Over 50 special events in New York’s Finger Lakes will honor American author Mark Twain’s enduring legacy on the 175th and 100th anniversaries of his birth and death respectively. It is also the 125th anniversary of the release of his renowned novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.Twain spent a significant number of happy and productive years in the Finger Lakes region, spending summers in Elmira, a quiet city in the Finger Lakes, for over 20 years. His home there was a respite from the stresses of everyday life. Cynthia Raj, Manager of Tourism Promotion for Chemung County, explained, “Elmira was where Twain married, summered with his in-laws, buried his beloved wife and three children who preceded him in death, and chose as his final resting place.”
Twain also wrote a great deal of his beloved literature in the Finger Lakes. “He drew inspiration from the spectacular views of the Chemung River Valley to pen such classics as Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from his tiny study perched in the hills,” said Raj.
A large number of events will celebrate Twain’s life and literature. On April 21, the anniversary of his death, actor Hal Holbrook will perform his Emmy and Tony award-winning show Mark Twain Tonight! at the Clemens Center. On April 21-23 Hill Top Inn will be holding “Dine Like Twain Dinners,” where visitors can enjoy Twain family recipes while looking out over the same river view Twain himself gazed at while writing. To complete the experience, there will be a re-enactment of Twain’s burial at Woodlawn Cemetery on April 24.
Several ongoing promotions and specials will also honor Twain, among them the “Mark Twain in Elmira” exhibit at Chemung County Historical Museum which opens on April 15.
For more information about top events in New York state, take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in New York at www.topeventsusa.com/state-events-new-york.html
The Mark Twain celebration will be ongoing throughout 2010. To view a full calendar of events and learn more about the region, visit www.MarkTwainCountry.com.