Personally, I can’t wait for the day when Buffalo’s Solar Carousel is placed in its rightful home at Canalside. So much of the planning is now in place, as well as funding to acquire the historic carousel that was made right here in WNY. After securing a grant from the Wendt Foundation in the amount of $250,000, the push is on to raise additional funds for the enclosure, operations, solar features, etc. A site at Canalside has yet to be determined, though supporters feel that the carousel would work well in tandem with the new children’s museum that is moving forward in 2016.
The historic menagerie carousel that has been identified for Canalside is a DeAngelis Carousel that was custom designed and manufactured in 1924 by Spilllman Engineering in North Tonawanda. The return of this carousel to the place where it was manufactured would be a feather in the cap for Canalside, and would attract thousands upon thousands of additional visitors to this waterfront destination. By incorporating high tech solar features into the design, Buffalo would once again be showing its roots… as the city that captured the imagination of the world when it was first electrified using the hydro power of Niagara Falls.
On Sunday, December, 20 at 4:30pm, The Buffalo Heritage Carousel, Inc. will be hosting a Flash Mob Holiday Sing-Along at Canalside’s Whipple Truss Bridge adjacent to the Erie Canal Ruins. Tickets for a free ride on the solar powered carousel will be given away at the event (a one of a kind memento). The event is free and open for the public to attend. This is the first of hopefully many events designed to raise awareness for the carousel. Those who would like to contribute funds towards the project can do so by following the directions below:
Donate by mailing a check for your desired contribution amount payable to:
Buffalo Heritage Carousel Inc.
PO Box 45, Buffalo, NY 14213
Please make note if you prefer to donate anonymously or not