'Touch-A-Truck' and Family Safety Fair returns to Niagara Power Vista

New York Power Authority press release

The New York Power Authority will hold its annual “Touch-A-Truck” event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 13. Dozens of official and heavy‑equipment vehicles will be displayed outside the Niagara Power Vista at the Niagara Power Project, 5777 Lewiston Road, Lewiston.

NYPA will showcase a variety of trucks and heavy‑equipment vehicles from its fleet that are used for daily operations at the Niagara Power Project. NYPA operators and members of Local 2104 will be on hand to provide demonstrations and share information about the work they perform in generating power. Hot dogs prepared by Boy Scout Troop 855 will be available for purchase.

The annual event lets people of all ages learn about community and workplace safety by interacting firsthand with heavy equipment used by transportation and utility crews, law enforcement, public officials and other first responders.

Expect a truckload of fun!

The Power Authority’s robotics team will be onsite with its response truck and robotic dog, Gizmo. The team will also fly drones and demonstrate NYPA’s remote robotic operations.

NYPA’s robotics program enhances the safety, reliability and efficiency of operations. Through ongoing research, collaboration and a focus on sustainable practices, the program helps ensure a safe and resilient energy infrastructure.

The event will also feature the New York State Canal Corp.’s popular model lock – a working tabletop display that demonstrates how gravity and underwater valves move boats through the canal system. The model lock represents the 57 locks in the New York State Canal System today – 35 of them on the Erie Canal. Each 10‑foot section of a real lock holds approximately 1 million gallons of water.

A number of other companies, state agencies and local government departments from various sectors will also be on hand to join the fun, including:

•Transportation: New York’s Department of Transportation will display a variety of heavy equipment from its fleet. The DOT maintains state highways in Niagara County, performing tasks such as pavement and drainage maintenance, repairing signs and guiderails, managing vegetation and maintaining traffic signals. 

The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) will showcase its electric bus and tow rig. The full‑size, 40‑foot electric bus is the first of 10 arriving this year. The purchases were supported by more than $3.8 million in funding from the New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program (NYTVIP).

•Law enforcement: Niagara County Sheriff’s Office deputies will be onsite to share information about vehicles from the department’s fleet, including an armored assault vehicle and a patrol cruiser. The North Tonawanda Police Department will conduct car seat safety checks during the event. Additional participating agencies include the Lewiston Police Department and the New York State Police, who will bring patrol vehicles and K‑9 demonstrations. 

•Fire: Lewiston’s Upper Mountain Fire Co. and the Niagara Falls Fire Department will provide fire‑safety education and display their newest ladder truck. 

•Construction: United Materials will bring its patriotic “Sarge” and “Pinky,” the region’s first pink concrete mixer truck. “Pinky,” now a crowd favorite at “Touch‑A‑Truck” events and parades across Western New York, honors breast cancer survivors and raises awareness for research. A portion of the proceeds from every yard of concrete delivered by “Pinky” is donated to Susan G. Komen WNY.

The Niagara Power Project has been providing New Yorkers with reliable, clean electricity for more than six decades. The crown jewel of the state's power infrastructure is one of the largest hydropower facilities in the nation, with a capacity to generate 2,600 MW of clean electricity. 

The New York Power Authority is the largest state public power organization in the nation, operating 17 generating facilities and more than 1,550 circuit-miles of transmission lines. For more information, visit www.nypa.gov or on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Substack and LinkedIn.