By Kate Bartlett
The WNY Southtowns Scenic Byway is celebrating its 15th Anniversary and is hosting their second annual photo contest in commemoration of this milestone. Both amateurs and professionals are encouraged to submit their best photograph taken along this 108-mile scenic loop.
Formed in 2008, the WNY Southtowns Scenic Byway is a series of roads and highways uniting a number of towns and villages in Erie and Cattaraugus Counties into a regional attraction for tourists and residents of the area. The Byway runs from the Town and Village of Orchard Park, Aurora, the Village of East Aurora and then southward through Boston, Colden, Concord, Springville, Ashford, and Ellicottville. Interpretive signs and WNYSSB highway markers can be seen along the routes.
“We promote and encourage people to explore our many terrific communities and decided that the public is the best source for examples of what the Southtowns offers,” said Byway President Bob Lennartz. The WNY Southtowns Scenic Byway (WNYSSB) is asking the public to submit pictures they take of the area for judging and eventual display during the 2023 holiday season
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This year’s contest has two different categories for entry. The “standalone camera” category (for those who use a dedicated camera) and the cellphone or tablet camera category. Prizes have been enhanced for this second year of the contest. For each category mentioned above, the first-place prize will be $150 cash and a copy of the book Nostalgic Buffalo by William C. Even; the second-place prize will be $100 cash; and the third-place prize will be $50 cash.
In addition, contest finalists will once again have their pictures displayed on the silver screens at the Aurora Theater in East Aurora and the Joylan Theater in Springville. The deadline for entries will be November 30, 2023. The Byway board is engaging newspaper photographers from publications in the Southtowns to be the judges.
Last year, fifteen individuals entered over fifty images ranging from local landmarks to nature shots and wildlife. “You don’t have to be a professional photographer or have expensive equipment to win,” says Bill Even, Byway Vice President. “This year we have a category specifically for photos taken with a smart phone or tablet and we encourage everyone from age 3 to 103+ to participate.”
The contest is meant to help raise awareness of the beauty, history, and culture that exists (literally) in our own backyard. “We have a lot to offer in the Southtowns,” says Bill. “I think residents are so accustomed to seeing four distinct and beautiful seasons, diverse seasonal recreational opportunities, important historical implications such as the Underground Railroad and the Arts and Crafts Movement in East Aurora, and of course the Buffalo Bills, that we fail to realize how lucky we are. This is an opportunity to reflect on and appreciate our surroundings.”
Bill remarks how “we have an overabundance of photo opportunities along the Byway, we also have an astounding number of truly talented, clever, and creative photographers in our area. I enjoy being one of the first people to see all of these photos together.”
Of the many great things about the Byway, Bill enjoys the natural aspects the most. “My wife and I walk around Yates Park and Green Lake in Orchard Park frequently. We’ve seen deer, fox, and a wide variety of birds as we walk the area. I have seen hundreds of wedges of geese fly over my house and land at Green Lake in the Spring and Fall. Twenty-something years later, I still marvel at the sights and sounds. This summer we were fortunate enough to see a bald eagle at Green Lake. I honestly thought that would never happen in my lifetime. And, yes, I tried to get a picture of it. And no, I wasn’t successful — those that can’t do, judge others.”
You don’t need to travel hundreds or thousands of miles for a truly enjoyable experience. A day trip along the Byway to East Aurora, Springville, Boston, Concord, Colden, Aurora, Ashford, Orchard Park, or Ellicottville offers a wide variety of restaurants, shopping, history, and nature. Drive south on Route 219 from Orchard Park to Ellicottville some mid-October weekend. You won’t see a more spectacular display of nature’s fireworks anywhere in the world. And bring your camera; the Byway is accepting entries for the photo contest through November 30.
It should be noted that only those photos taken in the eleven listed communities will be accepted, and only five entries are allowed per person. Photos can be submitted through the website https://wnyssb.org/photo-contest-2023/. Rules and other information can also be found at this web address.