Friends of Stewart Park (FSP) warmly invites the public to celebrate Stewart Park’s centennial with an array of fun free events kicked off by a 100th Birthday Bash on Sunday, July 4th from 1pm-3pm.
Stewart Park opened to the public on the 4th of July, 1921. To celebrate this milestone, FSP will host a 100th Birthday Bash this July 4th at the park’s open-air Tea Pavilion near the playground. The event will feature small group ensembles from Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, music by London McDaniel, a story sharing booth from Story House Ithaca, remarks from Honorary Centennial Chairperson Mayor Svante Myrick, cupcakes, and free rides on the historic Stewart Park Carousel.
Stewart Park’s weeklong birthday celebration birthday continues with a Family Fun Day in the Park on Wednesday, July 7th, featuring tree climbing with Cornell Outdoor Education from noon-5pm, Hangar Theatre KIDDSTUFF songs from Elephant and Piggie’s We are in a Play at 2pm, Playground Karaoke with K-House (with safety precautions) from 3-5pm, and Circus Culture performers roaming the park all afternoon, as well as discounted rentals from Paddle-N-More to get folks out on the water (offer code StewartCentennial good July 4-July11 for 15% off).
Topping off the park’s birthday week is Watermusic on Sunday, July 11 from 2-5pm. Stroll, roll, or paddle the western end of Stewart Park as musicians, dancers and circus artists fill the area with song and movement!
Once the birthday week is through, there are still more Centennial events and exhibits to enjoy. A Midsummer Night’s Musicale will be presented by The Merry Wanderers with Briel Felton, John Bunge and Samantha Johnson, Friday, July 30 at 4:00 pm and again at 5:30 pm. Movies in the Park start that same evening and also run August 6,13 and 20, with Ithaca Concert Band playing the ragtime music of Patrick Conway in homage to Stewart Park’s past on July 30 and August 20. Meanwhile, an exhibit on Stewart Park sponsored by Tompkins Trust Company will run in the Tompkins Center for History and Culture’s Atrium from July 1 through the end of August.
These events are part of a year-long slate of programming in honor of Stewart Park’s first 100 years as a public park. To learn more about these and other centennial events, and to discover how to support Stewart Park by joining the Mayor Stewart Centennial Challenge, visit www.stewartpark.org, email [email protected] or call 607-319-4766.
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