Views Along the Byway

Fall is officially here, and with it brings all the fabulous autumnal colors! Just in time for the change of season, the Western New York Southtowns Scenic Byway (WNYSSB) recently announced its third annual photo contest, running now through November 30, 2024.

You may have seen signs around Cattaraugus County for the Scenic Byway and wondered what it is all about. For those unfamiliar, the WNY Southtowns Scenic Byway is a 108-mile-long loop of highways connecting the suburbs of Orchard Park and East Aurora south of Buffalo to the charming towns and villages of southern Erie County and Cattaraugus County along US 219, NY 240, and NY 242. Traversing through the verdant foothills of the Allegheny Mountains, the southern-most terminus of the Byway is in Ellicottville. Through legislative vote in 2015, the Byway was officially expanded into Cattaraugus County in 2016.

Prior 1st Place Mobile Entry - Judy Griffin

“Originally, [the Byway] was from Orchard Park over to East Aurora, and then down to Springville,” shared William (Bill) Even, long-serving vice president of the WNYSSB, in a phone interview with ellicottvilleNOW. “Then we expanded down to Ellicottville – it was a logical extension,” he said. “We get a lot of Canadian visitors, especially around ski season that just drive down 219 and it makes sense to bring [the Byway] all the way down to Ellicottville because of that.”

Founded in 2008, the WNYSSB’s mission is “to promote economic development and community pride through the thoughtful stewardship of the natural, scenic, cultural, historic, and recreational resources of the byway region,” according to the organization’s website (www.wnyssb.org).

Even said that the inspiration for starting the photo contest in 2022 was “to raise awareness of the Byway and all the historical and natural beauty that we have along the route.” He added that the WNYSSB is Western New York’s only scenic byway. “There’s a lot of natural beauty, especially in autumn; we’re trying to push it now because there are so many opportunities to see some really magnificent scenery.”

He added that, “This is year three [of the contest], and it has been growing – we had about 120 photos submitted last year, and I’d like to see that doubled.”

With regard to this year’s contest, there will be two categories for entry, same as last year: one for stand-alone cameras, and the other for mobile devices.

“There have been some amazing advances on mobile device cameras, but you still can’t beat a nice Nikon or Canon camera, so we broke it into two categories,” Even said. “I think the mobile device option give everyone the option, from ages 3 to 103, to participate.”

Prizes for contest winners in both categories include $150 and a copy of Nostalgic Buffalo, written by Even, for first place, $100 for second place, and $50 for third place. To further incentivize participation, Even included that, “The winning entries will be displayed across the Joylan Theatre in Springville and the Aurora Theatre in East Aurora,” adding that the winning images will be showcased on the big screens before movies.

With regard to the contest details, there is no entry fee, and anyone is eligible to enter. Up to five submissions per applicant are permitted, and all participants are required to read and agree to the contest rules and regulations as set out on the WNYSSB’s website under the 2024 Photo Contest tab.

Furthermore, submissions must be taken within the geographical boundaries of the Western New York Southtowns Scenic Byway as stated on the contest rules and regulations. See the organization’s website for a map of the Byway boundaries.

Prior 2nd Place Mobile Entry - Sherry Tabor

Entrants may submit images at different times, however all submissions must be made through the submission portal on its website and not through any other channel. Submissions made outside of the official contest channel will be disqualified.

Submissions must be original work and no third-party may claim any rights to any of the material contained within the photos. In addition, submissions must not infringe on any rights or privacy of others or any entities, or infringe on any trademarks or copyrights, as outlined in the official contest guidelines. An entrant can only win once per year and in one category only, however submissions to both categories (no more than five photos total) by the same entrant are acceptable. Submissions must be received by the deadline, which is 11:59:59pm on Saturday, November 30, 2024.

The organization advises that the two main reasons for ineligible submissions are due to photographs not being within the geographical boundaries of the Byway, and file names not abiding by the naming conventions as listed in the entry form.

With the ever-changing colors of fall upon us, there is no better time than the present to snap some photos of your favorite spots along the Western New York Southtowns Scenic Byway, a resource steeped in the natural beauty and cultural heritage of Western New York.

Views Along the Byway

Fall Fest in Ellicottville