Whitinsville, MA (July 15, 2019) – Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor (BHC) is partnering with All Out Adventures to bring a series of four free, adaptive kayaking events to Wallum Lake at Douglas State Forest, Douglas, MA, on Tuesday, August 27, Tuesday, September 10, Saturday, September 14 and Tuesday, September 17.
With funding provided by a grant BHC received from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, New England Region, this program expands BHC’s recreational programming to those with disabilities. Earlier this year, BHC and All Out Adventures presented a series of five adaptive cycling events in May along the Blackstone River Bikeway in Worcester, MA, and Blackstone, MA.
“We’re grateful to the National Network of Libraries of Medicine for providing funding to offer this amazing program,” noted Suzanne Buchanan, Volunteer Coordinator at BHC. “Imagine offering folks a chance to experie
nce kayaking and the freedom of paddling on Wallum Lake, and seeing this beautiful resource from the seat of a kayak! Volunteers of the Blackstone Valley Paddle Club will provide support throughout the program. Join in the fun to make memories, friends, and enjoy this unique recreational opportunity.”
The adaptive kayaking program is open to people with disabilities with a guest. Through the use of tandem kayaks, paddle adaptations, and outriggers, All Out Adventures makes kayaking accessible to people of all levels of ability. Adventures are available at 11:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., by advance registration only. Space is limited. Directions and details will be sent upon registration. To register, visit AllOutAdventures.org or call 413-584-2052.
To learn about volunteering with the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, contact Suzanne Buchanan at 508-234-4242 or volunteer@BlackstoneHeritageCorridor.org.
Whitinsville, MA (July 12, 2019) – Volunteer photographers with the Blackstone Heritage Corridor Photography Ambassadors will present their first ever gallery show at the Museum of Work & Culture (42 S. Main Street, Woonsocket, RI) throughout the month of September. A free, opening reception will be held on Thursday, August 29 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. where the public can come and meet the photographers and discuss their work.
The Photography Ambassadors are a volunteer group with the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Volunteers-In-Parks program. For this show, the group traveled to 19 different locations throughout the National Heritage Corridor, capturing images of the many historical sites and mill villages between Worcester, MA, and Providence, RI. The gallery show is being led by BHC volunteer and photographer Carol Dandrade who reveals that there will be four photos from each of the 19 sites and a special “Photographer’s Choice” wall will feature about a dozen more.
“Our group of photography enthusiasts has thoroughly enjoyed exploring history through our lenses,” Dandrade shared. “Winding our way through barns, attics and basements looking for treasure to photograph is as fulfilling as capturing the historic main floors of the sites. We like knowing that these non-profit locations receive all of our images for their use at no charge.”
Free Gallery Opening Reception August 29 at Museum of Work & Culture
The 19 locations the BHC Photography Ambassadors selected to visit include Blackstone River State Park, Lincoln, RI; Blackstone Valley Historical Society, Lincoln, RI; Daniels Farmstead, Blackstone, MA; Dorr Rebellion Museum, Chepachet, RI; E.N. Jenckes Store, Douglas, MA; Hearthside House Museum, Lincoln, RI; Hopedale, MA; Hunts Mills, E. Providence, RI; Moffett Mill and Hannaway Blacksmith Shop, Lincoln, RI; Museum of Work & Culture, Woonsocket, RI; Riverdale Mill, Northbridge, MA; Salisbury Mansion, Worcester, MA Slater Mill, Pawtucket, RI; Slatersville (N. Smithfield), RI; Smith-Appleby House Museum, Smithfield, RI; Uxbridge Antique Fire Museum and John Farnum House, Uxbridge, MA; Valentine Whitman House, Lincoln, RI; Whitin Lasell Manor, Whitinsville, MA; Whitinsville, MA.
Dandrade has had several of her photos featured in BHC’s calendar over the years and started volunteering with BHC in January of 2017 to share her photography skills. She is a longtime member of the Stony Brook Camera Club of Franklin, MA, where many members decided to join her as Photography Ambassadors with BHC. Throughout the year, volunteers take photos at BHC’s events, including the annual GO! event in September, which is where many of the ambassadors were introduced to locations in the show for the first time.
Suzanne Buchanan, volunteer coordinator at BHC, helped facilitate some of the photo shoots by reaching out to the various venues to get permission and arrange a time when there were no visitors. After the photos are taken and edited, the volunteers share them with the location to use on their website and marketing materials. “It’s incredible to open the digital photo albums after their visit and see these venues in a whole new light,” Buchanan remarked. “We are so excited to showcase their work and celebrate what makes the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor so special.”
All photos in the gallery show will be available for sale. The photos will be displayed in 11” x 14” mats, ready for framing. A portion of the proceeds will benefit BHC. Additional sizes are available by contacting the individual photographers.
Photography Ambassadors featured in the show include Debra Boucher, Woonsocket, RI; Carol Dandrade, Uxbridge, MA; Silvana Della Camera, Norfolk, MA; Rob DeRobertis, Franklin, MA; Denise Duhamel, Fall River, MA; Bob Evans, Northbridge, MA; Ellen Kawadler, Sharon, MA; Sarah Keates, Sharon, MA; Dennis Smith, Uxbridge, MA; Cynthia Vogan, Wrentham, MA.
For more information about the Blackstone Heritage Corridor Photography Ambassadors and the gallery show, contact Suzanne Buchanan at 508-234-4242 or sbuchanan@BlackstoneHeritageCorridor.org.
Blackstone Heritage Corridor volunteer Betty Mencucci (center) is shown here giving a walking tour of Harrisville, RI. On Wednesday, September 4 at 6:00 p.m., Betty and Carlo Mencucci will offer a Harrisville History Tour, departing from the First Universalist Church at 134 Main Street.
Whitinsville, MA (July 11, 2019) – Go explore historic mill villages, go paddle under the full moon, go to an apple festival, and go explore the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor! With more than 100 events to choose from, Blackstone Heritage Corridor proudly presents its 5th annual GO! program this September, highlighting the Blackstone River Valley as a destination for family fun and exploration. This year’s GO! offers guided walks and paddles, bike and museum tours, festivals and many more family-friendly events. GO! 2019 is generously sponsored by UniBank and Navigant Credit Union.
“I love the Blackstone Heritage Corridor’s GO! program,” noted Diane Prete of N. Smithfield, RI. “The summer was always my favorite time of year and I felt a little sad when it was over. But since I discovered BHC’s month-long GO! in September, I really look forward to the fall and discovering a whole world of wonderful attractions and activities right in my own backyard. I’m exploring places that I didn’t even know existed, learning about the history of Blackstone Valley and meeting some wonderful people along the way.”
A special GO! kickoff event takes place Thursday, August 29 at the Museum of Work & Culture (42 S. Main St., Woonsocket, RI) unveiling a gallery show featuring the stunning work of 10 volunteers from the Blackstone Heritage Corridor Photography Ambassadors. A free reception is being held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. where the museum’s gallery will debut 80 extraordinary photos highlighting the historic, natural, cultural and recreational resources within the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. The show will remain on display through September 30th, with free admission to the gallery during museum hours. Photos will be available for sale with proceeds benefiting the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor.
New this year to the GO! program is a series of adaptive kayaking events being offered at Wallum Lake at Douglas State Forest, Douglas, MA. In partnership with All Out Adventures, Blackstone Heritage Corridor is offering four adaptive kayaking events, made possible with funding provided by National Network of Libraries of Medicine, New England Region. Dates include: Tuesday, August 27; Tuesday, September 10; Saturday, September 14; and Tuesday, September 17. This 1.5 hour program is free and open to people with disabilities accompanied by a guest. Space is limited and pre-registration is required at AllOutAdventures.org or 413-584-2052.
Experience the Blackstone River Valley with Special Tours, Walks, Paddles & Festivals Special kickoff event August 29 at Museum of Work & Culture, Woonsocket, RI
Celebration is in the air this fall with a handful of festivals planned throughout the valley including the 20th annual Dragon Boat Races & Taiwan Day Festival, Pawtucket, RI (September 7), the French Heritage Festival in Woonsocket, RI (September 7), the 21st annual Pet Rock Fest, Grafton, MA (September 8), an Apple Festival at Douglas Orchard & Farm, Douglas, MA (September 14), a Green Living Expo, Whitinsville, MA (September 14), PawSox Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival, Pawtucket, RI (September 14), stART on the Street Arts Festival, Worcester, MA (September 15), 13th annual North Smithfield Great Pumpkin Festival, North Smithfield, RI (September 21), and Daniels Farmstead’s Apple Fest, Blackstone, MA (September 22). Still feeling festive? A special “High Tea and Hats” event will celebrate Margo Bik’s famous hat collection on Sunday, September 8 at the GB & Lexi Singh Performance Center, Whitinsville, MA. Guests are encouraged to wear fancy hats and bring a favorite tea cup, though not required. RSVP at HighTeaAndHats.Eventbrite.com.
Interested in geology? A number of special events will explore this topic including Glacial Geology Hikes at Purgatory Chasm, Sutton, MA (September 4, 11 and 18); a hike at Blackstone Gorge, Blackstone, MA (September 5), a Native American Ceremonial Landscape Tour, Upton, MA (September 7), a Geologic History of the Blackstone tour, Lincoln, RI (September 17), Purgatory Chasm Hikes, Sutton, MA (September 7, 14 and 21), and Stone Walls of New England – a talk by author Robert Thorson, Worcester, MA (September 28).
For those intrigued by local history, there are numerous chances to explore, including a new Canal Walk Series presented by Blackstone River & Canal Heritage State Park (September 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29). The weekly tour will depart from various locations to highlight different parts of the canal’s history and the impact it had in different communities. Other new events that the highlight history of the Blackstone Valley include a Waters Farm interpretive tour, Sutton, MA (September 8), Quinsigamond Village Walking Tour, Worcester, MA (September 15), Precious Blood Cemetery Walk, Woonsocket, RI (September 15) and Explore the Mammoth Mill Ruins, Blackstone, MA/N. Smithfield, RI (September 21). Also new this year, a discussion on King Philip’s War will be held in Worcester, MA (September 20) and a Whitin Village Walking Tour in Whitinsville, MA (September 21). Returning this year is the signature Great Road Day, Lincoln, RI (September 21).
For nature lovers, enjoy new guided hikes at Metacomet Land Trust’s Hop Brook Conservation Area, Blackstone, MA (September 7); Cormier Woods, Uxbridge, MA (September 12), and Cumberland Land Trust’s Mercy Woods, Cumberland, RI (September 15). Also new this year is an Adaptive Hiking event at River Bend Farm, Uxbridge, MA (September 26). For bird lovers, volunteer-led bird walks will be held at Chase Farm, Lincoln, RI (September 21) and Hopedale Parklands, Hopedale, MA (September 28). Night owls might enjoy star gazing Uxbridge, MA (September 13) or a Full Moon Paddle with the Blackstone River Watershed Association in Blackstone, MA (September 14).
Explore the Blackstone Heritage Corridor on your bicycle with the Blackstone Heritage Corridor Bikeway Ambassadors for guided rides on the Ten Mile River Greenway, E. Providence, RI, (September 19) and the Blackstone River Bikeway, Worcester, MA (September 26). Celebrate National Bike Your Park Day on September 28 with ranger-led rides in Lincoln, RI, and Uxbridge, MA.
GO!2019 offers a number of family-friendly activities including Geocaching 101, Worcester, MA (September 1), Massachusetts BOGO Weekend at Southwick’s Zoo, Mendon, MA, (September 7 and 8), Whittier Farms Free Tour Friday & Apple Crisp Night in Sutton, MA, (September 13– advance ticket purchase required); Rhode Island and Connecticut BOGO Days at Southwick’s Zoo, Mendon, MA, (September 14 and 15), and Nature Walks with a National Park Service Ranger (September 8, 15 and 22), to name just a few.
Download a full digital copy of Blackstone Heritage Corridor’s GO! 2019 program by clicking here. Printed 48-page guide books will be available at any of the BHC’s visitor centers (for a list click here), at one of the many visitor information kiosks throughout the National Heritage Corridor or at BHC’s office at 670 Linwood Avenue, Whitinsville, MA. Follow Blackstone Heritage Corridor, Inc. on Facebook for news and updates on GO! and more.
About Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor:
An energetic nonprofit, the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor partners with organizations, local communities, businesses and residents to ensure the long term vitality of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. Learn more at BlackstoneHeritageCorridor.org.
