Calendar preview: Adieu, August 

The late August sun casts a certain light, somehow more golden but perhaps a bit melancholy. But we still have summer days before us, plus some familiar yet newly stylized outings and celebrations to mark the occasion.

Many organizations' original plans to commemorate the 19th Amendment's centennial have been scrapped due to the ongoing pandemic, but the anniversary will still be celebrated. On Wednesday evening, Auburn Public Theatre will host a drive-in celebration of Women's Equality Day with Women Take the Stage at the Finger Lakes Drive-In. APT's iteration of this national event starts at 7:30 p.m., featuring speeches, poetry, and music by Finger Lakes region notables including Melody Smith Johnson, Avis Reese, and Danielle Ponder. The online rally at 9 p.m. boasts a long roster of A-listers such as Gloria Steinem, Billie Jean King, Lily Tomlin, Kate Pierson (of The B52's), and, of course, the Indigo Girls. Tickets for this physically distanced event are $20.

Pittsford Celebrates the 19th Amendment Centennial through August 31 with self-guided walking tours to highlight the local people, places, and organizations instrumental to securing women's suffrage. Tour stops are mostly in the village, while a second tour winds through Pittsford Main Cemetery to the gravesites of Pittsford Political Equality Club's founding members. On Saturday, the Women's Club of Pittsford will host voter registration tables at the Pittsford Farmers Market at Colony Plaza from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and continue the tradition.

Much work remains to engage the vote force, and the Urban League of Rochester is making this Sunday Make Black Count Day. The goal of this initiative is two-fold: to encourage local residents to respond to the 2020 Census, and to register voters. Rochester currently ranks low in the nation's Census response rate, a trend the Urban League hopes to reverse in order to secure proportionate federal funding for Rochester, as determined by the Census. Those who have already responded are invited to register to vote, or even learn ways to raise the city's profile by engaging neighbors.

Save room for ice cream on Saturday, August 29, for South Farmington Friends Cemetery Foundation's End of Summer Ice Cream Bash. The ice cream social of yore has been temporarily replaced by a drive-through version, but now there's an excuse to sit in the car with a hot fudge sundae. Farmington Town Hall will host the affair from 1 to 3 p.m., and all proceeds from each $5 sundae will fund the rehabilitation of the cemetery's historic chapel.

Also on Saturday, Record Store Day returns at last. This time around (as well as on September 26 and October 24), the event adopts a new model: RSD Drops. Long lines will be traded for timed tickets, capped entry slots, and physical distancing measures. Both the Record Archive and House of Guitars will have live music outdoors, while other local stores will have gems in stock whether or not they are official participants. The Rochester area is fortunate to have so many: Bop Shop Records, Needledrop Records, Hi Fi Lounge, Canandaigua Record Exchange, Trader Shag's and Vinyl Record Revival in Brockport, and Buzzo in Geneseo. Call ahead to confirm open hours, and pack a face mask and face shield for this one.

For the end-of-summer experience online, Greece Performing Arts Society presents Sounds of Stage and Screen on Sunday at 7 p.m. Curated selections of previous performances will be combined with conductor introductions, enhanced visuals, and "a few surprises" for a family-friendly musical event. The concert is free, but donations are always welcome to support our local artists and arts organizations.

While we bid August "adieu," we have plenty to look forward to in September and beyond in the CITY Calendar.

Keep up to date with full listings of local online events on the CITY Events Calendar. Do you have an event you wish to include? You can submit online, or email event information to [email protected].

click image