New event slated for Sundays in July and August

TICONDEROGA | On an otherwise lazy Sunday summer's afternoon when families are home wanting something fun to do but not necessarily wanting to travel in search of said fun, Downtown Ticonderoga will be offering a solution. New this year, North Country Roots will introduce the "Summer Socials" on four weekends throughout the peak summer months, inviting residents and visitors to experience a block party atmosphere with their favorite people. "This was another great idea from the Public Art Committee," revealed North Country Rural Development Coalition President & CEO Nicole Justice Green. "One of the things they brought up was that there was nothing to do on Sundays and most food places were closed, and most people generally want to stay local on Sundays because they are going back to work. We are also thinking of families with kids and visitors who may be checking in on a Saturday and staying for a week and have nowhere to go." Mark your calendars in red Sharpie for July 12 and 26, and Aug. 9 and 23. Between noon and 6 p.m., along the LaChute River in the expansive grassy area behind 119 Montcalm Street, live music, at least four food trucks, bounce houses, and vendors will converge in addition to face painters, pony rides, and giant lawn and outdoor games. North Country Roots is spearheading the new initiative, which of course comes at no cost to taxpayers. "The train of thought is that shops are still open, and we have it for six hours so people can come for lunch or early dinner," Green explained. "The location will be comfortable and is close enough to downtown so we don't have to do a street closure- it was strategic. We could have easily done this in the park or far away from the downtown or at the beach, but the goal is always economic development and supporting our smaller businesses. If we can entice people into the downtown and that central shopping district, that is great- hopefully that means they will also support our businesses open on a Sunday." In other Adirondack communities, food truck events during the summer are proving extremely popular, like Food Truck Fridays on the Pond in Brant Lake, and Thursday Market & Food Truck Corral at the Shirt Factory in Glens Falls. "That is huge, they have been supporters of the work we have been doing and we have been reaching out to them to build relationships," Green said. "We are looking at what works in other communities and trying new things; I think that is important to try new things and innovate and create events not only appealing to visitors but to our year-round residents." North Country Roots is also in the planning stages of its signature fall event, Fireside Folk Festival. This year, the annual autumn celebration is slated for Saturday, Oct. 3. "We moved it up because it got dark early and it was cold later in the evening," Green remarked. "We put it on a Saturday so it wouldn't conflict with sports. It is the same day as the Heritage, Harvest, and Horse Festival at the Fort, so people can do both and enjoy dinner and music at Fireside Folk. We are really looking forward to that and are starting our outreach now to see what kind of art we are going to do for that event." When Summer Socials debuts on July 12, that will happily coincide with the second phase of this year's Walls Between Waters Mural Festival. Muralist Shawn Dunwoody will be back in town working with high school art teacher Britney Shaw's Art Club students to repaint the current mural on Wicker Street near the hospital, and Louise Jones will depict flowers inspired by Fort Ticonderoga's King's Garden on the side of 116 Montcalm Street. Both artists will also deliver their Artist Talks at Ti Arts Downtown Gallery. "The overarching goals for Summer Socials are community cohesion, getting out, enjoying the good weather while we have it, and spending time with your family on a Sunday afternoon," Green shared. "Having a good sense of place and pride of place is what makes communities great and fun. A lot of people leave and go elsewhere on the weekend due to a perceived lack of things to do, which I understand. We are trying- based on the feedback of surveys and what others have said to us- to see if this helps fill a gap."

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New event slated for Sundays in July and August

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