Free family safety fair & touch-a-truck event Saturday at Niagara Power Vista

Youngsters are invited to see trucks, electric cars, heavy equipment – even an armored assault vehicle and “Pinky” the pink concrete mixer – at the New York Power Authority’s family safety fair and touch-a-truck event on Saturday, June 15, at the Niagara Power Vista.

The free event, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the grounds of the Niagara Power Project, will focus on safety in the community and on the job, while offering activities and demonstrations. The Buffalo Zoomobile will be open for visits from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

NYPA will display numerous trucks and pieces of heavy equipment used to perform daily tasks at the Niagara Power Project, including a hybrid bucket truck, backhoe and cranes. NYPA operators will be on hand to talk about what it takes to handle the machinery.

The first 300 children will receive a free safety item.

Children can also enter a poster competition (weather-related themes) and have their creations displayed at the Niagara Power Vista. Science prizes will be given to the top three poster winners.

NYPA will host an electric vehicle “Show and Tell” booth, putting four plug-in models on display, offering a scavenger hunt, and presenting a wide range of resources on electric cars, EV charging, and NYPA’s EVolveNY program. Visitors to the booth will also be able to pre-register for an EV “Guest Drive” event at the Power Vista on Saturday, Aug. 24, which will offer the opportunity to test-drive a selection of 12 different EV models.

Upper Mountain Fire Co. firefighters will be at the event to demonstrate the company’s ladder truck. Niagara County Sheriff’s Office deputies will provide information on various vehicles on display from the department’s fleet, including an armored assault vehicle. 

“Pinky,” the first pink concrete mixer truck in Western New York, will return to the event this year. The truck was unveiled four years ago by United Materials – a one-stop supplier of ready-mixed concrete, aggregates and related materials. The truck has become a celebrity in the surrounding WNY communities the company services. “Pinky” has made appearances at touch-a-truck events and parades across the area, honoring breast cancer survivors and providing awareness to the need for more research.

A portion of the proceeds from every yard of concrete delivered by “Pinky” is donated to Susan G. Komen WNY.

Boy Scout Troop No. 42 will sell food at the event.

Other trucks and activities will include:

• Erie County Sheriff’s Department safety IDs
• Niagara Falls Fire Department and its fire safety house will demonstrate the how and why of having an up-to-date escape plan
• Car seat safety checks performed by the North Tonawanda Police Department. A drive-up lane will be provided
• Vehicle and border safety information with the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol 
• Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority hybrid bus
• U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary

The LaSalle Early Childhood Center will have safety activities and a storytelling/play experience with read aloud stories, big books and truck-themed puzzles geared toward 2- to 5-year-olds.

Visitors are also encouraged to explore the Niagara Power Vista exhibits, including a simulated ride and build-a-dam stations. Visitors can travel on the Discover Niagara Shuttle to other area attractions during the event. For more information, email [email protected] or call 716-286-6661. Visit www.discoverniagarashuttle.com for more information about the shuttle times and routes.

About the Niagara Power Vista

The Niagara Power Vista is a free, hands-on science playground at the Niagara Power Project with more than 50 state-of-the-art interactive exhibits. Operated by the New York Power Authority, the visitor center is designed for inquisitive minds of all ages with special emphasis on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) concepts and careers. Visitors can experience a virtual rollercoaster, build a dam, operate a power plant, run the state grid, watch digital portraits of Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison debate the benefits of alternating and direct current, and enjoy 350-foot-high views from an observation deck above the Niagara River.

The Power Vista is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, excluding some holidays, with free parking. It is located at 5777 Lewiston Road (Route 104) in Lewiston. For more information, call 716-286-6661 or visit www.nypa.gov/niagarapowervista.