March Among the Animals

MARCH 9, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM AND MARCH 10, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Note the time change on Saturday due to facility operating hours) – Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park https://www.rosamondgiffordzoo.org

Many of you will recall the 40th anniversary celebration we Folksmarchers enjoyed at the zoo in October 2021. Since then, the zoo has welcomed a new penguin, the birth of twin elephants and most recently 2 tiger cubs. These new arrivals join the other 900 animals that live at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. 

The zoo is open year-round with an outdoor groomed trail that takes in a view of hundreds of animals that reside there. If you are dedicated to doing the usual 5k Folksmarch, you could repeat the 0.75-mile walk in and outside the zoo, plus add a 0.25-mile jaunt around the upper parking lot where you will have a magnificent view of the city.

The usual Folksmarch fee of $4 will be in place, but entry to the zoo will be FREE for all Folksmarchers. Only on-duty service animals are permitted to visit the zoo.

PLEASE NOTE SATURDAY HOURS WILL BE 10:00 A.M. – NOON. The doors will open at 9:30 and we will be there for sign-in, but entry to the zoo is not until 10:00 a.m. Sunday hours will be as always: from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. 

Still time to get your 2024 Annual Membership Pass ($40) or a Yearly Passport membership card ($10). The price for these has remained the same for 2024. The $40 Annual Membership Pass includes the Yearly Passport membership card (regularly $10) and the remaining 10-monthly walks ($4 per walk). That’s a savings of $10 per person!

Find out more in our March 2024 Folksmarch Footnotes newsletter.

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A Walk for Mind & Body

FEBRUARY 10, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM AND FEBRUARY 11, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM – Village of Minoa.

Let’s hope this unusually mild winter is the case on the second weekend in February when we will be walking the village streets of Minoa. Jamie, the very accommodating owner of Northbound Mind & Body Shop has agreed to open her store during off hours for Folksmarchers to sign-in at the shop which is located at 116 North Main St., Minoa, NY 13166. 

The 5k +/- route we have planned will take Folksmarchers through the residential streets of Minoa, which is the smallest of the 3 villages in the Town of Manlius. It was once a prominent railroad community and was known as Manlius Station – a stop on the Syracuse/Utica Railroad line. Nowadays, this quaint historic neighborhood, with a population of about 3500, has seen some growth with several new retailers joining the business district. Leashed dogs are allowed on the walking route, but not inside the businesses. 

Find out more in our February 2024 Folksmarch Footnotes newsletter.

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Start the New Year with a Walk

JANUARY 13, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM AND JANUARY 14, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM – Destiny USA, Syracuse, New York. Find a First Day Hike at a local NYS Park

Once again, we will hold our first Folksmarch of the year at the centrally located mall: Destiny USA. January weather is unpredictable in our area. We may have a relatively warm winter day for Folksmarchers to walk outside along the Inner Harbor and a portion of the Creek Walk which is a short distance from the mall entrance on Hiawatha Blvd. Others may choose to see what’s new inside the mall by walking the perimeter of the 4 retail floors in order to complete a 5k. 

Find out more in our January 2024 Folksmarch Footnotes newsletter.

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A Holiday Walk for the History Books

DECEMBER 9, 9:00 AM-NOON AND DECEMBER 10, 1:00 PM-3:00 PM – Onondaga Historical Association, 321 Montgomery St., Syracuse.

‘Tis the season to enjoy a winter walk in Downtown Syracuse. Once again many of the businesses have decorated their windows with holiday themes for the 8th Annual Winter Wonderland Contest. Our route will pass by several displays and Folksmarchers will have an opportinity to vote for their favorite scene.

Find out more in our December 2023 Folksmarch Footnotes newsletter.

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A Central Village

NOVEMBER 11, 9:00 AM-NOON AND NOVEMBER 12, 1:00 PM-3:00 PM – Central Square.

The First Universalist Society of Central Square will be our sign-in location, there is an ample parking lot adjacent to the church. The walk includes a stop at the Central Square Station Museum to view their rolling stock in the train yard, a walk-through Crossroads Park and Goettel Park and the Central Square cemetery. This 5k walk is divided into three roughly equal parts for those who don’t want to walk 5k. There are sidewalks along all the roads and the parks are easy to navigate on grass and driveways.

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Fall Into Forest Park

OCTOBER 14, 9:00 AM – NOON AND OCTOBER 15, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM – Forest Park, 10 Ripley Road, Camden, NY.

This month’s walk is at Forest Park, 10 Ripley Road, Camden, NY 13316. After leaving your car at the parking lot, follow the roadway about 200 feet into the park to register at the Fireman’s Memorial Pavilion.

Find out more in our October 2023 Folksmarch Footnotes newsletter.

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Explore Reed Webster Park and the Empire State Trail

SEPTEMBER 9, 9:00 AM-NOON AND SEPTEMBER 10, 1:00 PM-3:00 PM – Reed Webster Park in Camillus.

This month’s Folksmarch starts at Reed Webster Park in Camillus. This park is located on Warners Road and features 2 baseball fields, a pavilion, a restroom facility, tennis courts, and a playground. Dogs are NOT allowed at the park (but are allowed along the Empire State Trail). We will sign in at the pavilion and have access to the restrooms.

Then, it’s a short walk to the starting point of one of the newer sections of the Empire State Trail/Erie Canalway Trail. The paved trail begins with a slight uphill slope heading east, but soon levels off. A marker will indicate when Folksmarchers have reached the 1.5-mile turn-around point. With the walk back that equals just about a 5k.

For any who want a much greater challenge, they can continue along this section of the trail to the New York State Fairgrounds which is about 3.5 miles from our starting point (and of course, back again to Reed Webster would be a total of 7 miles.)

Find out more in our September 2023 Folksmarch Footnotes newsletter.

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August Walk at Dwyer Memorial Park and Annual Picnic

AUGUST 12, 9:00 AM-NOON (followed by picnic) AND AUGUST 13, 1:00 PM-3:00 PM – Dwyer Memorial Park in Preble. Prior to the 1930s there were legends galore regarding Little York Lake and its surrounding peaceful rural setting. The land was purchased by Cortland County in the 1950s and became Dwyer Park in 1959 – named for William Dwyer, a well-respected county official. 

Probably more well-known than the park itself is the Cortland Repertory Theatre situated directly in front of, and seems to now be a part of, Dwyer Park. It is located on ancestral land of the Onondaga and Tuscarora nations. The summer theatre house opened in 1972 and usually produces 3 musicals and  3 non-musicals per season.

As you enter the park grounds, go past the theatre that will be on your right; go straight down the road for a very short distance and over the bridge. You will see a playground on your left and Pavilion 1 will be kitty-corner on your right. The pavilion does not have electricity, but has grills, picnic tables, trash cans and nearby restrooms. Cars can be parked on the edge of the ball field just across the road. Besides the nature trails, visitors can enjoy fishing, boating, the wading pool and more. The trails throughout the park are mostly paved or hard-packed dirt. There could be a couple of muddy spots if we have a lot of rain prior to our Folksmarch. Well behaved, leashed dogs are allowed with clean-up from the owner, of course.

After your walk on Saturday, we hope you will stay for the annual Folksmarch picnic which will start at Noon. We plan to have some great food and friendly conversations. We will provide the hotdogs and rolls. Please bring a dish to pass. RSVP at cnyfolksmarch@gmail.com and let us know what you will be bringing. 

Find out more in our August 2023 Folksmarch Footnotes newsletter. Park Map

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Griffiss International Sculpture Garden

JULY 8, 9:00 AM-NOON AND JULY 9, 1:00 PM-3:00 PM – NOTE OUR LOCATION CHANGE: Griffiss International Sculpture Garden and Nature Trail (Starting at the Stewart’s Shop, 1373 Floyd Ave., Rome NY 13440)

Griffiss Business and Technology Park in Rome, NY includes a lovely trail and sculpture garden that will be the focus of this month’s Folksmarch. Griffiss was a well-known Air Force base that provided maintenance and repairs for aircraft throughout WWII and beyond. It was reorganized for public use in 1995 and is now considered an economic hub in CNY. The artwork was added in 2008 and now includes 20 sculptures, benches, birdhouses and recently a group has erected a very moving Vietnam Veterans Memorial at the park.

Get Your Annual Membership Pass

Annual Membership Pass: Our 2023 Annual Pass includes the 12-monthly walks across CNY to meet other walk enthusiasts! Regularly priced at $40.

But wait….

HALF-YEAR HALF-PRICE SPECIAL! Just $20 includes the Yearly Passport Membership card and 6-monthly walks (July-December, normally $4 per month without Annual Membership Pass). It’s like getting free Folksmarches! You can even purchase online and pay by credit card. PURCHASE ONLINE

Find out more in our July 2023 Folksmarch Footnotes newsletter.

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