Volunteers Joanne and Paul Coons show off the Byway and alternatives for visiting.

The Canal Fest at Mabee Farm provided excellent exposure for the stories of the Mohawk Towpath Byway. The event attracted all demographics from teens to seniors, families to individuals, and a large variety of ethnic backgrounds. The key message we were trying to emphasize was the self-guided cell phone based tour of features along the Byway corridor. It was enlightening to learn the variety of individual comfort with communication technology, people [like me] who still have flip phones for emergencies only to those who sport large screen devises with all the latest apps.

The Canal Fest attracted a wide demographic as seen in this shot of the Glenville Traveling Museum.

The big draw at the inside exhibits at the festival were the Stewart’s ice cream and the folk toys on display by the Glenville Traveling Museum.

For me there was an opportunity to network with other not-for-profits who have stories that intertwine with the Byway stories:

• The ALCO Historical Society
• ECOS, the Environmental Coalition of Schenectady
• Schenectady Historical Society
• Solar Sal Project
• The Audubon Society and others.

Truly something in it for everyone.  Be sure to mark your calendar for the last weekend in July 2016 for the Mabee Farm Canal Fest.