Just as those of us who live up north like to protest that “there’s more to New York than New York City,” I like to say there’s
more to Upstate than wild rivers and rugged mountain peaks. There’s plenty going on culturally as well…. pancake breakfasts during maple syrup season, fish fries during Lent, chicken barbecues all summer long, harvest
dinners in the fall, and chicken and biscuit suppers and spaghetti dinners in the winter months. There are outdoor events all year long—maple festivals in the spring; firemen’sfield days, fireworks, parades, and county fairs in the summer; college homecomings and hunting club gatherings in the fall.
North Country
Upstate
Cat Bennett and Milkweed Tussock Tubers: A Vision in Purple Potatoes (Among Other Kind)
Milkweed Tussock Tubers is a regenerative agricultural project that is helping to maintain a range of traditions, from seed to field to fork. Farming which has the goal of sustainability helps to return a community to a critical level of local knowledge and skill that connects humans to the environmentl.
Echoes of a New England Past: The Hopkinton Town Green
The village green is a public common that is found in many northern New York towns and is reflective of the influence of settlement by former New Englanders. The influence of New England migration is also evidenced in place names, foodways, dialect choices, and vernacular architecture. Hopkinton, New York is an example of such cultural migration.
Upstate
The author’s search for a humorous song, collected by Frank and Anne Warner from Lena Bourne Fish who was born in the Adirondack region.
Wild Edibles
A photo essay on wild edibles.
Good Read
A review of “One Rough Life. Ted Aslaw: Adirondack Lumber Camp and Barroom Singer,” by Robert D. Bethke.
Upstate
An essay about the present and future of Adirondack folk music and the places to hear it.
Dance Night at the Barn: Documenting the Line Dancing Tradition of Upstate New York
A fieldwork inspired portrait of line dancing in a rural, Saratoga County Town in New York State.
Roslin Castle and the Battle of Plattsburgh
Ransom explores the association of Scotland’s Roslin Castle and the Battle of Plattsburgh.
Two Minutes: The Making of the Battenkill Inspired Video Series
The author chronicles her experiences shooting and producing a series of mini-documentaries about life and work along the Battenkill Creek in Washington County, NY.
Upstate
Donnelly Beach in Minerva, NY, with a look at its origins.
Upstate
Folk songs relating to wildlife encounters.
In Memoriam: Jack H. Leadley, Sr. (1927 – 2018)
Photo essay dedicated to Adirondack craftsperson Jack Leadley
You’ll See Our Tracks: The Racquette River Dams Oral History Project
The Raquette River Dams Oral History Project documented the stories of people involved in or signifianctly affected by the construction of the hydroelectric dams and powerhouses along New York’s Raquette River. The majority of the interviews were conducted with people who worked on the dams or powerhouses.