Holiday Craft & Collectibles Sale
Saturday, October 26, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.,
at the Greece Museum
Stop by the Greece Historical Society’s Holiday Craft & Collectibles Sale to purchase items from talented local crafters. Most items for sale are handmade, including sewing, knitting, and crocheted. Books make great holiday gifts, too. This is a perfect opportunity to avoid the mall and find a unique gift for your family and friends. The Museum Shop will also be open.
Elsa Von Blumen, Rochester’s First Female Cyclists
By Karen Lankeshofer
Tuesday, November 12, 7:00 p.m.
GCSD Transportation & Support Services Building, 1790 Latta Rd.
If you do not recognize the name Elsa Von Blumen, you are not alone. She was a Rochesterian who, in the 1880s, raced high-wheeled bikes against horses, skaters, male cyclists, when women were expected to stay at home, tend the household, and raise the children. Instead, she succeeded in a sport dominated by men and helped pave the way for other women to find the courage to break social taboos.Her first professional bike race was against a horse in Rochester’s Driving Park. From Rochester she went on to race throughout the entire Eastern United States for a decade. She was a force to be reckoned with in the cycling world.She subscribed to the belief that physical exercise improves one’s health and credited her bike riding with keeping herself fit. This presentation will introduce you to an Upstate New York athlete who should not be forgotten.
Karen Lankeshofer is a long-time Henrietta, NY resident who has also lived and taught in Germany and Russia. She is an avid bike rider and advocates for safe cycling infrastructure. She enjoys studying history, especially if it pertains to Upstate New York. She discovered Elsa Von Blumen several years ago and has been researching her intensively. Her presentation is a tribute to a pioneering female professional athlete.
