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Blackstone Canal Fest
Footsteps in History
Blackstone Gateway Visitor Center

Kayaker in the replica Blackstone Canal

Thousands Attend Canal Fest
The first annual Blackstone Canal Fest was held Saturday, September 9, 2006 on Harding Street behind Worcester’s Union Station. Organizers were thrilled with its success. Nearly 3,000 people attended the event that was co-sponsored by the Heritage Corridor, the Blackstone Canal Task Force, the City of Worcester, the Worcester Historical Society, the Blackstone Canal Fest group and many local business and civic leaders.

The centerpiece of the event was a replica of the canal constructed by carpenters from Local 107. "We wanted to show people what Harding Street was like when the canal was operational – and what it could be like again in the near future -- with water!” Ned Liddell, co-chair of the festival explained.

According to Liddell, the Task Force and neighborhood businesses felt it was time to promote public awareness of the proposed canal replication project and to celebrate the re-awakening of one of Worcester’s most storied neighborhoods.

The festival was complete with children's activities, horse drawn wagon rides, and a wide variety of food. The cultural roots of the Irish immigrants who helped dig the canal were also celebrated with Celtic music and Irish Step Dancing. The day concluded with the first annual FreetheBlackstone Short Film Festival. Coordinated by Ranger Chuck Arning, the festival showcased three original short films using the Blackstone Canal as a component of their stories.

To learn more visit:
www.blackstonecanal.org
www.freetheblackstone.org
or: e-mail us

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Joyce Eagle Cries and Kathy Hartley at Hearthside in Lincoln, RI.

Footsteps in History
The second Footsteps in History/ Preserve America Weekend on Columbus Day Weekend, October 6, 7, 8 and 9. Over 100 Blackstone River Valley historic sites,will be opening their doors for visitors.  

The event was created by the Blackstone Valley Tourism Collaborative (a partnership between the Heritage Corridor, Blackstone Valley Tourism Council and the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce) to celebrate the more than 10,000 historic sites located in the Blackstone Valley. 

This year’s Footsteps will feature a variety of special interpretive programs and activities, including nature walks, butter churning, apple picking, historic mills and villages, and paddling events.  

Footsteps in History is funded in part by a $125,000 grant from Preserve America received by the Rhode Island Historic Preservation & Heritage Commission in collaboration with the Massachusetts Historical Commission and is also supported by funding and technical assistance from the Tourism Collaborative partners. For more details on the event visit www.footstepsinhistory.com or contact Lorraine Provencher at 401.724.2200.

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Vision of new Northern Gateway Visitors Center

Blackstone Gateway Visitor Center Project Advances
Funding is now in place to begin the design work for the Blackstone Gateway Visitor Center in Worcester’s Quinsigamond Village. This “northern gateway” to the Blackstone River Valley will complement the Corridor’s three existing visitor centers in Uxbridge, Woonsocket, and Pawtucket that collectively tell the story of the Blackstone River Valley and direct visitors to historic sites, cultural institutions, and natural areas throughout the Valley. 

Located in the former Washburn-Moen wire mill, the Valley’s newest visitor center will house the relocated Worcester Historical Museum and the Central Massachusetts Convention and Visitors Bureau. It will serve as the hub of cultural, educational, and heritage tourism activities for both Worcester and the northern reaches of the Corridor.

The project has an estimated $10 million price tag, not counting interior buildout and exhibits. Last year, the visitor center received $6.4 million in federal transportation funding secured by Congressman Jim McGovern. Earlier this year, the City of Worcester pledged $2 million through the efforts of Commissioner and City Councilor Paul Clancy. The final funding piece was the state match of $1.6 million, obtained late last month thanks to State Rep. John Fresolo. The City of Worcester and the Worcester Historical Museum has also signed an agreement establishing the framework for the Museum’s tenancy of the new facility.

The Corridor Commission played a critical role in making this project a reality by co-funding, with the Museum and CVB, a feasibility study and engineering cost estimate for the project, conducted earlier this year. All participants in this project acknowledged that this study provided the credibility needed to convince the key partners to support the project. The Corridor Commission has also set aside funding from past years that will assist with the planning and development of exhibits and visitor facilities staffed by the Museum and CVB.

Federal, state, and local officials and agencies are now focusing on legal steps needed to authorize the City of Worcester to take ownership of the property from the state and to manage the visitor center’s design and construction, as well as obtaining the required environmental permits.

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