Events

Call for Paintings Extended

Posted on May 7, 2018

Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site (opens in a new tab) is extending the deadline for submissions for paintings to be included in the 2018 art show. Painters residing in New York State who want to showcase their work in a competitive, juried exhibition are encouraged to read the show description and submit original work in the theme of Lock in the Fun: Recreation at Schoharie Crossing. The deadline is now May 25^th.

To recognize the centennial of the NYS Barge Canal, Schoharie Crossing is hosting this second annual exhibition of talented artists. This year the focus will be on paintings only. Jurors have accepted the task of reviewing the artwork and prizes will be awarded to those honored by the jurors.

The Erie Canal historic site and NYS Park is a great place for recreation such as walking, cycling, kayaking, fishing, birdwatching, picnics, and more; providing memories & experiences for generations. The site supplies great views of nature as well and the historic canal structures are juxtaposed among the natural world of plants and animals along the Schoharie Creek and Mohawk River. The trails along old towpaths of the canal allow for a journey back in time. Flora and fauna thrive within the tranquility of the waterways, wetlands and open spaces of Schoharie Crossing, lending great inspiration for any artist.

The Erie Canal’s vital importance is highlighted by the classic arches of the Schoharie Creek Aqueduct and the impressive lock chambers that still exist at locations throughout Schoharie Crossing. Views of the Mohawk and Schoharie Valleys can also be taken in as you explore this landscape.

Schoharie Crossing encompasses over two hundred acres and spans over three miles in length. From the western end of the site at the Aqueduct boat launch, across the Schoharie Creek and east to Yankee Hill Lock and the Putman Canal Store. The site contains portions of the original 1820’s Erie Canal as well as features two sets of double locks from the Enlarged Era Canal and is adjacent to the Erie Canal of today; the Mohawk River. Lock E12 at Tribes Hill on the river is situated close to the site and provides access to witnessing the newest century old canal of today.

All along the site there is ample opportunity to explore your artistic skills, from photography, painting, and even sketches. Discover more on the Schoharie Crossing Facebook page or on the Friends of Schoharie Crossing Instagram and Twitter.

Submissions can be made online (https://goo.gl/forms/4PjuP5kRW6ZF4wuy2 (opens in a new tab) ). The exhibit’s opening celebration will take place during the Schoharie Crossing Canal Days festivities, July 14^th and 15th, 2018, and artwork will be displayed through August. For more information on how to enter, please visit the Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site page (opens in a new tab) of the New York State Parks website, nysparks.com, call Schoharie Crossing at (518) 829-7516, email SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov (opens in a new tab) or find us on Facebook (opens in a new tab) .

If Rivers Could Speak at Schoharie Crossing

Posted on October 19, 2017

If Rivers Could Speak

On October 24, 2017 Alden (Joe) Doolittle will present an evening of storytelling at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site. His program entitled “If Rivers Could Speak, The Stories They’d Tell,” offers stories of the Mohawk Valley, its people and places. From the Iroquois and early European settlers to the Revolution and the Erie Canal, Joe will tell tales of how the valley affected the history and development of our nation. The event is free. The program, hosted by the Friends of Schoharie Crossing, starts at 6:30. Refreshments are served after the performance. All are welcome.

Joe Doolittle has applied his humorous good-natured style with audiences throughout the state. He has developed many historically based tales about the Hudson and Mohawk Valleys. He is a coproducer of Story Circle at Proctors, a resident company offering a variety of programs at the theater. In 2103, he was honored by the National Storytelling Network with the Oracle Award for Leadership and Service in the Northeast Region. In 2015, the League for the Advancement of New England Storytelling gave him the Brother Blue and Ruth Hill Award for exceptional leadership in Storytelling.

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

A Musical Journey Along the Erie Canal w/ Cosby & Tom

Posted on September 28, 2017

A Musical Journey Along the Erie Canal w/ Cosby & Tom

Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site will host musicians Cosby Gibson and Tom Staudle as they take you on a journey along the historic Erie Canal through music. Gibson and Staudle have developed this terrific program to provide the history of the grand old Erie through the music it inspired. The program begins at 6:30pm on Saturday, September 30^th at the Schoharie Crossing Visitor Center on Schoharie Street in Fort Hunter.

Learn some interesting facts about the canal, sing along to a few tunes you probably already know, and hear some that you may not. This well researched program about the canal era and its music brings alive the soul of what it was like to travel on, work on, and live alongside the artificial waterway during it’s heyday from the 1820s to the early 20^th century. Come enjoy the music and check out some of the amazing historic canal features at Schoharie Crossing.

This event is free and perfect for families.

For information about this event and more, please call the Visitor Center at (518) 829-7516 or email SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov. For more information about New York State Parks, visit the website at www.nysparks.com.

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 us on Twitter.

Indiana Jones and Fort Plank: The Cleaner Side of Archaeology

Posted on September 20, 2017

Indiana Jones and Fort Plank: The Cleaner Side of Archaeology

Join Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site on Tuesday, September 26^th as researcher Ken D. Johnson delivers his presentation, “Indiana Jones and Fort Plank: The Cleaner Side of Archaeology.”

The program takes the audience along with Ken on a search for the fortress in which his ancestors served during the American Revolution. From this fort, one of them was taken prisoner on August 2, 1780, and their father and sister were killed. His program also presents to the audience the first step in locating a site for a possible historical dig.

Johnson has served as the Fort Plank Historian since 1984 and is the author of “The Bloodied Mohawk: The Revolutionary War in the Words of Fort Plank’s Defenders and Other Mohawk Valley Partisans”. He also operates a free web-site that contains biographical and historical data on the Colonial Period in the Mohawk Valley of New York.

This free program will be held in the Enders House adjacent to the Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site Visitor Center on Schoharie Street in Fort Hunter, New York. There will be a brief Friends of Schoharie Crossing meeting prior to the presentation and there will be refreshments available.

For more information about these events and more, please call the Visitor Center at (518) 829-7516; email: SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov. 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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Haudenosaunee Film Festival

Posted on August 30, 2017

Haudenosaunee Film Festival

Fonda, NY, September 2, 6-10pm

The Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Community is bringing together award-winning and up-and-coming Haudenosaunee Filmmakers to showcase some of their work on Saturday, September 2 starting at 6pm. Good weather permitting, the film screening will be outdoors and attendees should bring blankets or lawn chairs. Rain will move the festival indoors, which seating provided. Admission costs are: $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and children, FREE for children 5 and under. Traditional and modern foods will be available for low cost.

Films at the festival will be shown in three groupings, which are as follows:

Film group 1: Experimental and Student Shorts

30 minutes of film shorts from Katsitsionni Fox’s Native Film Students

20-30 minutes of film shorts from the Rotinonshonni Storyteller’s Collective

Film group 2: From Haudenosaunee Territory to Standing Rock

The Spirit of Standing Rock, Kahsto’sera’a Paulette Moore (English, 30 minutes)

Senecas to Standing Rock: An Environmental RedVolution, Part I, Jason Corwin (50 minutes)

Film group 3: Protecting and Maintaining Cultural Traditions at Home

Ohero:kon – Under the Husk, Katsitsionni Fox (English/Mohawk, 2016: 26 minutes)

Give and Take, Terry Jones, Govind Deecee, and Erin Perkins (English, 2015: 14 minutes)

Soup for My Brother, Terry Jones (English/ Seneca, 2016: 10 minutes)

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 Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site, the Akwesasne Cultural Restoration Program, and the Johnstown Walmart Distribution Center.

For more information, please contact Kanatsiohareke at: 518-673-4197 or: Kanatsiohareke@gmail.com

Mohawk River Moveable Dams

Posted on August 18, 2017

Mohawk River Moveable Dams

On Tuesday, August 22, The New York State Canal Corporation will be presenting a talk on the Mohawk River Moveable Dams. The talk, which begins at 6:30pm, is sponsored by the Friends of Schoharie Crossing. It will be held at the Enders House, close to the Schoharie Crossing Visitor Center in Fort Hunter, NY. Refreshments will be served following the event. The program is free, and all are welcome.

The presentation will showcase the eight movable dams between Schenectady and Fort Plain which regulate water flow on the Mohawk River for navigation of the Canal as well as water control. Dam gates are lowered into the river to form navigable pools during the summer but are pulled out of the water in the winter to clear the way for ice and debris filled flood waters. This engineering marvel has been a focus of attention since they were built in the early 20^th century. The talk will give some of the history and engineering information about this remarkable innovation to the waterway.

Elizabeth Ellis at Schoharie Crossing

Posted on August 1, 2017

Elizabeth Ellis at Schoharie Crossing

Nationally known storyteller Elizabeth Ellis will be performing at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site on Sunday, August 6th at 6:00pm. Her performance entitled “Deniable Plausibility/Plausible Deniability: Tales True and Not So True” will take place outdoors in front of the Schoharie Crossing Visitor Center on Schoharie Street. 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.

Elizabeth Ellis grew up in the Appalachian Mountains and learned to tell stories from her grandfather who was a circuit riding minister. As a storyteller, Ellis doesn’t mince words. Filled with hilarious and poignant honesty, her stories deliver downhome wisdom, southern style. Designated an American Masterpiece Touring Artist by the National Endowment for the Arts, Ellis has been sharing her stories since 1979. She is a frequent favorite at the National Storytelling festival and is the recipient of both the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Circle of Excellence Award from the National Storytelling Network. Both witty and wise, her stories are often about seeing the extraordinary in our everyday experience.

Guests are also encouraged to participate in Schoharie Crossing’s Chalk Our Walk event happening that same weekend. To expand the creative reach of Schoharie Crossing’s Views and Vista’s Art show, adults and children are invited to create their own artwork on the sidewalk leading to the Visitor Center. Participants will be eligible for a drawing for a gift certificate.

The Not Just for Kids Storytelling series continues throughout August and into September. The following artists will be part of the series: Peter Cook, Aug. 13, Michael Reno Harrell, Aug. 20, Joe Bruchac, Aug. 27 and Becky Holder, Sept. 10.

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, MaryJane’s Market, 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 Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site

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Storyteller Jeannine Laverty to Perform at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site

Posted on July 26, 2017

Storyteller Jeannine Laverty to Perform

at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site

Nationally known storyteller Jeannine Laverty will be performing at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site on Sunday, July 30 at 6:00pm as the kickoff event of the annual Not Just for Kids Storytelling series. Her performance will take place outdoors in front of the Schoharie Crossing Visitor Center on Schoharie Street in Fort Hunter. 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.

Jeannine Laverty is a gifted storyteller, who has been performing since 1979. Her wide range of stories spans the world from the Adirondacks to Asia giving her audience a deeply satisfying understanding of the world through the eyes of another. She also uses her storytelling talent to teach other tellers, and she has been the recipient of many awards including a leadership award from the National Storytelling Network.

The Not Just for Kids Storytelling series continues throughout August and into September. The following artists will be part of the series: Elizabeth Ellis, Aug. 6, Peter Cook, Aug. 13, Michael Reno Harrell, Aug. 20, Joe Bruchac, Aug. 27 and Becky Holder, Sept. 10.

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, MaryJane’s Market, the Garden Bug and Karen’s Produce.

Cinema Saturday at Schoharie Crossing

Posted on July 20, 2017

Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site will be screening the 1935 classic film, A Farmer Takes A Wife starring Henry Fonda and Janet Gaynor on July 22nd starting at 7:30pm, outside the Visitor Center on Schoharie Street in Fort Hunter. Join in the fun as we watch this wonderful and charming love story set on the Erie Canal in the mid-19th Century.

A farmer works on the canal to earn money to buy a farm. He meets a cook on a canal boat, but she can’t even consider leaving the exciting life on the canal for a banal one on a farm. Jotham Klore is the leading canal boater on the Erie Canal. He’s also a bullying braggart. His cook, Molly Larkins, loves working on the canal. Young Dan Farrow signs onto another boat, owned by Samson Weaver, with plans to save enough money to buy a farm. Dan and Molly fall in love, but their romance runs aground on the conflict between his love of farming and her devotion to the canal.

This film is adapted from the play that was based on the book Rome Haul by Walter D. Edmonds.

The viewing moves inside the Enders House if raining. This is a free event open to the public. Please bring a lawn chair or blanket for seating. Popcorn and other refreshments will be available.

For more information find us on Facebook or contact the site: SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov (518) 829-7516.

Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site hosts lecture on the history of the Erie Canal

Posted on July 17, 2017

As part of a statewide commemoration of the Erie Canal’s 200th anniversary, the Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site in Fort Hunter and the Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse will host a lecture by Dr. Carol Sheriff, author of The Artificial River, Sunday, July 23, at 4:00 p.m. inside the newly renovated Visitors Center at 129 Schoharie Street.

Reflections on Erie’s Waters is a collaboration between The Erie Canal Museum and The Canal Society of New York State to commemorate the waterway’s bicentennial and examine its legacy and future through diverse viewpoints. Reflections presents an inclusive view of the Erie Canal, examines its relevance and importance and heightens awareness of its historical impact, current significance and future potential through a series of workshops, lectures and exhibits.

Dr. Sheriff’s lecture, Becoming Second Nature: The Erie Canal’s Early History, examines how the new waterway initially symbolized the young republic’s technological and economic progress, and was even hailed as a divinely ordained mission. She will discuss how the Erie Canal redefined daily routines, livelihoods and values for thousands of New Yorkers, and remapped the region’s physical and human geography.

Dr. Sheriff is author of The Artificial River: The Erie Canal and the Paradox of Progress, 1817-1862, which was honored by the New York State Historical Association in 1996. She is a Professor of History at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and co-author of several American history publications and textbooks.

The Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the Erie Canal as one of the 19th century’s greatest commercial and engineering projects. The Visitor Center exhibit traces the history of the Erie Canal and its impact on the growth of New York State and the nation. Within the site’s boundaries are many structures dating from the three eras of the canal’s development. For more information, call (518) 829-7516.

Committed to preserving the only existing weighlock building in the United States, the Erie Canal Museum collects and conserves Canal material, champions an appreciation and understanding of Erie Canal history through educational programming, and promotes an awareness of the Canal’s transforming effects on the past, present and future. The Museum is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free with a suggested $5 donation.

For more information on the Reflections on Erie’s Waters program or any of the artist-led workshops or statewide lecture series, contact Vicki Krisak, Director of Communications and Outreach, Erie Canal Museum, vicki@eriecanalmuseum.org, (315) 471-0593, ext. 15, or visit the Erie Canal Museum website Eriecanalmuseum.org.

Reflections on Erie’s Waters is supported by the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

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