Monroe County's parks system just turned 100 years old, and officials plan to celebrate with a series of events over the coming year.
The rules and regulations that created the parks were adopted on Oct. 1, 1926, and Ellison Park — the first county park — opened Oct. 1, 1927. To mark those anniversaries, Monroe County is launching Parks 100.
"One of Monroe County’s greatest assets is our access to the natural beauty and recreational spaces found in our county parks system,” County Executive Adam Bello said in a news release. “Parks 100 is a perfect opportunity to reflect on our history and celebrate the uniqueness of our 22 county parks, all while keeping an eye to the future so that residents can continue to enjoy all our parks have to offer for the next 100 years to come.”
There will be a series of photo walks in parks led by the KODAK Camera Club next spring and summer, giving participants a chance to explore and document the parks. They're scheduled for:
- 10 a.m. to noon May 8 at Highland Park
- 10 a.m. to noon July 17 at Durand-Eastman Park
- 6 to 8 p.m. July 20 at Ontario Beach Park
The Monroe County Library System is reviving a library program that "began at the turn of the previous century" where librarians would travel to local playgrounds to read stories to children, according to the release. Dates and locations for the Rochester Playground Library series are available on the county's Parks 100 website.
Harvest Fest is scheduled to cap off the celebration on Sept. 25, 2027. The first Harvest Fest was held this past Saturday at Northampton Park. Roughly 5,000 people attended.
