NYFS Resources: Heritage Tourism Organizations

A Who’s Who of Our Universe—Connect to organizations allied with the New York Folklore Society in fields of

Folklore and Folk Arts
Archives       Arts       Education
Ethnography & Anthropology       Ethnomusicology & Music
Heritage Tourism       Historic Preservation
History, Libraries and Museums

This universe is growing, so come back often.

FOLKLORE ORGANIZATIONS

Folk Arts Programs in Other Organizations

Regional and National Folklore Organizations

Is your organization missing from our resources page? E-mail us with your organization name, applicable program or center name, address, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail address, director’s name and title, an organizational description of 75 words or less, the URL of your web site if you have one, and the contact person for your web site. We will consider all submissions but reserve the right to select and edit those we feel are most appropriate for this site.

New York Folklore Society
P.O. Box 764
Schenectady, NY 12301
518/346-7008
Fax 518/346-6617
nyfs@nyfolklore.org

ALLIED ORGANIZATIONS

HERITAGE TOURISM

	Adirondack North Country Association Terry deFranco Martino, Executive Director 28 St. Bernard Street Saranac Lake NY 12983 518/891-6200 Fax 518/891-6203 E-mail: anca-martino@northnet.org	The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) 14-county association in the North Country committed to economic improvement. Since incorporation in 1954, ANCA has worked to create a greater sense of regional identity and pride through advocacy and promotion. ANCA builds upon the region’s cultural heritage and tourism as a foundation of the economy through corridor development including recreational corridors, Scenic Byways, Blueway Trails, and heritage trails, historic preservation, and promotion of arts and crafts in partnership with a wide range of organizations. A linked website for shoppers, artisans, and retailers of the Adirondack North Country Region, which, in turn, provides links to more than 280 websites of regional shops, craftspeople, food producers and artists, as well as information on workshops, galleries, and craft shows.
	Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center 25 Quackenbush Square Albany, NY 12207 518/434-1217 or 800/258-3582 Fax: 518/434-0887	The Albany Area Heritage Area Visitors Center offers an orientation and exhibits that explore the history of Albany. Its calendar lists professionally supervised children’s activities, special exhibits, lectures, local and regional arts and science displays, demonstrations and many other educational and entertaining happenings.
	Cultural Tourism Initiative Arts & Business Council of New York A Division of American for the Arts 520 Eighth Avenue 3rd Floor, Suite 319 New York, NY 10018 212/279-5910 Fax 212/279-5915 E-mail: info@artsandbusiness-ny.org	The Cultural Tourism Initiative (CTI) was created to stimulate economic impact in communities throughout New York City and State, through promotion of and activities in cultural tourism. ABC/NY assists all types of arts organizations in developing collaborations with the travel, tourism, retail, and hospitality industries—as well as with other cultural and business partners—in order to maximize the success of projects that attract new visitors, create jobs, and foster local pride. Made possible in partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), the program includes an annual cultural tourism workshop series and grant application process.
NYFS Member	The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Frank Dean, Executive Director P.O. Box 219 Waterford, NY 12188 518/237-7000 E-mail: Erie_Canal@nps.gov	The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor commemorates and celebrates the impacts of the Erie Canal on the creation of the American nation. The corridor collaborates with its 234 communities to protect this treasured cultural and historic resource and to promote the Erie Canal system as a recreation destination for today’s visitors. The canal schooner Lois McClure is carrying on this tradition and recapturing history as it makes its Grand Canal Journey through the New York State Canal System in 2007. The faithful replica will travel waterways that canal boats plied during the heyday of the canal era and stop at historic ports along the way. Canal communities will celebrate their distinct contribution to the canal culture by creating their own events which will embrace the arrival of the Lois McClure at their ports. Tours of the Lois McClure and interpretive presentations, wayside exhibits and educational materials will be provided free to the public at each stop.
	The Erie Canal: A Journey Through History ePodunk 607/256-1233 E-mail: info@epodunk.com	The Erie Canal: A Journey Through History is an online tour available from the ePodunk web site. This journey combines songs, historic information, post cards, panoramic photos, maps and community profiles to create a comprehensive multimedia package about the canal and its national impact. ePodunk is a privately held company based in Ithaca, NY, and founded by three journalists and a marketing executive. It has compiled more than 28,000 profiles of communities across the nation.
	Ithaca Farmer’s Market PO Box 6575 Ithaca, NY 14851 (607) 273-7109 E-mail: info@ithacamarket.com Tuesday markets are at Dewitt Park Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday markets are at Steamboat Landing	The Ithaca Farmer’s Market is a cooperative with 165 vendors who live within 30 miles of Ithaca, New York. On the waterfront where steamboats from Cayuga Lake used to dock, the Ithaca Farmer’s Market has successfully anchored itself and has transformed a wasteland into Steamboat Landing. Built entirely by volunteer labor, the market has developed a former debris site into a beautiful, thriving community gathering place. Visitors can shop for fresh, local produce, or choose a handcrafted gift. They can listen to music while savoring a wide variety of international foods, while sitting at the picnic tables along the waterfront A tour boat moors at our dock and offers rides up Cayuga Lake.
	Lake Champlain Visitors Center 94 Montcalm Street, Suite 1 Ticonderoga, NY 12883 518/585-6619 E-mail: info@lakechamplainregion.com	The Lake Champlain Visitors Center works with regional committees to highlight the best of our area, getting information out to our visitors. For heritage tourism, click on "What to Do" and follow the "Heritage and Culture" link to find out about historic architecture, museums, and libraries in the area, as well as heritage brochures that you can download from the site.
NYFS Member	Mohawk Valley Heritage Corridor Commission Frederick Miller, Executive Director 66 Montgomery Street Canajoharie, New York 13317 518/673-1045 Fax 518/673-1078 E-mail: mvhc@mvhcc.org	The Mohawk Valley Heritage Corridor Commission, comprised of the eight counties along the Mohawk River, is a regional partner with grass root projects and other local organizations. It concentrates on the four major themes of the Revolutionary War, Erie Canal, Native Americans and Natural Wonders. Currently, the Interpretative Plan is beginning to link the stories using signs; wayfinding systems including a two-sided touring map. Utilizing various associations such as a the Scenic Byway Program, Countryside Exchange and Your Town, the Commission works in concert with local communities providing resources for planning and economic development. Other programs concentrate on building a regional identity through festivals, a quarterly newsletter, Homecoming 2001 project, Erie Canal Legacy Book, Landmark Volunteers and other projects.
	The Northern Forest Center P.O. Box 210 Concord, NH 03302-0210 603/229-0679 Fax 603/229-1719 E-mail: nfc@northernforest.org	The Northern Forest is the largest intact forest remaining in the eastern United States. It has been called America's First Great Forest in celebration of its 10,000 year history of people living and working in the forest. The Northern Forest Center, a non-profit organization, serves as a convener of ideas and dialogue on issues ranging from cultural heritage to economics, ecology, and community development. The Center works to foster and develop the vitality and regional identity of the Northern Forest. They support projects and networks that increase regional collaboration and citizen leadership. The Center has recently published Cultural Connections: Organizations Working with Culture and Heritage in the Northern Forest providing contact information and descriptions of groups involved in recording, interpreting, preserving, fostering and utilizing the rich heritage and culture of the Northern Forest.
	Troy’s RiverSpark Visitor Center Carol LaCivita, Administrator 251 River Street Troy, NY 12810-3280 518/270-8667 Fax 518/270-1119 E-mail: info@riverspark.org	Troy’s RiverSpark Visitor Center is an orientation center for New York State’s Hudson-Mohawk Heritage Area, with exhibits and information about the region’s history, as well as ongoing cultural activities, shopping and dining and historic sites. Part of New York State’s Heritage Area System, the Hudson-Mohawk Heritage Area includes the communities of Cohoes, Colonie, Green Island, Troy, Waterford, and Watervliet.