This weekend, Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 September, 2012, the Farmers'
Museum in Cooperstown, New York, will host its first COAA (Carousel
Organ Association of America) rally.  Public activities are scheduled
from 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. each day.  Farmers' Museum is the home of
the Empire State Carousel and Band Organ, a modern interpretation of
classic American practice.

I've seen the rally registration list and we expect about ten
larger organs, including Roger Wiegand's Diamond Jubilee 89-key Gavioli,
a couple of great Stinson organs, a Ruth, a Bruder, and a few
Wurlitzer/North Tonawanda machines.  A couple of these are also fine
owner-built instruments.

In the small crank organ department I see four homebuilt or kit organs
plus about five "factory jobs" and a couple of antiques.

The list includes three Canadian owned organs, with other owners coming
from six states.

At 3:00 on Saturday, Bob Yorburg, one of the contributing carvers of
The Empire State Carousel, will talk and demonstrate carving the front
of a carousel organ. Bob is a woodcarver, a restorer, and an instructor
for the Amusement Carvers of America.  Posters of the Wurlitzer 165
façade that Bob created for the Farmers' Museum Stinson Band Organ
will be available. You can purchase a copy of Bob's new book
"Acanthus Carving" and have it personally signed.

Further information can be found via the COAA web site and on the
Farmers' Museum web site, at

http://www.coaa.us/resources/Print-Files/Farmers-Museum-rally-2012.pdf 
http://www.farmersmuseum.org/programs/summer/step_back_in_time_weekend_carousel_organ_association_of_america_rally 

Wallace Venable