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The Daily Orange’s staff have reported on and visited many locations in Syracuse. A few graduating staffers offered recommendations on where their fellow graduates should take their families and friends who are visiting for commencement weekend.

Anna Henderson said it would be a disservice to the local Indigenous peoples to leave Syracuse University without an understanding of their history. That’s why she recommends visiting the Skä•noñh Center. Louis Platt | Culture Editor

Skä•noñh Center

The Skä•noñh – Great Law of Peace Center, located on Onondaga Lake Parkway in Liverpool, tells the stories of the Indigenous peoples of central New York. The center rests near the shores of Onondaga Lake, where the Haudenosaunee Confederacy was founded. Anna Henderson, a former digital design editor at The D.O., recommends taking your family here over the weekend because the center tells Indigenous peoples’ history from their perspective rather than the colonizer’s.

“I think to leave Syracuse without an understanding of the Indigenous history here would be a disservice to the education you’re supposed to come here to learn,” Henderson said.

The CNY Regional Market opens at 7 a.m. on Saturday morning, making it a great visit for early risers in your family, Sarah Slavin said. Louis Platt | Culture Editor

CNY Regional Market

The first commencement ceremony of the weekend, which takes place on Saturday, doesn’t start until 4 p.m. That means there is plenty of time to stop by the Central New York Regional Market, which is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday. Since 1938, the market has been the Syracuse community’s go-to for local, fresh food such as bread, fruit and honey. Because of its 7 a.m. opening time, the market is perfect for students and parents who wake up early, said Sarah Slavin, a former assistant copy editor, copy chief, assistant feature editor and podcast host at The D.O. It’s difficult to get reservations at restaurants during the pandemic and during graduation weekend in general, so a picnic with food from the market is the route to go, Slavin said.

“Find an outside place … and do a picnic,” Slavin said.

Elmwood Park has a rich history. Gabe Stern recommends taking your family on a hike through the park and getting lost in the scenery. Corey Henry | Senior Staff Photographer

Elmwood Park

In Elmwood Park, visitors will find picnic tables and hiking trails along Furnace Creek, named after a furnace that used to make bullets in that area during the War of 1812. Former assistant news editor and enterprise editor Gabe Stern recommends taking family and friends here because of its history. It’s also a particularly nice place to get lost in, he said.

“The history behind it just kind of enhances the experience itself,” Stern said.

After the war, the land was used as farmland until 1889. It then hosted two resorts, but after a fire burned down one of the resorts in 1909, the plot of land remained vacant for over a decade. In 1920, the city bought the land and turned it into Elmwood Park. Stern recommended staying along the creek because you’ll find signs that recognize the park’s history as well as a mini waterfall.

And if you’re unable to make it over to Elmwood, Stern recommends visiting Thornden Park’s water tower —which is a short walk from campus — with a blanket in tow.

“You can kind of see the Syracuse skyline,” he said. “You can see the campus and the sunsets. They are just great.”

Amy Nakamura recommends Eden for a celebratory dinner because of its gourmet menu and quiter ambiance. Corey Henry | Senior Staff Photographer

Eden

Amy Nakamura, a former design editor, digital editor and feature editor, said she felt like she was in Brooklyn for the evening when she and her boyfriend went to Eden. The open-kitchen restaurant in Hanover Square sources the majority of its food locally. Nakamura said Eden is a great place to take friends and family for a celebratory dinner because of its gourmet menu — which currently includes a New York strip steak and goat cheese ravioli — and ambiance, which is ideal for some who prefer a quiet evening compared to some of the busier dining spots in downtown Syracuse.

“We walked into Eden and we sat at the bar. And the food was phenomenal, probably one of the best meals I feel like I’ve had in Syracuse,” Nakamura said.

The Everson Museum of Art could be a good visit in between graduation events and meals, said Diana Riojas. Sarah Lee | Senior Staff Photographer

Everson Museum of Art

Diana Riojas, a former digital copy chief, asst. feature editor and feature editor, used to go to the Everson Museum of Art when she felt overwhelmed by schoolwork and needed a break. She appreciates how the Everson spotlights the work of local artists — such as Jaleel Campbell’s exhibit “Homecoming,” which is on display at the Everson until Aug. 1. Riojas said the museum is a great excursion for the in-between moments, like the time between commencement and dinner. Also, the museum’s community plaza is a nice outdoor location to simply hang off campus, and the museum hosts food trucks and vendors on its plaza from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays.

“You could definitely spend an hour or two in between events and just check it out,” Riojas said. “Have a little bit of some calmness in between the busy graduation weekend.”

Talia Trackim recommends Anything But Beer because they offer a gluten-free menu and cater to other dietary restrictions, including nut allergies and lactose intolerance. Louis Platt | Culture Editor

Anything But Beer

Dining with dietary restrictions can be a hassle. Former D.O. design editor, digital design director and presentation director Talia Trackim has celiac disease — a sensitivity to gluten — but Anything But Beer makes the dining experience safe and easy for her. The restaurant accommodates other dietary restrictions such as lactose intolerance and nut allergies, and the menu clearly states which dishes are suitable for each dietary restriction, she said.

Trackim said her favorite dish is Anything But Beer’s mac and cheese made with potato gnocchi. She looks forward to returning to the gluten-free brewery and restaurant when her family is in town because of how safe they make people with gluten allergies and intolerances feel, and she recommends families give the restaurant a try during commencement weekend.

“(It) makes me feel extra safe as a consumer because I can clearly see that the food is not gluten, and it hasn’t been contaminated by gluten,” Trackim said.

Published on May 17, 2021 at 12:03 am

Contact Louis: louis@dailyorange.com | @JBL__98