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Category: General News

Events

Heaven’s Ditch Book Presentation with Author Jack Kelly

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Heaven’s Ditch Book Presentation with Author Jack Kelly

At Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site

 Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site welcomes author Jack Kelly on Tuesday, October 25th at 6:30 PM in the Enders House to give a presentation on his new book, Heaven’s Ditch: God, Gold and Murder on the Erie Canal.  Heaven’s Ditch is a page-turning narrative that offers a fresh and exciting look at a heady, foundational moment in American history. 

In his new work, Kelly explores the spiritual and political upheavals along this “psychic highway” from its opening in 1825 through 1844. The book explores the stories of America’s first celebrity daredevil, the man who envisioned the apocalypse, and the boyhood of Joseph Smith and the birth of Mormonism. Readers will also encounter America’s very first “crime of the century”, treasure hunting, searing acts of violence, a visionary cross-dresser, and myriad of fanatics, mystics, and hoaxers.

Jack Kelly is a journalist, novelist, and historian, whose books include the award winning Band of Giants, and Gunpowder: Alchemy, Bombards, and Pyrotechnics : The History of the Explosive That Changed the World. Kelly has also contributed to national periodicals including The Wall Street Journal, is a New York Foundation for the Arts fellow, and has appeared on The History Channel and National Public Radio. He grew up in a town in the canal corridor adjacent to Palmyra and currently lives in New York’s Hudson Valley.

There will be a brief Friends of Schoharie Crossing meeting prior to this free presentation.  Refreshments will be provided and donations are always appreciated.

For information about this event and more, please call the Visitor Center at (518) 829-7516, email SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov, or visit Facebook at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation oversees 180 state parks and 35 historic sites, which are visited by 60 million people annually.  For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.

 

Fall Foliage Report: October 12-October 18

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Mohawk River, Tribes Hill at Lock 12
Mohawk River, Tribes Hill at Lock 12

I LOVE NY started the “New York Fall Foliage Report” on September 14 and continue until the end of the foliage season, around the first or second week in November.  Montgomery County has started its own annual report this year as well.

Reporting station:  Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site, Fort Hunter (opens in a new tab)

Percent of trees predicted to have changed by the coming weekend:  45%

Brilliance: Average

Predominating colors: Shades of darkening green with yellow and increasing oranges and reds

Rating: Midpoint

taste-of-the-mohawk-valley-2016The foliage in Montgomery County has reached midpoint.  Peak season should be approaching; some areas are starting to lose leaves but others are still green.  There are still many autumn activities (opens in a new tab) taking place this October.  Visit the Taste of the Mohawk Valley Farmers’ Market (opens in a new tab) or the Last Saturday Fall Festival (opens in a new tab) .  Or take a historic self-guided walking tour through the Green Hill Cemetery (opens in a new tab)

in Amsterdam; the leaves on Church Street are a colorful array of red, yellow, and orange.

Call for a free Harvest Tour Map!

1.800.743.7337

Fall Foliage Report: October 5-October 11

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Schoharie Crossing Visitor Center on a foggy October morning.
Schoharie Crossing Visitor Center on a foggy October morning.

I LOVE NY started the “New York Fall Foliage Report (opens in a new tab) ” on September 14 and continue until the end of the foliage season, around the first or second week in November.  Montgomery County has started its own annual report this year as well.

Reporting station:  Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site (opens in a new tab) , Fort Hunter

Percent of trees predicted to have changed by the coming weekend:  35%

Brilliance: Dull to Average

Predominating colors: Greenish with touches of Red and Yellow with occasional Orange

Rating: Beginning

Fort Johnson, NY
Fort Johnson, NY

Scenic foliage rides through our rolling hills will be ideal over the next two weeks; plan an overnight stay at one our bed & breakfasts (opens in a new tab) .  Valley views are looking more colorful.  Route 67 between Fort Johnson and Fulton-Montgomery Community College is popping with a rainbow of color.

Call for a free Harvest Tour Map!

1.800.743.7337

2016 Fall Lecture Series Fort Plain Museum

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Fort Plain Museum (opens in a new tab)

389 Canal Street, Fort Plain, NY 13339

fortplainmuseum@yahoo.com (opens in a new tab)

518-774-5669

Lectures start at 7:00pm

Admission is free but donations are appreciated.

fort-plain-10_13Thursday, October 13

“War on the Middleline – The Founding of a Community in the Kayaderosseras Patent in the Midst of the American Revolution” by James E. Richmond

Thursday, October 20

“Sir William Johnson and the Evolution of the Mohawk Valley Fur Trade” by Michael Perazzini fort-plain-10_20

Thursday, October 27

“350 Years of Firearms” including the Hamilton/Burr Dueling Pistols by John Phillips (Phillips will discuss and showcase replica Hamilton/Burr Dueling Pistols made before the American Revolution Bicentennial)

Thursday, November 3

“Forgotten Pioneers: African Americans in the Mohawk Valley” by Wayne Lenig and “West African Drumming in Colonial America” (drumming demonstrations included) by Charles Lenig

 

 

Fall Foliage Report: September 28- October 4

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apple-picking-2016-bellingersI LOVE NY started the “New York Fall Foliage Report (opens in a new tab) ” on September 14 and continue until the end of the foliage season, around the first or second week in November.  Montgomery County has started its own annual report this year as well.

Reporting station:  Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site (opens in a new tab) , Fort Hunter

Percent of trees predicted to have changed by the coming weekend:  30%

Brilliance: Dull

Predominating colors: Greenish-Yellow, Rusty Brown with touches of Orange

Rating: Just changing

lock-e13-foliage-9_29_16
View from the Taste NY store at Lock E13 Living History Park.

October is a good time to take a scenic ride through the Mohawk Valley.  Many of our agritourism (opens in a new tab) sites are open featuring local products.  Have lunch or dinner at one of our many restaurants (opens in a new tab) .  Enjoy fall harvest events (opens in a new tab) or take in an art exhibit.  There is so much to do in Montgomery County!

The new Taste NY Store at Lock E13 Living History Park (opens in a new tab) is open daily.  Purchase local and regional products; take in the fall foliage and the Mohawk River views.  If you are lucky you’ll see a boat locking through.  Located in the New York State Thruway at milepost 187 westbound between exits 28 (Fultonville) and 29 (Canajoharie), you find a unique experience waiting for you.

Call for a free Harvest Tour Map!

1.800.743.7337

Fall Foliage Report: September 21-27

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Bellinger's Orchard corn maze for 2016. Photo courtesy of Bellinger's Orchard
Bellinger’s Orchard corn maze for 2016.
Photo courtesy of Bellinger’s Orchard

I LOVE NY started the “New York Fall Foliage Report (opens in a new tab) ” on September 14 and continue until the end of the foliage season, around the first or second week in November.  Montgomery County has started its own annual report this year as well.

Reporting station: Amsterdam

Percent of trees predicted to have changed by the coming weekend:  20%

Brilliance: Dull

Predominating colors: Greenish-Yellow, Rusty Brown with touches of Orange

Rating: Just changing

Temperatures have been above average for the beginning of fall temperatures.  The weekend forecast looks to be sunny and turning to the 60s.  As always, our scenic drives will be picturesque now with a little touch of color.  Spend the day picking apples, find your way through a corn maze (opens in a new tab) , enjoy a fall festival (opens in a new tab) or learn about our local history!

Call for a free copy of our Harvest Tour map to accompany your Fall Foliage ride.  The Harvest Tour map will assist in finding apples, cider, pumpkins, mums, baked goods, corn mazes, and so many more seasonal products.

1.800.743.7337

Mohawk River Basin Program: Creating a Sense of Place

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Katherine Czajkowski, the Mohawk Watershed Coordinator, will be speaking at Schoharie Crossing on September 27 at 6:30 p.m. Her presentation will outline work on the Mohawk River Basin Program, which is a focused effort to conserve, preserve and restore the environmental quality of the Mohawk River and its watershed. The Friends of Schoharie Crossing will hold a very brief meeting before the presentation, and refreshments will be served following the talk. All are welcome to this free program.

Located wholly within the boundaries of New York State, the Mohawk River is the largest tributary to the Hudson River.  This approximately 3,460 square mile watershed comprises roughly 25% of the entire Hudson River drainage area. This watershed includes several major tributaries and reservoirs: the Schoharie Creek, West Canada Creek, East Canada Creek, the Hinkley Reservoir and the Schoharie and Delta Reservoirs. Following the successful model of the Hudson River Estuary Program, the Mohawk River Basin Program acts as the coordinator of basin wide activities, bringing together stakeholders and creating partnerships with established programs and organizations throughout the watershed to achieve its goals. Working with its many partners, this program uses an ecosystem based management approach to the watershed. Katherine Czajkowski will discuss the program and give an update on the work done so far.

For more information about this event and others, please call the Visitor Center at (518) 829-7516, email SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov, or visit our Facebook page at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees 180 state parks and 35 historic sites, which are visited by 60 million people annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.

 

Storyteller Margaret French to Perform

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FrenchNJ4Ks

Storyteller Margaret French to Perform

At Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site

 

Popular Saratoga storyteller, Margaret French will perform at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site on Sunday, September 11th at 6:00 PM as part of the annual Not Just for Kids Storytelling series.  Her performance, entitled “All Too Human, Stories of Laughter, Wit and Folly,” will take place outdoors in front of the Schoharie Crossing Visitor Center, 129 Schoharie Street, Fort Hunter, NY.  The show will move indoors in case of rain. Guests are invited to chat and enjoy refreshments

Margaret French delights her audiences with personal and traditional tales that reflect her offbeat, often humorous take on our all-too-human condition. Her childhood in Canada, ties to India, and her home in upstate New York are often featured in her marvelous tales. Margaret performs in venues throughout the Capital District and beyond. She is co-producer of the Saratoga storytelling open mic, leads workshops in writing and storytelling, and writes a blog featuring many of her stories.

Saratoga Arts made this program possible with a Community Arts Grant funded by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. The program is also supported by Stewart’s Shops, L’Ultimo Restaurant, the Garden Bug, and Karen’s Produce.

For more information about these events and more, please call the Visitor Center at (518) 829-7516, email SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov, or visit our Facebook page at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees 180 state parks and 35 historic sites, which are visited by 60 million people annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.

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Currytown Raids

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During the weekend of Aug. 27, a reenactment has been scheduled to commemorate the Currytown Raids, off of Currytown Rd. & Route 162, in Sprakers, in the town of Root. This event is to commemorate the 235th anniversary of the raid, which took place on July 9, 1781. A commemorative button has been created and will be for sale.   Currytown Button

Colonial camps will be on display and open for the public to see what life was like back in the 1780s. The reenactment will take place on Sunday, Aug. 28. There is no admission fee for the event.

On Saturday, the Root Historical Society will host a Chicken BBQ at the Currytown Church, starting at 2 p.m., and on Sunday, they will host an Ice Cream Social, starting at 4 p.m.

Off-street parking will be available and marked and a shuttle service will be available for those using the lots away from the camps. The organizers are asking that the public refrain from parking on the sides of Route 162, due to increased traffic for the event.

For more information, visit the “Currytown Set Afire” Facebook page. If you are interesting in participating in the event, either as a reenactor or sutler, please contact William Maring at williammaring@yahoo.com.

Storyteller Tim Lowry to Perform At Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site

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Nationally known storyteller Tim Lowry will perform at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site on Sunday, August 28 at 6:00 PM as part of the annual Not Just for Kids Storytelling series.  His performance will take place outdoors in front of the Schoharie Crossing Visitor Center, 129 Schoharie Street, Fort Hunter, NY.  The show will move indoors in case of rain. Guests are invited to chat and enjoy refreshments after the show. The event is free and open to the public.

With a Southern manner and droll side-wit, Tim Lowry is equally at home in an Appalachian log cabin, Mandan wigwam, New York Theater, or Texas ranch house. Lowry grew up in southeastern Kentucky where he learned the art of storytelling from Appalachian folk who spun yarns and told tales to entertain, teach morals, and pass along local history. Currently residing in Summerville, South Carolina, Lowry has been entertaining audiences with mixture of folk tales and personal narrative for 16 years.

The last performance of The Not Just for Kids Storytelling series takes place on September 11 when Margaret French will present a program entitled, “All Too Human, Stories of Laughter, Wit and Folly”.

Saratoga Arts made this program possible with a Community Arts Grant funded by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. The program is also supported by Stewart’s Shops, L’Ultimo Restaurant, the Garden Bug, and Karen’s Produce.

For more information about these events and more, please call the Visitor Center at (518) 829-7516, email SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov, or visit the Facebook page at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees 180 state parks and 35 historic sites, which are visited by 60 million people annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.