Most Central New Yorkers are shopping for gifts this time of year, but the mindful are also planning to perhaps enjoy the season’s other offerings with family and friends. In Downtown Syracuse, holiday lights illuminate the streets, and the city’s radiant tree stays aglow all season long. The Downtown Committee’s Executive Director Merike Treier invites everyone to experience the holiday season. She says it might involve seeking out unique gifts at local shops and dining, or creating cherished memories with family and friends.
"It's about building those memories and building those experiences and the connection to downtown. So, the MOST has a very popular North Pole themed pajama party. One of our favorite events is also at the Erie Canal Museum. So, they do an annual gingerbread gallery each year, which is really fun to go through and just see the creativity that's displayed through gingerbread houses, and that's actually right near Clinton Square, which is our ice-skating rink.”
Treier also says though the city is offering the nostalgia of the past, it’s providing the digital convenience of the present to make the current holiday season memorable.
"So, we have our social media campaign, which will be on Facebook and Instagram. If you follow downtown Syracuse on either of those platforms, what we're doing is 30 days of social. So, this launched right after the tree lighting and is going to go right up until December 24th. And, each day we're going to feature a different business in downtown Syracuse with video of their shop, video of their products, or the experiences and bringing it right to the convenience of the palm of your hand.”
The Holiday Guide is available online at DowntownSyracuse.com. Take a stroll through downtown with Treier and WAER's John Smith on the next Syracuse Speaks this Thursday at 2 PM on WAER!
