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Katie Krawczyk (ESD)
716.846.8200
5/22/2010
OLD FALLS STREET REOPENS TO PUBLIC WITH ALL-DAY FESTIVAL
Festival kicks off Summer and Fall event season, gives taste of what’s to come for residents and visitors to enjoy
Old Falls Street officially re-opens to the public today after three years of redevelopment by USA Niagara Development Corporation (USAN) and the City of Niagara Falls. Today’s Grand Opening kicks off an entire summer and fall season of events and programming on the street, which is managed by Global Spectrum, which also provides management services for the Conference Center Niagara Falls. The adopted slogan for the street is See What’s New on Old Falls Street: Welcome to Your Niagara Falls, to appeal to both residents and visitors alike.
Today’s festivities include:
7:30 a.m. Run With the Rapids 5K Run/Walk Registration and Breakfast
8:00 a.m. – Noon Health Fair
9:00 a.m. Starting Gun: Run with the Rapids 5K Run/Walk
9:30 a.m. – Noon Post Race Party
Live Entertainment: The Other Band
Noon – 1:00 p.m. Live Entertainment: Saxman Slim
Noon – 2:00 p.m. SPCA of Niagara
Noon – 5:00 p.m. Kids Zone on the Plaza
12:15 – 1:00 p.m. Tango Dance Performance
1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Buffalo Jills Meet & Greet
1:15 – 2:00 p.m. Fusion Dance Performance
1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Live Entertainment: The Boys of Summer
3:00 p.m. Cooking Demonstration
3:30 – 4:15 p.m. Entertainment by the Wonder Makers
4:30 p.m. Cooking Demonstration
5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Live Entertainment: Black Widow
The 2010 Calendar of Events for Old Falls Street may be viewed, along with the complete list of festivities for today’s Grand Opening, at www.FallsStreet.com.
On Thursday, State and City officials dedicated the newly renovated Old Falls Street, reopening the street to vehicular and pedestrian traffic for the first time in over 30 years. The redevelopment of this street spanned a total of three years, with a total cost of $12 million.
“Throughout the nearly two years I’ve spent with Empire State Development, redeveloping and reinvigorating Niagara Falls has been a priority, given its significant and historical status as one of our State’s crown jewels,” said USAN Chairman Dennis M. Mullen. “Today, we celebrate growing business and investment and moreover, we celebrate reintroducing Old Falls Street to the residents of Niagara Falls as, once again, the city’s main thoroughfare.”
“Falls Street is fondly remembered and even treasured in the history of the City of Niagara Falls. From the first moment that it was ‘gone’ from our downtown we realized how much it meant to the life of our city and the tourism industry. Through the rebuilding and reopening of Old Falls Street we now have our ‘Falls Street’ back. With the assistance of USA Niagara and the cooperation of the Niagara Falls Conference Center, the City of Niagara Falls continues to move forward to develop and expand our city’s tourism corridor,” said Mayor Paul Dyster.
Global Spectrum General Manager Jill Scicchitano said: “Old Falls Street, now a straight thoroughfare from the Seneca Niagara Casino leading to the entrance of the State Park, makes for a remarkable setting that we have been able to complement with some great events and activities for the 2010 season. We have a variety of programming planned that is diverse and affordable for everyone to enjoy. A 14-week outdoor movie series, Fitness at the Falls classes, weekly cooking demonstrations, Kids Zone and storytelling, along with concerts and special events are just a few of the fantastic activities you can expect to see on Old Falls Street.”
USAN, a subsidiary of Empire State Development Corporation, is solely dedicated to the support and promotion of economic development initiatives in Niagara Falls by leveraging private investment and encouraging growth and renewal of the tourism industry in the City of Niagara Falls. For more information, visit www.usaniagara.com.
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