Let's explore!
2026 Events!
Boat cruise with a Canal History & Candle-Making
Join us for our Boat cruise with a Canal History & Candle-Making, the second experience in our Let's Find You: A Wellness Experiential on the Canal series.
Paired with a candle-making activity this session combines water-based recreation, environmental storytelling, and reflection. Participants engage in a workshop with mental health experts while learning canal history and participating in a hands-on creative activity. The experience fosters emotional processing, cultural connection, and environmental education.
📍 Location: 280 Exchange BLVD, Rochester, NY, 14608
📅 Date: Sunday, September 27, 2026 (weather permitting)
⏰ Time: 3:30pm-5:00pm
💵 Cost: Free to all
✨ Focus: Canal history, ecology learning, community, mental health, outdoor fun, connection, and wellness
September
Trail Biking w/ a Mental Health Expert
A movement-based recreational experience along the canal trail that integrates historical and environmental education with mental health dialogue and reflection. Participants build resilience and connection through guided biking, conversation, and healing practices.
📍 Location: Roundhouse Shelter, Genesee Valley Park, 1000 E River Rd, Rochester, NY 14623
📅 Date: Sunday, September 13, 2026 (weather permitting)
⏰ Time: 9:30am-11:30am
💵 Cost: Free to all
✨ Focus: Canal history, ecology learning, biking, hiking, community, mental health, outdoor fun, connection, and wellness
Painting the River With A SOMATIC HEALER
Participants engage in a guided outdoor painting experience of the Genesee River along the Genesee River, combining creative expression, mindfulness, and environmental appreciation. The session encourages participants to slow down, observe the natural surroundings, and translate their observations, emotions, and reflections onto canvas. Facilitators will incorporate brief discussions on the history, ecology, and significance of the Genesee River while encouraging participants to connect with the landscape through art. The experience will also feature conversation and activities with a somatic healer. The program will emphasize creativity, relaxation, self-expression, education, and connection to place. Adaptive approaches and materials will be incorporated to support accessibility and participation for people of all abilities.
📍 Location: Henpeck Park, 2901 Ridgeway Ave, Rochester, NY 14626.
📅 Date: Sunday, September 20, 2026 (weather permitting)
⏰ Time: 9:00am-11:00am
💵 Cost: Free to all
✨ Focus: Canal history, ecology learning, painting, community, mental health, outdoor fun, connection, and wellness
October
Fishing The Canal
Participants learn recreational fishing skills while engaging in environmental education about aquatic ecosystems and mental wellness practices such as patience, presence, and reflection. This dual-guided session supports both skill-building and emotional well-being.
📍 Location: Henpeck Park, 2901 Ridgeway Ave, Rochester, NY 14626.
📅 Date: Sunday, October 4, 2026 (weather permitting)
⏰ Time: 9am-11:00am
💵 Cost: Free to all
✨ Focus: Canal history, ecology learning, community, mental health, outdoor fun, connection, and wellness
Birdwatching on a Boat W/a Canal & River History
A guided recreational boating experience focused on environmental education and interpretation of bird species, habitats, and ecological systems. Mindfulness and observation practices are integrated to support mental clarity, presence, and connection to nature.
📍 Location: Genesee Valley Park, Rochester, NY
📅 Date: Sunday, October 18, 2026 (weather permitting)
⏰ Time: 1:30PM to 3:00PM
💵 Cost: Free to all
✨ Focus: Canal history, ecology learning, birdwatching, boating, birding, community, mental health, outdoor fun, connection, and wellness
Yoga, Breathwork & Meditation On The Canal
An outdoor wellness session rooted in gentle physical recreation, nature immersion, and mental health practices. Participants practice yoga, breathwork, and meditation while engaging with the natural sounds and rhythms of the river, promoting nervous system regulation and stress reduction.
📍 Location: Roundhouse Shelter, Genesee Valley Park, 1000 E River Rd, Rochester, NY 14623
📅 Date: Sunday, October 11, 2026 (weather permitting)
⏰ Time: 9:30am-11:00am
💵 Cost: Free to all
✨ Focus: Canal history, ecology learning, community, mental health, outdoor fun, connection, and wellness
NUMBERS IN VERSE: A Fibonacci Day Poetry Open Mic
NUMBERS IN VERSE is a poetry mic event celebrating Fibonacci Day through the intersection of mathematics, poetry, and creativity.
Hosted in celebration of Fibonacci Day — November 23
What happens when numbers become words?
What happens when equations become emotions, patterns become poetry, and mathematics becomes a way to tell the story of who we are?
Fibonacci Day is celebrated on November 23 because 11/23 reflects the beginning of the Fibonacci sequence: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13... Each number is generated by adding the two numbers before it.
But we're interested in more than the numbers.
We're interested in the stories inside them.
📍 Location: Genesee Valley Field House Lodge, 1316 Genesee Street, Rochester, NY 14611
📅 Date: Friday, November 20, 2026 (weather permitting)
⏰ Time: 4:30PM to 7:30PM
💵 Cost: Free to all
✨ Focus: Math, Poetry, Poems, Numbers, Creativity
November
🌲🥾 Last Day Hike 🌲🥾
Close out the year with intention and connection on our Last Day Hike at Washington Grove. This community-centered event invites you to step into nature, reflect on the past year, and honor your personal growth
📍 Location: Washington Grove, Rochester, NY
📅 Date: Thursday, December 31, 2026
⏰ Time: 4:00 PM-5:30 PM
💵 Cost: Free to all
✨ Focus: Reflection, closure, and ritual for the year
