Events

Find Your Own Path Through History at Schoharie Crossing

Posted on June 9, 2016

Celebrate history and create memories during this year’s Path Through History Weekend on June 18 and 19 at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site (opens in a new tab) . The Path Through History (opens in a new tab) program is an established state-wide series of events that consists of many organizations that participate in a focus on local history.

During the last almost two centuries, the Erie Canal has been the waterway used as the path for so many traveling through the wonderful Mohawk Valley (opens in a new tab) and across New York State. Schoharie Crossing is the only location where all three of the major phases of the canal can be witnessed.

For 2016 the site will be holding a Schoharie Crossing Scavenger Hunt that will ask questions pertaining to all aspects of this great historic site. Questions range from historical facts, to plant and animal spotting as well as getting you to really seek out things you may otherwise miss on your visit. The challenge is worth it and a whole lot of fun too!

The site will be hosting Scavenger Hunt participants on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The passport can be turned into Visitor Center staff during operating hours or sent to the site by no later than July 1st. A winner will be selected at random and an announcement made.

To print a copy of the 2016 Mohawk Valley Path Through History Schoharie Crossing Scavenger Hunt Passport visit the New York State Parks webpage for Schoharie Crossing or pick one up at the Visitor Center. Discover fascinating facts about the Erie Canal and Fort Hunter as you answer questions for a chance to win a prize package. Please – only one entry per person. Get out there, Explore and Enjoy! PathScavHunt (opens in a new tab)

For more information about this event and more, please call the Visitor Center at (518) 829-7516 or email: SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov (opens in a new tab) .

Mohawk Valley RiverFest Seeks Artists

Posted on June 7, 2016

You are invited to participate in the first annual Mohawk Valley RiverFest (opens in a new tab) to be held Saturday, August 6^th, 2016 at Riverlink Park in Amsterdam. This food, wine, and arts festival is hosted by the Amsterdam Waterfront Foundation and will highlight the historical and cultural gems of the Mohawk Valley. We will offer several activities throughout the day, including a kids zone, paint and sip, and art show, culminating with a live band and fireworks show. This event is free to the community, and an excellent forum to showcase your artwork. Please mark your calendars and join us in highlighting what the Mohawk Valley has to offer!

The Art Show will run from 11:00am to 5:00pm. A People’s Choice Award will be awarded the day of the event at 7pm.

Art Show application MV Riverfest

ACCEPTED MEDIA:

Ceramics
Collages
Digital Art
Drawings
Glass
Jewelry
Mixed Media
Paintings
Photography
Printmaking (etchings, woodcuts, wood engraving, serigraphy, lithography)
Sculpture
Textile WorkPhotography

For more information about Riverlink Park please visit www.riverlinkconcerts.com (opens in a new tab) .

National Get Outdoors Day Event at Schoharie Crossing

Posted on June 3, 2016

Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site (opens in a new tab) welcomes children to celebrate and enjoy National Get Outdoors Day (opens in a new tab) by attending a wildflower walk at the site on June 11^th starting at 11:00am from the Visitor Center, 129 Schoharie Street, Fort Hunter, NY 12069. The walk will take children along the Woodchuck Walk to the Towpath Trail and return to the Visitor Center. During this one mile walk, children will be introduced to flower species, as well as a few other plants that are common to the area and found along these trails. After returning, children will participate in a flower pressing lesson and be encouraged to make one of their own to take home. This event is free, however donations are always appreciated.

Every year, by Presidential proclamation, June is designated as National Great Outdoors month to highlight the rich natural beauty of America by encouraging citizens to get outdoors and experience the great opportunities of local, State and National Parks. Organizations around the country have planned events to recognize the importance of the environment with a focus on the enhancement of peoples’ quality of life as well as preserving natural beauty and resources. The Get Outdoors Day or GO Day campaign seeks to encourage Americans, especially our youth, to seek out healthy, active outdoor lives and embrace our parks, forests, refuges and other public lands and waters.

Schoharie Crossing State Historic site is also proud to be a part of the 5th Annual Saratoga-Capital Region Geocache Challenge (opens in a new tab) . For information about these events and more, please call the Visitor Center at (518) 829-7516 or email SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov (opens in a new tab) . For more information about New York State Parks, visit the website at www.nysparks.com (opens in a new tab) .

Annual Rhubarb Festival at Nellis Tavern

Posted on June 2, 2016

The Palatine Settlement Society (opens in a new tab) trustees have planned the 20^th Annual Rhubarb Festival. It will be held on Sunday June 5, 2016, at the historic 1747 Nellis Tavern, NYS Rt. 5 (east), St. Johnsville, NY from 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM. The rhubarb pie baking contest with guest judges starts at 12:00 PM sharp. Lunch items along with all kinds of rhubarb delicacies will be available. Musical entertainment will be provided by Revisions, a barbershop quartet from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. Admission is free but donations are always welcome. Proceeds go toward the continuing restoration and preservation of the 1747 Nellis Tavern, including our wall stenciling restoration. Tours will be available.

For more information, contact Mary Davis, President; 315-866-2619

Putman Porch Music Back for Another Year

Posted on May 31, 2016

Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site (opens in a new tab) has announced the second year for the Putman Porch Music (opens in a new tab) series will start on Thursday, June 2^nd at 6:00pm. The series invites local musicians to come spend an evening on the historic Putman Canal Store porch to jam and enliven the vibe of the former Erie Canal stop off. Putman’s store building is located at Yankee Hill Lock on the grounds of Schoharie Crossing, 553 Queen Anne Road.

Musicians with an interest in American roots, bluegrass and folk music are encouraged to spend some time on the porch and be a part of a great experience. Much like a group of canawlers that happen to be stuck waiting at the lock, a few instruments and strong voices is all that is needed to pass the time.

Putman Porch Music will occur every Thursday in June from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. These are free events open to the public.

The grounds for the site are open all year from dawn until dusk.

For more information contact the site: SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov (opens in a new tab) (518) 829-7516.

Visitor Center Opens for 2016 Season

Posted on April 28, 2016

Visitor Center Opens for 2016 Season

The Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site Visitor Center in Fort Hunter will re-open for the 2016 season at 1:00pm on Sunday, May 1st. Hours at the Visitor Center are 10:00am-5:00pm Wednesday through Saturday and Sundays 1:00pm-5:00pm from May until October 31^st. Stop in and visit the site to witness the engineering marvel of the Erie Canal and check out the “Little Short of Madness” exhibit as well as artifacts from the colonial Fort Hunter and the Lower Castle Mohawk Village. Schoharie Crossing is the best place to witness Erie Canal history and enjoy a day walking the towpath trails, kayaking the creek or cycling the Canalway trail.

The Visitor Center and other portions of the site will be hosting several great events this year such as Canal Days on July 9^th & 10^th, the Not Just for Kids Storytelling series on Sunday’s from July 31^st to September 11^th, Putman Porch Music on Thursdays in June, and many more. Guests are welcome to come join in the fun all season.

The grounds for the site are open all year from dawn until dusk.

For more information contact the site: SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov (518) 829-7516.

New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees 180 state parks and 35 historic sites, which are visited by more than 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.

Public Information Meeting for a New Section of the Erie Canalway Trail in Amsterdam and Pattersonville

Posted on April 11, 2016

Who: The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

What: Public Information Meeting for a New Section of the Erie Canalway Trail (opens in a new tab) from Amsterdam to Pattersonville

When/Where: 6-9 p.m., Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Florida Town Hall & Highway Department (opens in a new tab) , 167 Fort Hunter Rd., Amsterdam, N.Y. 12010

The New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation will be holding a public hearing on the planned development of the Erie Canalway Trail from Amsterdam to Pattersonville. The new section will add a new 4.6 mile non-motorized segment to the trail that spans over 380 miles from Albany to Buffalo.

The consulting firm Barton and Loguidice will be presenting plans for the construction and will encourage feedback from the audience. Informational material and images of the project will be on display.

The new addition is along the Mohawk River and will help to connect bicyclists and pedestrians to other parts of the trail network which expands through much of the Capital Region and beyond. The addition will also include the rehabilitation of two bridges and a new parking lot located at Lock E-10. It is located in both Montgomery and Schenectady Counties and is another step in the continuing effort to connect this non-motorized trail along the historic Erie Canal.

The project is part of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s “Closing the Gap” campaign started in 2010 in partnership with Parks & Trails New York and the Canalway Trails Association New York. It is funded by a $980,000 Transportation Enhancement Program grant through the Department of Transportation in Region 2 of New York State. The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation will be contributing an additional $245,000 for a total of over $1.2 million going towards the project.

The meeting will be held from 6-9 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13^,at the Florida Town Hall and Highway Department, located at 167 Fort Hunter Rd., Amsterdam, N.Y. 12010. Public comments are welcomed and will be considered as plans for construction are finalized. There will also be the option of submitting written comments about the trail addition, which will be accepted until Friday, April 29, 2016 and may be submitted by email to Christopher.More@parks.ny.gov (opens in a new tab) or by mail to Saratoga Spa State Park, Attn: Christopher More, 19 Roosevelt Drive, Saratoga Springs, NY, 12866.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees 180 state parks and 35 historic sites, which are visited by 62 million people annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com (opens in a new tab) , connect on Facebook (opens in a new tab) , or follow on Twitter (opens in a new tab) .

Open Mic Poetry Cafés -Schoharie Crossing celebrates National Poetry Month

Posted on April 6, 2016

Schoharie Crossing To Celebrate National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month, and to celebrate Schoharie Crossing will be hosting two open mic Poetry Cafés on Wednesday, April 13^th and 27^th at 6:30pm. National Poetry Month is the largest literary celebration in the world, with tens of millions of readers, students, K-12 teachers, librarians, booksellers, literary events curators, publishers, bloggers, and, of course, poets marking poetry’s important place in our culture and our lives.

The open mic style event encourages poets as well as poetry enthusiasts to join in the celebration by participating in the reading of original poems or some of their favorite published works. The evening will include those readings as well as coffee and refreshments. This event is open to the public and free to attend, however donations are appreciated. The Poetry Café will be held at the Enders House on Schoharie Street in Fort Hunter.

For more information contact the site: SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov (518) 829-7516.

American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies in the Founding of the Republic Book Discussion

Posted on March 4, 2016

The book discussion scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 25^th at the Montgomery County Department of History & Archives, Old Courthouse, 9 Park St., Fonda, has been rescheduled for Wednesday, March 23^rd, 2016 at 10am. Please call the Department of History & Archives at (518) 853-8186 for further information. The book to be discussed is American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies in the Founding of the Republic (2008) by Joseph J. Ellis. Acclaimed historian Joseph J. Ellis brings his unparalleled talents to this riveting account of the early years of the Republic. The last quarter of the eighteenth century remains the most politically creative era in American history, when a dedicated group of men undertook a bold experiment in political ideals. It was a time of both triumphs and tragedies—all of which contributed to the shaping of our burgeoning nation. Check your local library for available copies or book can be purchased online or at major bookstores.

Benefit Antique Show for Nellis Tavern

Posted on February 18, 2016

On Saturday, March 5, 2016, 10 AM until 4 PM the Arkell Museum (opens in a new tab) will once again be the site of an antique show organized for the benefit of the 1747 Nellis Tavern (opens in a new tab) historic site of St. Johnsville. Admission will be $5.00; a combo ticket for $10.00 will include entry into both the show and museum galleries. Etchings by Rembrandt (opens in a new tab) will be the special opening exhibit in the museum.

A wide variety of affordable antiques and collectibles will be offered for sale by knowledgeable and friendly dealers. The show is eclectic and will include paintings, glassware, postcards, jewelry, china, quilts, coverlets and furniture. Interesting items, spanning the 18^th c. to the mid-20^th c., can be found here.

In addition to the usual well-known local dealers, new to the show this year will be the following: Allen Boice from Madison, NY who specializes in refinished NYS cherry and tiger maple furniture; Charles and Shirley Schmitt from Ilion, NY who will be bringing prints and children’s books; Gene Abruzzi who recently moved to this area from Pennsylvania and specializes in toys and paintings; and Dr. Joseph Semowich from Rensselaer, NY with a variety of early historical items and prints. Dr. Semowich is also curator of the new (not yet opened) Museum of Prints and Printmaking in Schenectady, NY.

There will also be appraisal services on site so those who attend the show can find out the value of their own treasures; any two items for $5.00. This year the appraisers are George Heigel and Wallace Schmidt. Tasty homemade soups, sandwiches and desserts will be available for purchase.

For those wanting to spend the day in the area, there are several antique shops in Canajoharie. Brotherhood Antiques (opens in a new tab) , operated by Joe and Audrey Fowler, offers items from 10 different dealers in addition to consignment pieces. The Settlers Block (opens in a new tab) next door, operated by Jim Sancho, has a large inventory of furniture, art and a variety of small items. Chris Takacs, owner of Fort Plain Antiques (opens in a new tab) (2 miles west) offers large architectural and salvage items along with general line antiques. JR’s Auction and dealer center is now located on NYS Rt. 5 just east of St. Johnsville and west of the Nellis Tavern.

All proceeds from this show will be used for the continuing restoration and maintenance of the 1747 Nellis Tavern by the Palatine Settlement Society. Check out their website at: www.PalatineSettlementSociety.org (opens in a new tab)

For additional information contact Donna Reston at 518.843.1601

Options

Category: General News