City Magazine

10/08/2025

It's true! We're so excited for the fest this weekend! Listen to , you've got to go!

10/07/2025

“It’s electric.”

Fashion Week Rochester began in 2010 to benefit The Center for Youth, which provides housing and supportive services to runaway and homeless youth.

It returns this week from Thursday to Saturday at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center, featuring local designers, models and boutiques — all while raising funds to support the mission of Center for Youth.

10/06/2025

From Schaller’s burgers and the thriving arts scene to Wegmans and experiencing all four seasons — we asked nine notable Rochester natives what defines “home” when it comes to their roots.

Read the full story by Patrick Hosken, on stands and online now:

CITY asks nine notable Rochester natives to reflect on what their hometown gave them.

10/02/2025

For more than a decade, the Memorial Art Gallery’s main contemporary art space was segmented off by a series of internal walls. These walls divided the exhibits into small groups and dissociated the room from the outside. Visitors sometimes didn’t know whether they were on ground level or below it.

One of the first things Timothy Peterson did when he was appointed contemporary art curator last September was to remove those dividing walls, restoring the gallery to its original, more spacious design.

One year into Peterson’s tenure, writer Justin Murphy caught up with the MAG’s inaugural Ann and Irving Norry Curator of Contemporary Art.

Read the full story online:

Timothy Peterson is MAG’s inaugural Ann and Irving Norry Curator of Contemporary Art.

10/01/2025

After 18,887 submissions — including some hilarious write-ins, several ties and more than a few surprises — voting is NOW open for the final round in more than 130 categories. 🗳️

Vote for the Best Of 2025 finalists until Friday, Nov. 28 at midnight:

Vote in the final ballot for our annual readers’ poll through November 28.

09/28/2025

On Friday, The Company Theatre christened their new home on Lawn Street with a Broadway-worthy season opener that left audience members needing a cigarette.

Read Leah Stacy’s full review of “Venus in Fur,” which runs through October 12:

The Company Theatre christens their new home on Lawn Street with a Broadway-worthy season opener.

09/25/2025

❣️

One of WXXI’s longest-serving leaders is leaving her post soon.

09/19/2025

It’s the FINAL day to write in your faves for Best Of Rochester 2025!

The top 4 write-ins in each category will go on to the final voting round, which opens October 1.

Write in here:

Nominate your favorite people, places and things to do through September 19.

09/18/2025

“The title tells all. This is a play of mistakes: misplaced props, forgotten lines, falling set pieces, a knocked-out actor. Created by British comedy trio Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shield, the show had robust runs in the West End and on Broadway after its initial premiere in 2012. The name might give away the joke, but this Geva Theatre co-production with Indiana Repertory Theatre, directed by Benjamin Hanna (and the remount directed by cara hinh) is nevertheless full of surprises.”

Read Katherine Varga’s full review of "The Play That Goes Wrong" online:

A night of intentional incompetence provides an enjoyable escape at Geva Theatre.

09/17/2025

Announcing the winner of CITY’s first-ever “Camera Eats First” award, selected by during ’s 20th annual Festival of Food on Monday!

And the winner is… 🥁

🏆 🏆
Beef Greek Meatball with Tzatziki

From the judges: “We loved this dish not only for its creativity, but also for its presentation — when you think about people posting photos of food, it’s gotta stand out somehow. This hat tip to a tiny martini (proper glassware and all) made taking photos even more fun and memorable!”

Honorable mentions to:
+ for their bolognese gnocchi w cold cheese foam
+ for their octopus (& the challenge!)
+ for their freshly spun cotton candy
+ for their birria wontons

And of course, a special shoutout to for the rad bag illustration. 🖌️

09/16/2025

Every circus needs a tent. The centerpiece of the ESL Rochester Fringe Festival is the Spiegeltent, a type of gorgeously mirrored entertainment venue handmade by only a handful of families in Belgium. Set up at East Main and Gibbs streets (AKA One Fringe Place), it houses some of the fest’s most popular events, including the annual favorites “Cirque du Fringe” and “Shotspeare.”

But sourcing a Spiegeltent has historically proven to be complicated.

“It’s not like you can go to Spiegeltents ‘R’ Us and just order one off the rack,” said Erica Fee, Fringe’s CEO and festival producer. “It’s very rare to be able to get your hands on a Spiegeltent.”

That’s partly why, ahead of the fest’s 14th annual return from September 9-20, its staff launched the Fringe Comprehensive Campaign to raise $1.575 million in funding. With that kind of money, Fee said, the fest can sustain its diverse international and domestic programming of more than 250 shows — and secure its own Spiegeltent.

Read Patrick Hosken’s full story on the future of Fringe in our September issue, on stands and online now:

Rochester Fringe Festival returns for its 14th year, with plans for the future.

09/11/2025

Making weekend ESL Rochester Fringe Festival plans? 💡🎪

CITY’s Patrick Hosken reviewed “Cirque du Fringe: Claws Out” at the Spiegeltent + the light installation “Submergence” at Dawn’s Spiegelgarden — both offerings take place daily through September 20.

Read his recap online + stay tuned for more reviews from the team:

"Cirque du Fringe: Claws Out," Submergence, and more.