Arts & Culture

Fairport is buzzing with art and music this weekend; it’s the 42nd year of Canal Days.

A kid zone, duck race for charity and live glass making by the Corning Museum of Glass are just a few of the events happening this weekend in the village.

Scott Winner, Director of Marketing for the festival says it means a lot to the community of Fairport, not only because of the economic benefit, but because of the long term effects of the exposure.

Monroe County officials joined patrons and guests to cut the ribbon Friday on the new “Cold Asia” exhibit at the Seneca Park Zoo.

It features Red Pandas and Snow Leopards, native to the eastern Himalayan and Southwest China regions.

Zoo veterinarian Louis DiVincenti says this is a huge step for the zoo as it implements its Master Plan.

Governor Andrew Cuomo was in Geneva Wednesday to help debut the new Finger Lakes Welcome Center.

New York Kitchen, formerly the New York Wine and Culinary Center, will operate the Welcome Center.

Cuomo said it’s a perfect addition to the revitalization of Geneva. The center will provide tourists with information about local activities, sites and products.

One of 11 new welcome centers around the state, the Finger Lakes location is the first to sell New York-made wine, cider and beer. 

The outgoing President and CEO of Ibero American Action League says the agency is well poised to continue its work and grow even more after her departure.

Hilda Rosario Escher announced last week to Ibero’s board of Directors that she is stepping down from her position at the end of the year.

Rosario Escher, who joined the organization in 1975 and has been President and CEO since 2006, says she’s very proud of Ibero’s work, especially helping families displaced by hurricanes last year in Puerto Rico.

A hip-hop Pulitzer Prize winner and a country music star who was onstage when last summer’s mass shooting in Las Vegas broke out. This is one outdoor concert season that reflects our changing and challenging times.

More than 8,700 runners  and walkers hoofed it through downtown Rochester Tuesday night, for the 28th running of the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge. 

This was the second year the event has been held downtown; previously it was held at RIT for a number of years and before that, Highland Park.

This event features teams from more than 360 businesses and other organizations. 

The 28th running of the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge is Tuesday, and for the second year in a row, it will be in downtown Rochester.  For much of its existence, the 3.5  mile road race was held in Highland Park, and then at RIT.

Spokesman Alan Tieueli says this year’s race has a slightly different course compared to last year, to have more of the race run on downtown streets.

(WXXI News & AP) There is a Finger Lakes connection to Saturday’s royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

The Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry, the first black leader of the Episcopal Church in the United States, was hand-picked by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to address their 600 wedding guests.

It turns out Curry is a 1975 graduate of Hobart College.