Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Kinzua Bridge State Park -Winter Day Walk. Sat. Jan 15, 2022 at 10 am. Join in the fun with a short walk around the main parking area to take in the beautiful scenery. Dress for the weather and meet in front of the Kinzua Bridge Visitors Center. Then enjoy visiting the Kinzua Bridge State Park Visitors Center to learn the history of the Kinzua Viaduct-Kinzua Sky Walk, 296 Viaduct Road, Mt. Jewett, PA. #visitanf #anfvisitorsbureau #pastateparks #kinzua  

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Ground was broken this morning for the new visitor center at Kinzua Bridge State Park, and Senator Joe Scarnati says the center is an important cog in the machine that’s putting this part of the state back together. He said to say the northwest region of the state has suffered economically recently would be an understatement. “It’s been a tough time,” Scarnati said, “but it’s all of these great attractions that is only going to enhance” the area by bringing in more visitors, more business for local shopkeepers, and the opportunity for more jobs. “This state park is a crown jewel in our state park system,” he said. Scarnati also said having a year round visitor center was the right way to go. During the ceremony before the groundbreaking, several people talked about their memories of the bridge before a tornado toppled part of it in 2003. State Rep. Kathy Rapp said her grandfather used to take her to the bridge when she was a little g...

Ed Bernik, photographer for the newly published coffee table picture book “The Great Kinzua Bridge” will speak at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Oct. 15. Bernik will be joined by Linda Devlin, executive director of the Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau. The two will talk about the bridge from its construction in 1882 to its reinvention in 2011 as the Kinzua Sky Walk. The event, sponsored by the Friends of Hanley Library, will take place at 7 p.m. in the Mukaiyama University Room on campus. The event is free, but copies of the book, written by Jim Gates, will be available for purchase. The book uses 19th century photographs gleaned from regional and national archives and contemporary images captured by Bernik, an award-winning Pennsylvania photographer whose previous books include “Pennsylvania Wilds: Images of the Allegheny national Forest” and “Pennsylvania Crude: Boomtowns and Oil Barons.” Gates also tells the stor...

Another Sasquatch Sighting in McKean County? Bradford resident John Stoneman chats with Anne Holliday about pictures he took near Kinzua Bridge State Park which may, or may not, be a Bigfoot -- or two. Now the question is: Did the Bigfoot Calling Contest during the Kinzua Bridge Fall Festival the day before the pictures were taken really work? Stoneman is still not sure if he believes in the creature, but Bigfoot believers have called him about the photos, and he's heard from The Animal Planet, which produces the TV show “Finding Bigfoot,” and has already been in the area to talk to McKean, Warren and Elk county residents about Sasquatch sightings. You can hear what Stoneman has to say about the pictures here . To find a link to the pictures go to facebook.com/1490wesb . Image from Google Earth © The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

New This Year: Big Foot Calling Contest The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The Case Collectors Reunion continues today on Owens Way, and several other events are also planned. The FOP craft & vendor fair starts at 10 a.m. at the Bradford Township Lions Club. It also includes demonstrations by area police and fire departments, a fly-in by a Stat MedEvac helicopter and the world famous Bradford Township Lions Club chicken barbecue. For more information and a schedule of events go to www.Facebook.com/1490wesb . The 15th annual Kids and Cancer Benefit Motorcycle Run starts at noon. Registration starts at 9:45 in the Zippo parking lot on Congress Street. One of the stops will be the Kinzua Sky Walk. This is the anniversary of the day a tornado knocked down the Kinzua Viaduct. After the run, a block party will be held on Mechanic Street, where the winner of the Harley of Hope will be announced. You don’t have to participate in the motorcycle run to attend the block party. Also today, Habitat for Humanity is hosting a spaghetti dinner from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Fi...

Explore Kinzua Bridge State Park and learn about history! There will be representatives to talk to visitors about different aspects of local area history beginning at 11 am. This year’s feature presentation (beginning at 1 pm) will be songwriter, historian and Pennsylvania logger Van Wagner. Van Wagner has developed a program celebrating the past and present of the Pennsylvania timber industry. Wagner is a native of the Danville. He worked for Daniel Logging in Idaho as well as on many independent logging projects in Pennsylvania. His songs have been performed all over the world and have been featured in several film productions. This program reviews the past, present and future of Pennsylvania's Timber heritage. This program covers how timber was harvested over the past several centuries and most importantly WHO harvested it. Wagner demonstrates dozens of tools spanning 200 years of logging history. The program also focuses on the rafting days when millions of board feet ...

The Huffington Post has an article about "oddities on Route 6" that includes The Depot in Kane and the Kinzua Sky Walk. Check it out here . Thanks to the reader/listener who passed this along! The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

By Sandra Rhodes Visitor & Member Services Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau It’s been 40 years since Father’s Day was named a federal holiday so it’s the perfect time to explore the Allegheny National Forest Region, located in northwestern Pennsylvania with dad. Surprise dad by building an adventure that will allow the both of you to share the forest by air, on land, or by water. Vintage Biplane Rides, operated by experienced pilot Bruce Klein, allows you to soar over the amazing Kinzua Sky Walk and the Allegheny National Forest in a beautifully restored 1943 Boeing Stearman. Featuring an open cockpit, a biplane offers a safe, enjoyable and memorable opportunity to fly with some wind in your hair, a little sun warming your face and a lot of joy in your heart. Flights take off from the Bradford Regional Airport, 212 Airport Road, Lewis Run, Pa., located along Route 59 just southeast of the City of Bradford. Rides are $80 per person; group ra...

By SANDRA RHODES Great Places, Great Design, Inspiring Youth and Government Leadership Awards were presented to McKean County entities Wednesday evening at the Pennsylvania Wilds Annual Update hosted by the PA Wilds Planning Team on Wednesday, April 26. Rick Allan, Secretary of the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; and Carolyn Newhouse, Dep. Sec. for Innovation & Investment at the Department of Community & Economic Development, Tourism & Film both presented on current efforts of their agencies in support of the great work being done in our region in developing heritage and nature tourism. Keynote speaker was Ted Eubanks of Fermata Inc. who has assisted Pennsylvania in planning for long term sustainable tourism development, first with the development of the Elk Scenic Drive and then the creation of the Pennsylvania Wilds marketing brand which is based on the footprint of the Lumber Heritage Region’s 12 counties. “I was very pleased to be a part of t...

Sky Walk to Receive 'Great Places Award' Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Richard Allan today stopped at the Millstone Township Canoe Access Area during a tour of the Clarion River corridor, where he highlighted the partnerships that have improved recreational opportunities on the river in Clarion, Elk, Forest and Jefferson counties. "The Clarion River was once one of the most-polluted waterways in Pennsylvania, but today through hard work, partnerships and investments it offers residents and visitors alike tremendous opportunities for river-based recreation," Allan said. "We are here to celebrate the success that can be achieved when some start-up dollars, local commitment and a wide range of partners work together." In addition to canoeing and kayaking, the corridor offers opportunities for picnicking, sightseeing, camping, watching wildlife, birding, fishing and hiking. The corridor is the southwestern gateway to 12 1/2-county Pe...

Harrisburg – Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Richard Allan today released a new analysis showing visitors to Pennsylvania’s State Parks generate more than $1 billion in economic activity in nearby communities and support almost 13,000 related jobs. “Pennsylvanians get a great return on the investment they make in state parks. The report shows for every dollar invested, more than $12 is returned to Pennsylvania’s economy,” Allan said. “Connecting communities to our natural resources through their state parks generates significant local economic activity and helps build sustainable local economies.” The study, conducted by Penn State University’s Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management, was based on data from 2010, when state parks hosted about 38 million visitors. “Especially in challenging economic times, Pennsylvanians turn to their parks for affordable, healthful recreation and relaxation,” Allan said. “Just as importantly, this analysis shows...

By Sandra Rhodes Visitor & Member Services Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau The Kinzua Sky Walk was only open for three months in 2011, and that was enough for the Kinzua Bridge State Park to be voted Park of the Year. The Kinzua Bridge State Park, home of the Kinzua Sky Walk, was selected as Park of the Year by the Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation. Park officials will receive the award during a banquet May 1 at the Harrisburg Country Club. When submitting the nomination, Linda Devlin, executive director of the Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau, expounded on the importance of McKean County’s only state park, which was the home of the historic Kinzua Viaduct from 1882 until the viaduct was destroyed by a tornado in 2003. “The state park officials realized that this viaduct was an important asset to not only Pennsylvania’s history, but also to the birth of aviation engineering and seized the opportunity to bring the park back to life,” Devlin said. “The po...

In case you missed State Representative Marty Causer on today's LiveLine on 1490 WESB, you can still listen here . The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau releases n ew Kinzua Bridge Sky Walk Zippo That famous movie line “If you build it, they will come” came to fruition this fall as visitation at the Kinzua Bridge State Park saw an increase of a staggering 465 percent from four years ago. Visitation at McKean County’s only state park in October was a record 66,353, according to Park Manager Jason Heasley. “Tourism for this fall season has been a record high with the addition of the Kinzua Sky Walk,” said Linda Devlin, executive director of the Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau, the destination marketing organization for McKean County. “Our local businesses are seeing a boost in business since the Sky Walk opened in September.” Visitation the weekend the Kinzua Sky Walk opened in mid-September was an estimated 16,000. “Our lodging reported sold-out nights; our restaurants and shops were full of tourists who traveled to see the new Kinzua Sky Walk. We had people checking in at our ANF Visi...

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Richard J. Allan yesterday joined partners and visitors in officially opening the new Wildlife Center at Sinnemahoning State Park in Cameron County. The new center is one of DCNR’s key investments in the Pennsylvania Wilds, located only a short jump off the Elk Scenic Drive in the heart of the northcentral region. “It was easy to pick a name for our new facility at Sinnemahoning State Park. With so many opportunities in the park to watch wildlife -- from bear and eagles, to otters and a small elk population -- it couldn’t be anything other than ‘The Wildlife Center,’” Allan said. “Our new center will help educate visitors about regional wildlife watching opportunities and photography, conservation history and stewardship practices, and provide creative ideas for exploration of this unique and rugged section of Pennsylvania.” Depending upon the season, visitors to Sinnemahoning State Park could encounter nesting bald eagles; see...