art, fine jewelry, and kiln formed glass.
The artists will be thrilled to share their passion for their art making and show off what they’ve been working on.
We love this quote from a 2024 visitor who said, “I was blown away by the quality of the art that I saw and the really cool art studios. And I didn’t expect all the wonderful conversations I had with the artists. The Art Trail is such a unique and special event. And when you combine visiting such great artists with the beauty of the area, this is definitely going to be an annual event for me and I’ll be sure to bring heaps of friends each year!”
Those who are on a quest to buy art (holiday presents!) will find prices ranging from $10 to $5,000 and everything in between. Purchasing art can be an exhilarating experience and connecting with the artist is part of that experience. Many of the artists are offering demos and incentives.
YOU’LL NEED THE PDF list of who is open, with printable maps. Not all artists on the Trail are open, and each artist is open on different days, so you definitely need that list!
Visit ArtTrail.com. You find the PDF list/map on the event page, plus artist profile pages and more. ENJOY!
Questions: Robin Schwartz, Community Arts Partnership Program Director. Info@artspartner.org
CAP thanks our Art Trail business sponsors: P.W. Wood & Son, Harris Beach Murtha, Attorneys at Law, Cornell University, and our media sponsors: WSKG and The Route WITH Radio. Additional funding form the Tompkins County Tourism Program.
The Art Trail is a program of the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County. For over 32 years, “CAP” has been a driving force behind the vibrant arts community of Ithaca and Tompkins County. To learn more about CAP, other grants, workshops, and events, visit ArtsPartner.org.

LET’S READ + TALK ABOUT CLIMATE - CLIMATE LITERATURE DISCUSSION
2025-10-15 16:30 - 18:30 | Buffalo Street Books, 215 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca
Join us at Buffalo Street Books for community-led conversations about climate change, seen through fiction and non-fiction books. The Climate Literature Book Club meets every third Wednesday of the month! Parable of the Talents as well as The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming are the books featured in this week’s discussion
Shop with us for 10% off these titles!

"The Gilda Stories" - Jewelle Gomez with Nancy Bereano
2025-10-17 17:30 - 19:00 | Buffalo Street Books, 215 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca
Before Buffy, before Twilight, before Octavia Butler’s Fledgling, there was The Gilda Stories. Join Buffalo Street Books for a very special event with the author of the first Black Lesbian vampire novel, Jewelle Gomez, in conversation with Nancy Bereano, founder of Firebrand Books. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from two queer icons.

The Songs of the Shakers
2025-10-17 18:30 - 20:00
Thanks to the generous support of the Arts Council of the Southern Finger Lakes, guitarist and composer Liam Lawson will perform his new arrangements of traditional Shaker songs with support from Josh Chamberlain (upright bass), Ali Diemecke (violin), Olive Mitra (percussion), and Christopher Ploss (accordion).
Liam is a professional composer and multi-instrumentalist, who performs across the American northeast. He is also a music educator, amateur music historian, and ethnomusicologist.
Performances are suitable for all ages and admittance is free. Come enjoy the music and storytelling
