It’s 1986, and Gene Baur is selling vegan hotdogs at Grateful Dead shows. Surrounded by the sounds of Jerry Garcia and company, Baur spends his time educating fellow “Deadheads” about the cruelties of animal agriculture, providing firsthand accounts from his investigations at factory farms, stockyards and slaughterhouses. Then Baur finds Hilda, a discarded sheep left […]
Culture
Posted inCulture
The Witches of Water’s Edge dance to benefit others
It’s a Wednesday night in Seneca Falls, and a group of women prepares for another busy weekend of performances. In a few days, they’ll don pointy hats, grab their broomsticks and dance into their roles as modern-day witches. But they aren’t just dancing for spectacle —- they’re raising awareness. The Witches of the Water’s Edge, […]
Posted inMusic
How a struggling Lima pub became a blues haven
On a quiet stretch where Routes 5 & 20 cut through Lima, there’s a low-slung building that doesn’t call much attention to itself. You could pass it without realizing that, on certain nights, it becomes one of the most intimate blues rooms in the Northeast. Inside Fanatics Pub, something unlikely has been unfolding — steady, […]
Posted inCulture
The veteran-owned Rainbow Cammo is a gathering place for the queer community
During the pandemic, Malcolm Keim was making soap in about 200 square feet of basement space. What began as a hobby, sparked in part by a college assignment illustrating scientific concepts through soapmaking, gradually grew into something larger. Artist markets led to a website. A website led to appearances at the Rochester Pride Festival. “It […]
Posted inCulture
Local radio show ‘Rainbow Roc’ celebrates 10 years of proud LGBTQ+ advocacy
When Brian Hurlburt applied to host a radio show on low-power community broadcaster WAYO-FM, the station didn’t technically exist yet. This was 2015, and organizers were still laying cables and installing power racks before launching. Hurlburt wanted in. He’d worked in radio before, hosting a show in Batavia, and he dreamed of returning to the […]
Posted inCulture
Three Finger Lakes ice cream shops bringing the heat
Milk, cheese, yogurt, artisanal ice cream: while the Finger Lakes may be lesser known for its dairy production, the region is a quiet cornerstone in New York’s lactose industry. During the summer months especially, ice creameries boom, from classic mom-and-pop shops to artisanal makers that specialize in unique styles and flavors. CITY visited three creameries […]
Posted inCulture
The Finger Lakes 411: a historical primer on Rochester’s sister region
Since the height of the pandemic in 2020, the central region of New York State has experienced a significantly renewed interest as an area in which to vacation, relax, explore and relocate from distant visitors and New Yorkers alike. For those of us who grew up around the lakes and casually claim one as our […]
Posted inColumns
Dear Maggie: How do I encourage my daughter to take better care of herself?
“I worry about how it affects her daily life, relationships and how others perceive her — especially professionally.”
Posted inCulture
A familiar face in fashion makes a spirited pivot into wine
A circa-1835 cobblestone house in Victor’s otherwise new-build High Point development is now home to Bonesteel Wines & Spirits, a design-forward, community-oriented shop which opened April 24. The minority and woman-owned boutique wine and spirits shop is helmed by Tanvi Asher, who also owns Peppermint Boutique at the Culver Road Armory in Rochester. “The store […]
Posted inCulture
Gordon MacKay might offer to buy the shirt off your back
Standing just off the curb on a street downtown, Gordon MacKay leans into the rear passenger door of his car. He holds up a shockingly yellow T-shirt. An affable blue alien named Irbir holds up a four-fingered hand in greeting. He looks like a cross between E.T. and something Luke Skywalker would nod to inside […]
Posted inCulture
How local immigrant-owned boutiques outfit and educate across cultures
Over 20 years ago, Nita Brown was changing in the locker room at a local YMCA and her locker mate, Theresa Mazzullo, complimented her clothes. It was their usual interaction. Brown, who grew up learning about fashion from her seamstress mother and grandmother in Ghana, had been combining traditional Ghanaian patterns and fabrics with modern […]
