The Beat

Elmira, N.Y. (July 1, 2019) – The Chemung County Chamber of Commerce’s Trolley into Mark Twain Country begins its 2019 summer tours this Tuesday, July 2nd. The tours will continue until August 31st, including the 4th of July. The trolley is operated as a joint initiative between Chemung County, the Chemung Valley History Museum, Terp’s Enterprises, and the Chemung County Chamber of Commerce, providing tours each summer to promote tourism in our area.

In Magazine’s July 1 Cover Story

Jamestown, NY – June 24, 2019 – The National Comedy Center was just named one of PEOPLE Magazine’s “100 Reasons to Love America” in the publication’s July 1, 2019 cover story, just out on newsstands and online.

One of only three museums to be named on its annual list of the nation’s most beloved treasures, PEOPLE cited the National Comedy Center as “the country’s first museum devoted to comedy” and “worth the trip to Jamestown, NY, Lucille Ball’s hometown.”…

Leave from the Buffalo Waterfront July 4-7

A fleet of 12 historic and majestic tall ships will grace Canalside, Riverwalk and Erie Basin Marina for Buffalo’s inauguration as an official Host Port of the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Great Lakes 2019 race July 4-7. The biggest celebration in the history of the Buffalo waterfront, Basil Port of Call: Buffalo is a four-day, family-friendly celebration of the city’s maritime heritage and will offer a unique opportunity for adults and children to view, board and explore the vessels; feature family activities, live entertainment, historic exhibits, food and beverages –- and kick-off with a spectacular Parade of Sail presented by OneNiagara® at 3 p.m. on July 4th.

To Officially Welcome 12 Magnificent Tall Sailing Ships

Buffalo, N.Y. – The largest celebration in the history of the Buffalo waterfront, Basil Port of Call: Buffalo, will kick-off with a dramatic Parade of Sail at 3 p.m. on July 4th as 12 tall ships muster in Lake Erie, move under full sail past the landmark 1833 Buffalo Lighthouse and arrive by 5 p.m. at their docking stations in Canalside, Riverwalk and Erie Basin Marina. Cannons will punctuate the air along with bagpipers from the Erie County Sheriff’s Irish Pipes and Drums reserve unit, and join The Buffalo Niagara Concert Band, a group of 80 musicians, in salute to a majestic fleet of historic tall ships from harbors throughout the United States, Canada, Spain and the South Pacific.

75^th Anniversary Planning Committee will commemorate Aug. 5, 1944 arrival of 982 Holocaust Refugees at the Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter

 “In the Spring of 1944 a crisis developed as refugees making their way through German lines began interfering with Allied military operations in Italy, and allied refugee camps were pushed to overflowing.  When America’s European allies balked at opening new refugee camps in their own countries and territories, President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced his intention to open the Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter in Oswego, NY.  Roosevelt’s goal in opening a camp in the Continental United States was to convince our allies that America was serious about rescuing the Jews of Europe, and to accept refugees themselves.  Fort Ontario subsequently became the only camp or shelter for Holocaust refugees in the United States during World War II.  It is where every-day Americans and reporters first encountered the victims and their personal stories of persecution at the hands of the Nazis, and it resulted in Holocaust stories moving from the back to the front pages of American newspapers.  Fort Ontario is where the Holocaust came to America.”Paul Lear, Historic Site Manager, Fort Ontario State Historic Site…

Community Celebration and Ribbon Cutting

Ithaca, N.Y. – The twelve partner organizations of the Tompkins Center for History and Culture invite the people of Tompkins County, the Finger Lakes, and New York to explore this new heritage tourism center on May 10^th at a Community Celebration and Ribbon Cutting.

Located on The Downtown Ithaca Commons at 110 N. Tioga Street, Ithaca, NY, the Tompkins Center for History & Culture will officially open to the public after years of planning and collaborative work by many. This grand opening will resurrect life into the former Tompkins Trust Company bank previously occupying the space. This new collaboration will creatively and collectively share the rich history, culture and artistic fabric of the community.

Jamestown, N.Y. (March 12, 2019) – The National Comedy Center was formally designated today as the nation’s official cultural institution dedicated to the art form of comedy. In a tremendous bi-partisan show of support, both the Senate and House of Representatives passed this bill in February, and the president signed it into law today, recognizing the Center as the “Official National Comedy Center of the United States.”

The bill, as written, recognizes that the National Comedy Center, located in Jamestown, New York, “exists for the exclusive purpose of celebrating comedy in all its forms” and officially designates the Center as the “National Comedy Center.”…

The Museum re-opens for A Season of Song and Celebration March 30^th featuring the 2019 Special Exhibit We Are Golden

BETHEL, NY (March 8, 2019)  – On March 30^th, The Museum at Bethel Woods, located at the site of the 1969 Woodstock festival, will open for the 2019 season and mark the 50^th Anniversary with the Special Exhibit We Are Golden: Reflections on the 50^th Anniversary of The Woodstock Festival & Aspirations for a Peaceful Future, part of A Season of Song and Celebration. This exhibit examines the desires of the youth of 1969, places the legendary festival within the context of the positive societal changes it inspired and asks today's youth what THEY are asking of the world now. 
We Are Golden will feature a large collection of authentic Woodstock artifacts such as instruments, clothing, equipment, art and photography. Highlights include Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane's bass guitar and tunic, handwritten lyrics for "Goin' Up the Country" by Alan Wilson of Canned Heat, a speaker cabinet and mixing equipment used by Bill Hanley at Woodstock which helped to set the standard for outdoor sound engineering and world-class photographs from the 15 best photographers of the festival.

Poughkeepsie, NY—Three days of peace and music were actually almost a decade in the making. This summer, Marist College will hold a conference, “1969: When Woodstock Changed the World,” examining the events that led to the iconic music festival. Marist’s conference, which will be held June 13-14, 2019, is the definitive—and perhaps only—academic conference on this key anniversary. All events are open to the public (registration required; see below for details).

“With the site of Woodstock essentially in our backyard, it is fitting for Marist to take the helm on an event like this,” said President David Yellen. “This conference curates key historical milestones to fully examine the circumstances that culminated in the unprecedented three-day concert that was the Woodstock Music Festival.”…

New Exhibit Pays Tribute to New York Women of Change—Those Who Were First, and Those Who Have Been Forgotten to be Honored in the Capitol

Hear Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa Discuss the Exhibit Here

See Photos of Exhibit Here and Here

New York (March 6, 2019) – Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the opening of the Women's History Month exhibit honoring New York State female trailblazers and public servants. The exhibit is located in the Governor's Reception Room on the second floor of the New York State Capitol and will run through the end of March.