The decorated tiki bar at Easy Sailor has a large red octopus wall sculpture, vintage-style paintings, rustic wood walls, and nautical decor.

A bowl of ramen with sliced pork, halved soft-boiled eggs, chopped green onions, spinach, seaweed, and noodles in broth from Public Provisions in Rochester.

A band performing on stage with blue and red curtains, three musicians are visible: one singing and playing guitar, one playing bass, and a drummer in the background. The scene is lit with colorful stage lights at the 5 Spot in Nashville, TN.

Colorful sculpture of a one-eyed monster with purple arms and a pizza body, surrounded by a pizza-themed backdrop and blue curtains at Denver's Meow Wolf.

Filipino food plate with rice, fried egg, diced beef stir-fry, and spring rolls from Pinoy Boy in Buffalo, New York.

A stage decorated with candles and white drapery, with a person dressed in dark clothing performing under blue lighting, at an event called the Edgar Allen Poe Speakeasy.

A pour over coffee from AM:FM Coffee in Rochester, NY

Senojfromtheroc performing at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

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The Underrated Vibes

Andy Gold 7/4/26 Andy Gold 7/4/26

High Falls Rises Again for Flower Fest

Hosted on June 6, Flower Fest was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Rochester’s iconic city logo. However, for those of us who attended, it became a celebration of a historic space with new life. In my view, it became a reminder of what happens when the city gives one of its most historic spaces the attention it deserves, and crowds turn out to embrace the experience.

Andy Gold 5/24/26 Andy Gold 5/24/26

First Fridays are Cultivating the Arts in Downtown Roc

First Friday is a special time of the month for artists and art enthusiasts. On the first Friday of each month (as implied), all around the city of Rochester, especially downtown, you will find artists displaying works at numerous art galleries or studios in the region.

Andy Gold 5/14/26 Andy Gold 5/14/26

The Sie Film Center in Denver is a Hub for Cinema

What really gives the Sie Film Center its identity is the unique and ongoing festival culture.

Andy Gold 3/6/26 Andy Gold 3/6/26

Denver’s Meow Wolf is an Otherworldly Experience

Meow Wolf’s Convergence Station in Denver is a treasure to behold. It is many things everywhere all at once: it’s a maze, it’s a museum, an exhibit, an art installation, a destination, a playground for both kids and adults, it’s full of puzzles and interactive artifacts, it’s bizarre and whimsical, wonderous and chaotic, but importantly, it is an escape from the ordinary, and a place to get lost in a world of pure imagination.

Andy Gold 2/8/26 Andy Gold 2/8/26

Experience Macabre Poetry and Cocktails at this Traveling Speakeasy

The Edgar Allen Poe Speakeasy is a spectacular show that travels city to city, delivering outstanding performances and showcasing the ghastly works of one of history’s greatest and prolific writers. Catch them if you can.

Andy Gold 12/19/25 Andy Gold 12/19/25

The Visual Studies Workshop is Drawing Creative Minds to the Susan B. Anthony Neighborhood

The Visual Studies Workshop’s move into the Susan B. Anthony neighborhood is significant due to the implications it presents. First, it establishes a free artistic gallery, and second, it draws creative minds and artistic activists back to the once socio-politically active community. In a way, the workshop’s presence is a cultural renaissance, ushering in a new era of activism through the arts.

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