Art & Culture

Seattle – September 20, 2026 -- Jones Soda Co. is releasing a club-exclusive 12-pack that turns fictional Nuka-Cola flavors from the Fallout video game universe into real, drinkable sodas ahead of Fallout Day on October 23, 2026.

The "Vault-Dweller Variety" pack marks the fourth Fallout-themed collaboration between Jones Soda and Bethesda Softworks. It is expected to begin shipping September 11, 2026, and will be sold exclusively at participating club retail locations across the United States and Canada.

The pack bottles two Nuka-Cola flavors that have never existed outside the game before

The 12-pack contains four glass bottles each of three flavors: Nuka-Cola Quartz, Nuka-Cola Cranberry and Nuka-Cola Quantum. Quartz and Cranberry are being produced in reality for the first time, while Quantum, the glowing blue variety familiar to longtime Fallout fans, returns as the collection's centerpiece.

Columbus, Ohio – September 19, 2026 -- Garage Beer has launched "Terrors of the Tailgate," a Halloween-themed trading card campaign with Kingsford that turns football fan rituals into collectible monster characters, with packs selling for $5.99 at drinkgaragebeer.com.

The limited-time-offer cards draw on '90s-style sports marketing and monster collectibles, casting everyday tailgate behavior as legendary creatures. Jason Kelce, billed as the "King of the Tailgate," leads the lineup as the campaign's central figure.

Five monster characters represent classic tailgate archetypes

The set includes The Table Smasher, The Face Paint Fanatic, The Cooler Raider, The Parking Lot Prophet, and Kingsford's The Flamekeeper, described as the fan who "controls the meat, controls the fire and controls the vibe."

Rochester, N.Y. – September 19, 2026 -- Eight circus companies take over downtown Rochester this weekend as the ESL Rochester Fringe Festival launches CIRCUS IN THE CITY, the first large-scale outdoor circus event of its kind in Western New York. The free performances run Friday, September 18 and Saturday, September 19, with shows at Parcel 5 from 5 to 10 p.m. and Gibbs Street from 5 to 9 p.m.

The broader ESL Rochester Fringe Festival continues through September 26, marking its 15th season with 715 performances across 297 productions at 45 venues in 12 days.

Joliet, Illinois – September 19, 2026 -- A new HelloNation feature outlines what families can expect when a child starts dance classes for the first time, drawing on guidance from Lori A. Bowen, MDE, of La Danse Académie in Joliet, Illinois.

Early dance classes prioritize confidence over technique

Bowen, who serves on the Board of Directors for the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters and chairs its Ballet Forum, explains that beginner dance is designed as a positive introduction to structured movement rather than a push for precise technique. Classes typically include creative movement, simple patterns, and musical games that let children succeed without pressure or comparison to peers.

Orland Hills – September 19, 2026 -- Xzibit will perform live at The Stash Room on Friday, October 9, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., headlining an intimate 21+ event called The Secret Sesh.

Tickets are available now at TheStashRoom.com, with select experiences including a meet-and-greet and photo opportunity with the rapper. Additional upgraded ticket options offer front-center stage viewing and dedicated high-top standing areas.

The night blends multiple experiences beyond a standard concert.

Guests at The Stash Room will have access to vendor experiences, a live DJ, live glass blowing, a dedicated gaming area, tattoo artists and barbershop activations leading up to Xzibit's live performance.

Miami – September 19, 2026 -- A new candlelit concert series titled 'A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics' is touring venues across the United States this fall, reimagining horror-themed music through live string quartet performances.

The tour stops include the Fontainebleau Miami Beach in Florida, The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois, the Phoenix Zoo in Arizona, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, and the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, California.

The setlist mixes film scores with classical staples

Local string quartets perform Michael Jackson's 'Thriller,' Bernard Herrmann's score for 'Psycho,' the theme from 'Stranger Things,' and selections from 'The Nightmare Before Christmas.'

Classical works on the program include Camille Saint-Saëns' 'Danse Macabre' and Modest Mussorgsky's 'Night on Bald Mountain.'

Biloxi – September 19, 2026 -- Coastal Mississippi is rolling out 10 Halloween events across its 62 miles of shoreline this October, turning beach towns in Jackson, Harrison and Hancock counties into a monthlong trick-or-treat trail.

A 40,000-square-foot haunted warehouse anchors the season

Terror on the Coast returns to Gulfport from Sept. 18 through Oct. 31, offering Hollywood-caliber sets, live actors, food trucks and a full bar inside its massive warehouse space.

Nearly 500 costumed "witches" take over Ocean Springs on Oct. 24

The Witches Ride of Ocean Springs sends participants through downtown on decorated bikes, golf carts and on foot, with proceeds supporting local animal welfare groups. The same day, Bay St. Louis hosts its own Witches Walk in Old Town, filling boutiques and galleries with shopping specials, contests and photo ops.

New York – September 19, 2026 -- A new film exploring the hidden nuclear past of a Manhattan artist community is now screening for free on the High Line, running daily from 10am to 10pm through November 16, 2026.

The film screens at the High Line's 14th Street passage on a continuous loop

"Prior Occupants," by artist Alison Nguyen, is the fifth High Line Originals commission and the second co-produced with the CHANEL Culture Fund. It plays at the High Line Channel, located in the park's covered passage at 14th Street.

Pigeon Forge, Tenn. – September 19, 2026 -- Alcatraz East Crime Museum is opening a new exhibit examining how TikTok has reshaped crime reporting, featuring criminal defense attorney and influencer Stephanie Giancristofaro, who has built a following of over 326,000 on the platform.

The exhibit arrives as TikTok marks its 10th anniversary on September 20, 2026. The app launched as Douyin from an apartment in China in 2016, expanded internationally the following year, and gained a major popularity boost in 2018 after merging with the lip-syncing app Musical.ly.

An attorney turned to TikTok to cut through case confusion

Giancristofaro began posting videos after the 2022 murder of four University of Idaho students, aiming to help viewers understand the legal proceedings surrounding the case. Her clips break down evidence, applicable law, and the line between fact and speculation, and now draw millions of views.

Charlotte -- Sandbox VR opens its second North Carolina venue on September 18, 2026, at The Station at LoSo in Charlotte, offering guests 20% off through September.

The Charlotte venue spans over 4,400 square feet with four private VR rooms

Groups of up to six guests can suit up with headsets, haptic vests, and motion sensors for full-body immersion in each room. The technology lets players see and physically interact with one another during sessions, and guests leave with personalized highlight videos of their sessions.

The Charlotte location is operated in partnership with Nextgen Virtual LLC and joins Sandbox VR's existing Winston-Salem venue as the company's second North Carolina site.