A huge congrats goes out to Square Dance caller Ed Lowman and friends, as well as the Schroon Lake Chamber of Commerce, who have a won a prestigious arts award for our weekly Summer time dances.

As anyone who has participated or just observed, this award is well deserved. It’s hard to believe, but the weekly summer square dances have been held every week in Schroon Lake in the summer since the 1930s, when the US was still struggling with the Great Depression, the Empire State Building opened and the Star Spangled Banner became our national anthem.

The Award is from “TAUNY”, the Traditional Arts In Upstate New York.

From TAUNY:

The Salute to North Country Legends recognizes the recipients of the annual North Country Heritage Awards with an audiovisual profile of each recipient, musical entertainment, and the awards presentation. In 2012 we are celebrating the 20th annual Salute and honoring these masters of local traditions: model boat builder Frank White of Canton, the Schroon Lake Square Dances, and Watertown's Red & Black semi-pro football team.

The North Country Heritage Award recognizes individuals, families, or community groups who have mastered traditional arts or customs identified with the North Country.

From the Official press release:

Since the 1930s, year-round residents and “summer people” have gathered every Wednesday evening in July and August in a lakeside park in Schroon Lake to “do-si-do” and “Allemande left” until dark. The local tradition continues today, even when such dancing has decreased in popularity elsewhere. As many as 200 people attend each week, with three, even four, generations taking part. While fiddlers and other musicians were from the local area in earlier years, now the musicians and callers come from several places and vary from week to week, so the dances and tunes may vary as well. Each week, however, there are plenty of opportunities for children to learn the basics and for teenagers and young families to participate. There is even one dance they call the Zodiac that’s such a local favorite that it’s a requirement each week and nearly everyone gets into the act.

The Award will be presenetd on Sunday, October 21, at 2pm at the Kingston Theatre in Canton.