SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM AND SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM – 5400 Butternut Dr., E. Syracuse, NY.
Walk at your own pace • Non-competitive • All ages & abilities welcome
Join us the second weekend of every month for a walk across Central New York!
Join CNY Folksmarch this October for a fall walk along one of Central New York’s most historic waterways—the Erie Canal!
📅 Saturday, October 10 | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
📅 Sunday, October 11 | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Come anytime during event hours to register, then walk at your own pace. No need to walk 15 miles like the early canal travelers—we promise!
📍 Location & Registration
Ryder Park Pavilion
5400 Butternut Drive
East Syracuse, NY 13057
Registration will take place at the pavilion in Ryder Park, next to the DeWitt Town Offices.
From there, walkers will make their way toward the Erie Canal and enjoy the paths maintained by the Town of DeWitt.
🚶 About the Walk
October is a wonderful time to explore the Erie Canal corridor. Cooler temperatures and changing leaves make for a beautiful fall walk along a route that is also an important part of Central New York history.
Walk as much or as little as you like. CNY Folksmarch is non-competitive—there’s no required pace and no need to complete a particular distance.
🐕 Bringing your four-legged walking companion? Pets are welcome on leash. Please clean up after them. A garbage bag will be available at the pavilion, and bagged pet waste can be deposited at Cedar Bay Park.
🍂 Walking Through History
Completed in 1825, the original Erie Canal stretched 363 miles from the Hudson River to Lake Erie, connecting the Atlantic Ocean with the Great Lakes.
Its system of locks helped make transporting people and goods westward less expensive than traveling by wagon and played an important role in the development of New York and communities across the region.
The canal system changed significantly in the early 20th century with construction of the New York State Barge Canal. Here in Syracuse, portions of the original canal were eventually replaced by what we now know as Erie Boulevard.
As you walk this month, take a moment to imagine just how different this landscape—and traveling through Central New York—would have looked 200 years ago!
🍁 Come Prepared for Fall Walking
October weather in Central New York can change quickly, so dressing in layers is a good idea.
Consider bringing:
- Water
- Comfortable walking shoes
- A light jacket or extra layer
- Rain protection if showers are possible
And remember that fallen leaves and damp conditions can sometimes make paths slippery.
Download Our Footnotes Newsletter
💲 Participation
- First-time walkers: FREE
- Adults: $4
- Youth ages 6–18: $1
- Children 5 and under: FREE
- Family maximum: $9
- Annual Membership
**HALF YEAR HALF PRICE** $20
🚶 Join Us!
Whether you come for the exercise, fall scenery, local history, or simply the chance to spend some time outdoors, we’d love to have you join us.
Come walk at your own pace, enjoy the changing season, and experience a little piece of Erie Canal history with CNY Folksmarch!
Looking Ahead to November
Our November Foksmarch walk is one weekend earlier than usual, November 7–8, at Rice Creek Field Station, and the Annual Meeting and 45th Anniversary gathering is planned for Saturday around 12:30 p.m.
