By Rebecca Sickler Schultz

Contributing Writer

Tens of thousands of tourists and locals are expect to converge on Cooperstown this weekend for the National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Weekend.

Without a doubt, Cooperstown will be abuzz from sun-up to sun-down.

If you are not one of the thousands who will be attending the induction events and are looking for alternate options _ or are looking for something to fill out your weekend _ you won’t have to look very far. Fly Creek, Milford, New Berlin and Norwich, among others, have many fun-filled, family-friendly events from which to choose.

"Hall of Fame Sauces" is the theme for this weekend at the Fly Creek Cider Mill in Fly Creek.

"It’s a continuation of our �Taste of Fly Creek’ series," said Bill Michaels of the Cider Mill. "This weekend we will have our top best sellers and most popular barbecue sauces, marinades and finishing sauces available."

Taste testing will be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, along with recipe giveaways and special offers.

"We’re only 3½ miles from the Hall of Fame, but we’re a bit more sheltered here _ people can stop and watch the geese and ducks by the mill pond," Michaels said. "It’s wonderful for families too."

The Cider Mill, at 288 Goose St., has a working cider press, a large array of crafts and goods for sale, as well as beverages and food to enjoy during a visit.

To learn more about the "Taste of Fly Creek" series, go to

www.flycreekcidermill.com or call the mill at 547-9692.

After visiting the Cider Mill, you can take the scenic ride into Milford on Saturday and catch the "Spirit of the Old West," for a Western-style train ride.

The Leatherstocking Railway Historical Society and the Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad will sponsor a train ride "robbery."

The train will leave promptly at 1 p.m., so an arrival time of noon to 12:30 p.m. is highly recommended, said Judy Mitchell, a spokeswoman for the railway.

"This is a volunteer organization," she said, "and we have a wonderful group of gentlemen that get together to do the train robberies. These gentlemen dress in old garb, with rifles and guns that are authentic to the period _ some of the weapons are 100 years old."

Ticket prices are $13 for adults, $12 for seniors, $10 for children ages 3 to 12, and free for children younger than 3. Group rates are available; more than 10 paying passengers are needed for a group rate.

"It’s a lot of fun. During the robbery the strong box is stolen and blown up _ money flies everywhere" Mitchell said. "Even though the �gun fire’ can get loud, the kids usually end up asking �when am I gonna get robbed?’"

Reservations are not required for the train ride but it is a first-come, first-served boarding process.

Boarding will take place at the Milford Train Depot on state Route 166, East Main Street, in Milford.

"This is a fun family event that will take passengers along the banks of the lovely Susquehanna River, through the woods and beautiful farm lands _ and the backside of the Cooperstown Dreams Park on Route 28," Mitchell said. Passengers have the option of riding in open-air cars or in coach cars while on the train.

The excursion lasts about two hours, and snacks and beverages will be for sale on board.

To find out more about events sponsored by the LHRS or to find out more information on becoming a volunteer, visit the organization on the Web at

www.lhrs.com.

If you are looking for something a bit faster-paced, you can attend this weekend’s Can-Am Northeastern ATV Nationals Sponsored by Renegade at the Unadilla Valley Sports Center on state Route 8 in New Berlin in Chenango County.

According to Peg Robinson, a spokeswoman for the motorsports complex, "this is a fun weekend, perfect for couples, families, individuals and friends."

"All classes will be competing in this event, from youth to the pros," she said. "(ATV racing) a popular form of racing, which is growing in popularity. We have people from roughly 48 states competing this year."

The event began Friday and will continue Saturday and Sunday.

"Families can bring a picnic lunch or purchase food from vendors selling at the raceway," Robinson said.

There is an admission charge to get in at the raceway. For more information, visit the center’s website at www.unadillamx.com or call 965-8784.

Also going on this weekend in Chenango County is the Norwich Family Bluegrass Festival at the Chenango County Fairgrounds in Norwich.

The festival began Friday and will run through Sunday and will be held rain or shin. Camping is available for tents and RVs at a modest fee, organizers said. There are hot showers, water and electric on the fairgrounds also.

Mike and Maryann Tirella, promoters of the festival, said they are looking forward to this year’s event. According to Mike, who has been involved with the festival for a number of years as a musician with The Cabin Fever Band, "this is the first year that we’re running a month later _ usually the festival is held at the end of June. However, there are other bluegrass festivals held the same weekend in different areas, so moving our festival to this weekend in July only made sense _ we have already doubled our advance ticket sales."

"The Bluegrass fest has something for everyone," Tirella said, "there will be an area set up for kids where they can make crafts and play games. And for the musician who brings along an instrument, there will be `jam’ sessions happening throughout the day and night at the �Danny Stewarts Jam Tent.’ We also will have instrument workshops and a clogging workshop as well.

"It’s going to be a great family-oriented event with a fantastic lineup of musicians scheduled to play," Tirella added.

Available at the festival will be a wide variety of food, crafts and vendors _ featuring a vast array of goods _ and of course music.

For more information on the festival and to find out how to purchase tickets, visit the festival’s website at www.norwichfamilybluegrass.com or call the Tirellas at (518) 783-3154.

For more events in the four-county region, visit the Chenango County events website at www.chenangony.

org/tourism/events.asp, Delaware County’s at

www.delawarecounty.org/calendar/, Otsego County’s at visitcooperstown.com/ or Schoharie County’s at www.schohariechamber.com/

calendar.asp.

Whatever you may choose to do this weekend, whether it be sampling some sizzling sauces for your next summer barbecue, catching a ride on a "Wild West" train, making your way into Chenango County to enjoy music or racing, or something else, be sure to take your sunscreen and soak in all the wonderful events that our area has to offer, and relish this weekend.