The Beat

Select Wednesdays, June- August 10:30 a.m.

Utica, N.Y. - Kids of all ages are welcome at the Oneida County History Center for a history-themed story hour on select Wednesdays this summer. Created in partnership with the Utica Public Library, each story includes stories, songs, and a make-and-take activity. Story hour takes place at 10:30 a.m. on June 29, July 27, and August 24.

Utica, N.Y. - The Oneida County History Center and For the Good Inc. will host a community photo identification, and documentation event on Friday, June 17, 2022, from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm to commemorate Juneteenth and encourage the preservation of preservation Black History in Oneida County.  The public is invited to help identify people, places, and events from photographs in the Oneida County Black History Archive (on loan from Hamilton College) and a selection of photos from the History Center archives.

Scheduled for Saturday, June 4 and July 9, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.

Utica, N.Y. -- Utica shoes! Who knew? Many people do not realize that Utica once had a thriving shoe manufacturing industry, producing as many as two thousand pairs of shoes a day. The factories were located within a few blocks of each other near the current train station.  Find out more on a walking tour of Utica’s historic shoe district with the Oneida County History Center Saturday, June 4, and July 9, 2022.

Cooperstown, N.Y. (May 31, 2022) – The Cooperstown Summer Music Festival returns for its 24th season with five concerts in August. Music lovers of all stripes should take note of CSMF’s exciting lineup, which celebrates the Festival’s return after a two year Covid hiatus.

“This season we are offering the Cooperstown community a collection of performances spanning an exceptionally wide range of musical styles and traditions,” says Festival Founder and Artistic Director Linda Chesis.

The much-acclaimed Imani Winds opens the festival with a program of music for wind quintet at the Otesaga Resort Hotel on August 2 at 7pm the. The GRAMMY-nominated ensemble is famous for their innovative programming and dynamic performances, and Cooperstown audiences can expect a concert filled with their signature fresh energy and technical expertise.

Cooperstown, NY – Hyde Hall and Glimmerglass State Park open for the 2022 season on Saturday, May 28th with a new community celebration, the Hyde Hall and Glimmerglass State Park Block Party. The event marks the start of our area’s summer season and offers opportunities for the whole family from 10 AM - 3 PM. Twenty local organizations will participate with activities, animals, crafts, free programs, nature walks, and music around Hyde Hall’s campus and around Glimmerglass State Park.

Scheduled for Wednesday, May 18, 2022, from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Live on WUTR & CNYHOMEPAGE.com

Presented by Bank of Utica

Utica, N.Y. - Join, renew, or donate! The Oneida County History Center 17th Annual Telethon presented by the Bank of Utica is Wednesday, May 18, 2022, from 5:00- 8:00 p.m. and will be broadcast live on WUTR-TV and stream on CNYHomepage.com. The telethon is the History Center’s signature fundraising event of the year and highlights the importance of local history and the community partnerships that make implementing the History Center mission possible.

Here’s the Best Pitch You’ll Get All Season!

Cooperstown, N.Y. -- Just in time for Opening Day of the Major League Baseball season on April 7, a trio of baseball-oriented destinations in New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland have organized the ultimate road trip for travelers who are ready to get out of their dugouts this year for a long-overdue “away game,” whether their roster includes kids, a significant other, or fun friends.

The “Round-Tripper” is a baseball-themed triple play that encourages visitors to follow the path of the Susquehanna River as it winds its way along a 444-mile path, beginning, passing through and ending in three of the most baseball-centric places in America: Cooperstown, New York, the Endless Mountains of Pennsylvania, and Harford County, Maryland.

The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity

Scheduled for Saturday, February 26, 2022 from 1-2:30 PM

Utica, N.Y. (Feb. 16, 2022) – Join the Utica/Oneida County Branch NAACP to celebrate Black History Month 2022 with its annual program hosted by History Center. This virtual event will follow the 2022 national theme, Black Health and Wellness, which acknowledges the legacy of not only Black scholars and medical practitioners, but also other ways of knowing throughout the African Diaspora. The program features presentations by Major Melissa Jones, MD, MPH, and Dr. Cassandra Carter, and performances by Maliik “Leeky XIV” Johnson, Nomadic Voices, St. Matthew’s Temple Praisers, and Black History Moments with students from the Utica College Young Scholars.

One Million Lights Bright in the Hills of Harpursville!

Harpursville, N.Y. – December 2, 2021 – A huge display of holiday cheer is shining bright in Broome County! Animal Adventure Park is proud to present its Jungle Bells event - the Southern Tier region’s largest holiday lights display.  If you enjoyed Jungle Bells last year, you’re in for a treat. We have doubled the shine for this year’s event, with one million gorgeous lights glowing throughout the park – a task that’s had our “elves” busy since just after Labor Day!…

Scheduled for Saturday, December 11, 2021 at 1:00 pm

Utica, N.Y. --  The holiday season is a great time to relive old memories. Show and Tell returns to the Oneida County History Center with host Joe Kelly and special guest Frank Tomaino.  Come share your story and the stage! Bring an old photograph, a personal artifact, or other memorabilia. Community members are invited 'show & tell' or just listen. Free and open to all ages!…