Events

Connie Regan-Blake to Perform at Schoharie Crossing

Posted on July 24, 2019

Connie Regan-Blake to Perform at Schoharie Crossing

Award winning storyteller Connie Regan-Blake will be performing at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site on Sunday, July 28 at 6:00 pm as part of the annual Not Just for Kids Storytelling series. Her performance entitled “Leap and Laugh! Tales of Adventure” will take place outdoors near the Schoharie Crossing Visitor Center. The show will move indoors in case of rain. Guests are invited to linger, chat, and enjoy refreshments after the show. The event is free.

Connie Regan-Blake is one of America’s most celebrated storytellers. She has captivated the hearts and imaginations of people around the globe with her powerful storytelling performances. When Connie takes the stage, she generates a brightness and warmth, drawing in listeners with her engaging humor and Southern charm. Her stories range from hilarious traditional Appalachian Mountain tales to poignant true-life drama. She has performed at the nation’s top folk music and storytelling festivals in Chicago, Philadelphia and San Francisco as well as the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington D.C.

The Not Just for Kids Storytelling series continues throughout August and into September. The following artists will be part of the series: Anne Rutherford, Aug. 4, Elizabeth Rowe, Aug. 11, Lorraine Hartin-Gelardi, Aug. 18, Sheila Arnold, Aug. 25 and Sandor Schuman, Sept. 8.

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, Mary Jane’s Market, L’Ultimo, the Garden Bug, Karen’s Produce and the Friends of Schoharie Crossing.

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 Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 individual state parks, historic sites, golf courses, boat launches and recreational trails, which are visited by 71 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.

Posted on July 1, 2019

Canal Day at Schoharie Crossing

The annual Canal Day event at Schoharie Crossing will be on Saturday, July 6 from 11:00am to 4:00pm. This year the festival is being held in conjunction with the Tri-County Old Power Associates Engine Show as well as the Metis Nation St. Kateri PowWow. All events are happening on the grounds of the historic site, 129 Schoharie Street in Fort Hunter. Parking is free.

The Metis Nation North America-Canadian Bands will open their PowWow on Friday, July 5 with Grand Entry at 12 noon. The event lasts three days ending on Sunday afternoon. The cost per day is $5 for Adults, $3 for age 65 and older, Children under 5, people with disabilities, and veterans receive free admission. There will be several dances, drumming circle, music, food, and crafts available throughout the event.

The Old Steam Power and Gas Engine Show will be held on Saturday and Sunday 11am to 4pm in the field adjacent to the Visitor Center. Come see these old ‘putt putt’ engines and old motors crank up and demonstrate the power of yesteryear.

The historic site will offer live music by Rusticator, food vendors, games, a bounce house, free wagon rides, a community tent, an equestrian show by JD Winslow, balloon art by Airigami, and more. An Aqueduct Alliance tent will be open so that people can find out more of the work being done to save the remains of the Schoharie Creek Aqueduct. The Friends of Schoharie Crossing will also be in attendance.

Pathway to Empire, an exhibit on the Erie Canal will be open in the Visitor Center. There will be a photography gallery open in the Enders House next door. An opening reception for The Passage of Time exhibit will occur at 5pm on Saturday and is open to the artists and the public for live music, food, and beverages.

This year the event is sponsored in part by: Alpin Haus, NYS Canal Corporation, Price
Chopper Supermarkets, WEXT Radio, and the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor!

For more information contact the site: SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov or (518) 829-7516. Find and like Schoharie Crossing on Facebook.

Amsterdam’s Independence Day Fest Sponsored by The Leader-Herald

Posted on June 25, 2019

Amsterdam’s Independence Day Fest Sponsored by The Leader-Herald

The City of Amsterdam and the Amsterdam Tourism, Marketing & Recreation Department presents Independence Day Fest Sponsored by The Leader-Herald on Saturday, July 6^th from 6PM-10PM at Riverlink Park and the Mohawk Valley Gateway Overlook Bridge!

Come celebrate the 4th of July on the 6^th, along our beautiful waterfront, enjoy food and drink specials! Starting at 6PM- Scotty Nut Nut Entertainment will be on the MVGO Bridge, 6PM-8PM join the Patriotic Paddle with Down by the River Kayak Rentals, or walk over to Riverlink Park for Watercolor class for kids. Then, at 7PM the Amsterdam Waterfront Foundation and their sponsors present, Whiskey Highway, a high energy country band playing today’s new country along with some 90’s/00’s, at Riverlink Park. The night will end with fireworks at 9:30PM over the Historic Erie Canal Sponsored by Lanzi Family Restaurants!

Geology of the Erie Canal Program slated at Schoharie Crossing

Posted on May 20, 2019

Geology of the Erie Canal Program slated at Schoharie Crossing

The Friends of Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site welcome Thomas Grasso to discuss the Geology of the Erie Canal in the Mohawk Valley: Hudson River to Little Falls at their Tuesday, May 28^th meeting, beginning at 6:30pm in the Enders House on Schoharie Street in Fort Hunter, adjacent to the Visitor Center.

Grasso will discuss the bedrock and ice age geologic history of the region, and how this long and complex natural history affected human history by controlling the route of the canal and the obstacles that had to be overcome. Some local quarries that supplied stone for locks and aqueducts will be mentioned.

Thomas X. Grasso, President Emeritus of the Canal Society of New York State, was society President for nearly forty years until his retirement in 2016. He was President of Inland Waterways International, based in the UK, from 2002 to 2010. Tom taught in and chaired the Geosciences Department at Monroe Community College in Rochester from 1968 to 1999 and has authored many articles and publications on New York State and European geology and canals for both the peer review and general audience press.

There will be a brief Friends Group meeting prior to the presentation. This is a FREE event open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

For more information contact the site: SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov or (518) 829-7516. Find and like Schoharie Crossing on Facebook

Fall Foliage Report: October 10-16

Posted on October 11, 2018

I LOVE NY started the “New York Fall Foliage Report (opens in a new tab) ” on September 12 and will 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: Average

Predominating colors: Still green with more red, orange, yellow coming out

Rating: Midpoint

This week has more color coming through with yellows and oranges and some reads. It would be a great time to take a ride and see the fall foliage. There are also many events happening on Saturday throughout the county!

The Village of Ames Museum (opens in a new tab) will be open 9am to 3pm.

Celebrate the fall harvest and take advantage of your last chance of the season to visit Old Fort Johnson (opens in a new tab) and the 1918 exhibit. This open house features outdoor baking, fresh apple cider pressing and other family activities. Free admission all day, donations are always welcome. The event is 10am-4pm.

From 11am-4pm, the Glen Conservancy (opens in a new tab) and the 77^th NY Regimental Balladeers will host Harvest Fest (opens in a new tab) in the hamlet of Glen. Events will take place in and around Conservancy Hall and will include activities at the Glen Cottage Farms, and at the Rustic Red House at the Glen Country Store at the confluence of Routes 30A and 161. Music, face painting, pumpkin painting, flower arranging, and more.

The Palatine Settlement Society invites the public to the annual “Afternoon at the Tavern (opens in a new tab) .” This event is scheduled for Saturday from 1–4pm, and will be held at the historic 1747 Nellis Tavern in St. Johnsville.

There will be a variety of beer and cider provided by Wolf Hollow and Rogers Cidery. Soup and bread will also be served. Tickets, available in advance, are $15 per person with a limited number of tickets available at the door.

Explore our countryside, enjoy our events (opens in a new tab) , and take in the autumn season!

Call for Travel Guides and Specialty Maps!

1.800.743.7337

Woodpecker Walk at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site

Posted on August 6, 2018

Woodpecker Walk at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site

Join an environmental educator on Wednesday, August 8th at 5:30 P.M. at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site for a woodpecker walk to learn about the different woodpeckers that call this area home and some of their special characteristics. This program will meet at the Visitor Center and enjoy an hour-long walk around the site. This program is open to all ages, but has been designed for families with children ages 5 and up. The hike is a less than two mile round-trip and is weather dependent (will be cancelled in the event of heavy rain or thunderstorms). The address for Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site is 129 Schoharie St, Fort Hunter, NY 12069.

Registration is required for this program; please call Keri Surita at 518-584-2000, ext. 111, or email Keri.Surita@parks.ny.gov.

This is a free event open to the public. Wildlife Wednesdays continue August 22nd at 6:30pm with Anita Sanchez providing a program on bugs. Other upcoming nature programs include an Early Morning Bird Walk with George Steel beginning 6:30am on August 12th at Yankee Hill Lock on Queen Anne Road, and Anita Sanchez presenting on “The Teeth of the Lion: The Story of the Beloved and Despised Dandelion” occurring on Tuesday, August 28th at 6:30pm in the Enders House. ECOS: The Environmental Clearinghouse of Schenectady will also be conducting a paddle event from Schoharie Crossing on August 11th to highlight the environmental aspects of the Schoharie Creek and Mohawk River.

For information about this series and other events listed, please call the Visitor Center at (518) 829-7516, email SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov, or visit our Facebook page. Information can also be found on our NYS Parks website.

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.

Jennifer Munro to Perform at Schoharie Crossing

Posted on August 2, 2018

Jennifer Munro to Perform

at Schoharie Crossing

Award winning storyteller Jennifer Munro will be performing at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site on Sunday, August 5th at 6:00 pm as part of the annual Not Just for Kids Storytelling series. Her performance entitled “Cast of Characters: Ordinary Stories about Extraordinary Moments” will take place outdoors near the Schoharie Crossing Visitor Center. The show will move indoors in case of rain. Guests are invited to linger, chat, and enjoy refreshments after the show. The event is free.

Jennifer Munro is a featured teller at this year’s National Storytelling Festival in Jonesboro, Tennessee. Her extensive repertoire of stories explore the triumphs and foibles of the human condition. She has a wicked sense of humor, and her original stories are witty, poignant and warm hearted.

The Not Just for Kids Storytelling series continues throughout August and into September. The following artists will be part of the series: Andy Offutt Irwin, Aug. 12, Claire Nolan Aug. 19, Anne Shimojima, Aug. 26 and Nancy Marie Payne, Sept. 9.

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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Wildlife Wednesday Edible Plant Program with Anita Sanchez At Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site

Posted on July 23, 2018

Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site will host environmental educator and author Anita Sanchez on July 25^th at 6:30pm for the third program in our 2018 Wildlife Wednesday series. Sanchez will discuss wild edible plants and there will also be some sampling of those found on the grounds of the historic site. We will also try some wild teas as well. The program will meet outside the Visitor Center at 129 Schoharie Street, Fort Hunter.

Sanchez worked as an environmental educator for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation at education centers across the state. She now is a free-lance educator, providing programs for schools, libraries, museums, botanical gardens, and arboreta. Also, she is a successful author and champion of unloved plants, and has written, “The Teeth of the Lion: The Story of the Beloved and Despised Dandelion” and most recently, “Leaflets Three, Let it Be! The Story of Poison Ivy”.

This is a free event open to the public. Donations to the Friends of Schoharie Crossing are always appreciated. Wildlife Wednesdays continue August 8^th at 5:30pm and the 22nd at 6:30pm. Upcoming nature programs include an Early Morning Bird Walk with George Steel beginning 6:30am on August 12^th at Yankee Hill Lock on Queen Anne Road, and Anita Sanchez presenting on “The Teeth of the Lion: The Story of the Beloved and Despised Dandelion” occurring on Tuesday, August 28^th at 6:30pm in the Enders House. ECOS: The Environmental Clearinghouse of Schenectady will also be conducting a paddle event from Schoharie Crossing on August 11^th to highlight the environmental aspects of the Schoharie Creek and Mohawk River.

Canal Days at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site

Posted on July 5, 2018

Schoharie Crossing (opens in a new tab) will host the annual Canal Days Festival on July 14 & 15 from 11am – 4pm both Saturday and Sunday. This event is a free community festival celebrating the Erie Canal and the character of the people and towns along the way. This event is part of the continuing celebration of the Erie Canal Bicentennial. The Erie Canal was started in 1817 and completed in 1825.

This year’s festival will feature a participatory balloon art installation by Airigami. This company has been creating unique and stunning art displays which have been showcased around the world. As part of the Canal Days festivities, they will be supervising the creation of a large Erie Canal packet boat mural out of environmentally friendly balloons.

Canal Days will offer a variety of other attractions including wagon rides, the Utica Zoomobile, horse shoeing demonstrations, Tri County Old Time Engine display, games, food vendors, Down By the River Kayak (opens in a new tab) demos, a Canalway trail guided bicycle ride with the Adirondack Velo Club on Saturday at 1pm, and The Dudley Observatory will have a solar telescope to safely view the sun on Sunday. Various community organizations will be participating including the Montgomery Sheriff’s Department, the Mohawk River Basin Program, Capital Mohawk PRISM and the New York State Archeology Association. Sean The Prankster will perform magic at 1:30 on both Saturday and Sunday. The New York State Canal Corporation (opens in a new tab) will bring their popular working model of an Erie Canal lock as well as an actual Erie Canal tug boat.

On Saturday, the nationally known modern country band, Tompkins Drive will have two performances. In addition, The Friends of Schoharie Crossing will host a chicken barbeque. Also on Saturday will be the official opening of the 2018 art show which features paintings inspired by recreation among the built and natural environments at Schoharie Crossing.

On Sunday, the program will feature the music of the Jump Daddies swing band. There will also be a Rat Pack Cruzers Car show with prizes for best of show.

We are grateful to our many generous partners and sponsors. These include the NYS Canal Corporation, the Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor, Price Chopper, Alpin Haus, WEXT 97.7, Judith-Ann Realty, the Wine Barrell, Bourbon Street Wine and Liquor Warehouse, Arlene’s Artist Materials, Olde Brick House Café, Mary Jane’s Market and the 518 Grill.

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

Wildlife Wednesday Bird Walk with George Steele

Posted on June 20, 2018

Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site will host environmental educator George Steele on June 27^theat 6:30pm for the first in the 2018 Wildlife Wednesday program series. Steele will lead a walk that explores different areas of the historic site around the Visitor Center while watching and listening for various bird species. The walk will take place along the banks of Schoharie Creek and on historic site trails, which were formerly the towpath for the Erie Canal. The program will meet outside the Visitor Center at 129 Schoharie Street, Fort Hunter. There is no charge, but donations are always appreciated. (opens in a new tab)

Birders know that the region is terrific for the varied species that can be found, and at Schoharie Crossing there is a tremendous birding habitat complete with waterways, wetlands, reforested spaces and more. The site is known for appearances by species such as the Great Blue Heron, Osprey, Orioles, Pileated Woodpeckers, Egrets, Belted Kingfisher, Bald Eagles, Canada Geese, and many more.

George Steele is a lifelong educator. His unique blend of expertise and enthusiasm has turned thousands of children into science-lovers. For over 20 years he has been an independent education consultant working with schools, libraries, nature centers, and museums thought the Northeast, including the NYS Art Teachers Association, the NYS Outdoor Education Association, the Gifted and Talented Enrichment Program at Lafayette College and Lehigh University.

He is the former director of the NYSDEC Environmental Education Camp Program, recipient of the Conservation Educator Award of the NYS Conservation Council, the NYS Outdoor Education Association’s Gold Award for Lifetime Achievement and Outdoor Educator of the Year Award.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Forest Biology from SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry, and has done graduate work at the Antioch/New England Graduate School in Keene, NH.

The Wildlife Wednesday series will occur every two weeks from the end of June until September. Alternating time slots of 6:30pm and 5:00pm and will feature engaging environmental education with George Steele, Anita Sanchez and Student Conservation Association interns from the Saratoga Spa State Park.

For information about this series and more, please call the Visitor Center at (518) 829-7516, email SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov, or visit our Facebook page.

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Tag: Erie Canal