Syracuse's Winterfest bringing the community together
- Abigail
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Offical link to video and article: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/news/2026/02/19/syracuse-winterfest-food-drinks-contests
Syracuse's annual Winterfest kicked off on Feb. 12 and runs through Feb. 22. From culinary competitions and cocktail mix-offs to ice skating and fireworks, the 10-day long seasonal celebration is one many locals don't want to miss.
During Syracuse’s long and cold winters, events like Winterfest keep the community warm. Throughout the festival, hundreds of locals crowd the streets of downtown to taste, sip and experience all that makes Syracuse home.
Aaron Centner, director of engineering at Marriott Syracuse Downtown, is volunteering his second year with Winterfest, and says he believes events like these are a great opportunity to socialize during rather isolating winters.
"Winterfest brings people out, gets people outside, gets people in the community," said Centner.
This past weekend, restaurants and bars held contests for best martini, sangria and beer. The prize? A year’s worth of bragging rights. Erma’s Bistro won first place in sangria tasting while Isla Caribbean Cuisine won first place in presentation. As for martinis, Erma’s Bistro also won first place for tasting while Gilded Club won for presentation, and Limerick Pub took the gold for their Dry Irish Stout Beer.
Winterfest’s culinary cruise of appetizers, entrees, chili and dessert runs throughout this week, too, bringing many people out of their homes and into the city.
"This has been an especially hard winter, so I think everyone is enjoying the opportunity to get out of their house and enjoy what Syracuse has to offer," said Craig Quinn, chili volunteer and manager at Marriott Syracuse Downtown. "It’s events like these that help the community realize that it's actually a wonderful place."
Erma Bistro’s won first place in what was said to be a very competitive chili cook-off while Crooked Cattle won first in appetizers. As for the entrée, Ale and Angus Pub won first place and Across the Hall Café won first for their dessert.
"Theres not a lot to do in Syracuse during the winter, especially with all this snow we've gotten recently. So, [Winterfest] is a good chance to showcase our local food here," said Tara Quinn, manager at Eleven Waters.
The fun continues into this week, from library and museum events to games and music and more cocktail mix-offs and cooking competitions, there’s something for everyone at Winterfest. The Centro Winterfest express runs free with your ticket, taking you and your family through a blizzard of community events.
If you missed this past weekend, here’s a list of the remainder of this week’s events.
Food events
Saturday
Sandwich stroll at 12-4 p.m.
Margarita mix-off at 12-4 p.m.
Cosmopolitan mix-off at 12-4 p.m.
Sunday
Wing Walk at 12-5 p.m.
Bloody Mary mix-off at 12-4 p.m.
Chowder cook-off at 12-4 p.m.
Other activities
Thursday
Two-hour free ice skating at Clinton Square (ski rental fees still apply) at 6-8 p.m.
Friday
Skate-N-Place Roller Skating at 8015 Oswego Road, Liverpool (first 50 attendees are free) at 7-10 p.m.
Sunday
Kids fun with checkers, games, and stories and music at 12-4 p.m. at Marriott Hotel Downtown Syracuse
Hammond Jammin’ at Dinosaur Barbeque at 12-5 p.m.
For more information go to https://syracusewinterfest.com/
Comments