The Salmon River Festival, a 14-year-old tradition of Pulaski, NY, has grown to include a Sports Expo, Scarecrow Contest, 5K run, craft fair and Fishing Derby with the support of grants from the Pulaski Community Endowment Fund. Imagine a whole town exploding into laughter, families enjoying the landscapes, competitive runs, fishing, and tourists filling restaurants and theaters each year.
“The festival originated as a small two-day event for children in September. After many reiterations through trial and error, the festival has become a full community event with something for tourists and locals alike. It provides a great opportunity to showcase local vendors, business, and the area,” said Nancy Farrell, a past organizer.
As a sub-committee of the Preservation and Revitalization of Pulaski Committee, the Salmon River Festival promotes local fun, health, community awareness, arts, and culture. Aiming to grow the event, the committee focused on strategic planning, and returned the Festival to its former downtown location. They also promoted more to increase attendance and added new activities such as a competitive Fishing Derby. Driving tourism and increasing business buy-in was essential to the Salmon River Festival’s success. With a grant from the Pulaski Fund, the committee was able to secure entertainment as they focused on other critical areas of the Festival.
Through great collaborative planning and the support of businesses in the community, The Salmon River Festival has become a winning combination of events, partnerships, and community participation.
The Central New York Community Foundation is a public charity established in 1927 that collects contributions from donors, manages them to grow over time and then distributes funding to local charities to help them thrive. It is the largest charitable foundation in Central New York with assets of more than $280 million and has invested more than $200 million in community improvement projects since its inception. As a grantmaker, civic leader, convener and sponsor of strategic initiatives, the Community Foundation strives to strengthen local nonprofits, encourage better understanding of the region and address the most critical issues of our time.
