Bicentennial events set in Collar City
Troy Night Out to kickoff activities
TROY >> The Collar City is gearing up for the fall season of its year-long bicentennial celebration.
The city’s bicentennial schedule of events for the coming months was announced at a press conference Thursday morning inside the historic downtown Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. Members of the Troy Cultural Alliance, as well as many local and state elected officials, gathered for the announcement.
“Our city’s history is rich with culture, art, architecture, inventiveness and industry, as well as diverse neighborhoods, communities and engaged citizens - characteristics that carry through the present day,” Troy Mayor Patrick Madden said at the event. “From South Troy to Lansingburgh and points in between, each are represented in the upcoming bicentennial events scheduled during the remainder of 2016.”
Though the city’s actual 200th anniversary of incorporation as an official city was on April 12, autumn will be an especially active phase of the bicentennial year.
This series of events will kick off tomorrow night, with a special bicentennial themed Troy Night Out, organized by the Troy Downtown Business Improvement District. This event will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. throughout downtown Troy, where various buildings throughout feature their history on windows and doors. Attendees are encouraged to tour the district to discover fun facts about these locations.
Beyond this week, the city released a list titled “20 Ways to Celebrate 200 Years of Troy History This Fall,” which can be viewed in full at Troy200.com. Activities on the list include events like the annual Victorian Stroll, along with history walks, climbing the Troy Approach, geocaching, admiring Troy’s Tiffany windows, viewing live performances by local artists at city venues, and toasting Troy’s birthday with the new Bicentennial Brew, a farmhouse style saison ale currently in the works as a collaboration between three city breweries.
Also announced at Thursday’s event was available grant funding for local neighborhood events to celebrate Troy’s 200th anniversary.
“It’s been our goal to ensure that every single Trojan has an opportunity to participate in this year’s bicentennial,” Madden said. “I’ve long been an advocate for our remarkable neighborhoods and their important role in shaping Troy’s past and future.”
This grant funding will be available on a first come, first serve basis for formal neighborhood associations to sponsor events in their own communities to commemorate 200 years of Collar City history. Applications for neighborhood bicentennial event funding will be accepted until Oct. 1 and will be reviewed by a committee with representation from local stakeholders, city staff and city council members. All neighborhood events will be free and open to the public.
Neighborhood groups interested in applying for bicentennial event grants can visit troyny.gov for more information.