THORNDEN PARK ASSOCIATION

Since 1921, Thornden Park has been the jewel of the city’s east side. With its forested and open spaces, playground and ballfields, outdoor amphitheatre and stunning rose garden, Thornden Park is a place for people of all ages to gather, play and enjoy the outdoors.

The Thornden Park Association was founded in 1983 to advocate for, restore, and revitalize Thornden Park, a seventy-six acre historic landscape situated within the complex and diverse University Neighborhood in Syracuse, New York.

Love the park and like to garden?

Join us for a

Saturday morning gardening session!

We meet most Saturdays during the summer from

9:30-11:00AM

We have plenty of hand tools or bring your own.

Next session: Saturday, June 14, 9:30AM, at the Lily Pond

Contact thorndenpark@gmail.com with any questions

Thornden Park Swag
Available for purchase at the upcoming

Westcott Street Cultural Fair
September 28, 2025

Love to garden? Come join us for a Saturday morning gardening session at Thornden! We meet most Saturdays during the summer from 9:30-11:00AM. We have tools, gloves, rakes...only thing missing is you!
Next session: Saturday, June 14 at 9:30AM. Meet at the Lily Pond.

Find out what's new for 2025 in Thornden Park! Join us this Wednesday, 6/4, in the Thornden Park Fieldhouse for our Annual Meeting. Dinner starts at 5:30pm, followed by a short report, and then a conversation with Parks Commissioner Syeisha Byrd. All are welcome!

Even more raffle prizes for Sunday, March 2 at the Chili Bowl Festival ❤️

These local businesses and cultural institutions are truly invested in our community. And we are truly grateful!

🌶️ THANK YOU, CHILI BOWL SPONSORS! 🌶️

Our hearts (and bowls) are FULL thanks to the incredible sponsors who made the Thornden Park Chili Bowl Festival a spicy success!

🌟 Your support helps keep this 76-acre East Side gem vibrant and thriving—bringing neighbors together, supporting community projects, and making sure this beloved park remains a place for all to enjoy. 💚🌳

Shoutout to our amazing sponsors—this event wouldn’t be the same without you! 👏👏

Thank them tomorrow if you see them and show them some love, and let’s keep the Thornden Park magic alive! ✨ #ThankYou #ChiliBowlFestival #ThorndenPark #SyracuseNY #CommunityPowered

Since 1921, Thornden Park has been the jewel of the city’s east side. With its forested and open spaces, playground and ballfields, outdoor amphitheater and stunning rose garden, Thornden Park is a place for people of all ages to gather, play and enjoy the outdoors.

The Thornden Park Association was founded in 1983 to advocate for, restore, and revitalize Thornden Park, a seventy-six acre historic landscape situated within the complex and diverse University Neighborhood in Syracuse, New York.

We are excited and delighted by all the local organizations and businesses that support the park! Join in and enjoy the raffle this Sunday!

Raffle tickets are $2 each or six tickets for $10.

Tell all your friends!

March 2nd from 11:30AM-3PM
Thornden Park Chili Bowl Festival will be rocking out with music from the The Allen Fellows Project, and five exciting chilis with more vegan toppings!

Chef Billy-Brendan Ginty will be serving up 🥣

Syracuse Chili: a classic chili made with Gianelli Sausage, beer, and Dino BBQ spices. (Meat)

Field House Chili: a beef and dark red kidney beans, seasoned with herbs, red wine, and dijon mustard. (Meat & Gluten-free)

Chef Ginty's Chicken Chili: a creamy chili with chicken, red bell peppers, onion, and garlic with cheddar cheese. (Meat & Dairy)

Westcott Red Bean Chili: a homage to the hippies that made Westcott bloom, this spicy and savory chili is made with red beans with a rich tomato base. (Vegan & Gluten-free)

Ris' Chili: a kid-friendly chili, mild and delicious with black beans, kidney beans, mushrooms, corn, and lots of hidden veggies. Seriously scrumptious. (Vegan & Gluten-free)

Family-friendly, Heated Outdoor seating, Raffle prizes
Chili Platters
Homebrewed Root Beer
Kids Meals
Quarts to Go

SAVE THE DATE!
Thornden Park Chili Bowl Festival is coming Sunday, March 2nd from 11:30AM-3PM featuring Chili Platters with Gluten-free/Vegan/Meat options. Menu by Chef Billy-Brendan Ginty. Live Music by the Allen Fellows Project.

All proceeds from the Chili Bowl Fest support the work of restoration and revitalization of historic Thornden Park.

The event features Raffle Prizes and Kid Activities. Shout out to @apocuse for their wonderful volunteer work supporting the park!

Enjoy delicious chili with Indoor Seating & Heated Outdoor Seating. Take-Out options are available.

#lovethepark #eatthechili #APO #chilifest #thorndenpark

New year, new colors!!! Introducing our t-shirts in limited editionDesert Rose and Desert Tan (available in S & M). We will have our t shirts in all sizes from XS to 2XL, & our hoodies, totes, & hats 🌳🍂🪵🌻

Find our booth at the Westcott Street fair this Sunday, 9/22 12-6!

@apocuse Thornden Park LOVES you!

Thank you for all the incredible volunteer work making the Chili Bowl Festival a wildly successful event. Your service keeps Thornden Park beautiful and green for the whole community!

#APO #amazing #thorndenpark

Thank you to the Thornden Park Chili Bowl Sponsors...your support makes the work to restore and revitalize this 76 acre historic park possible, benefitting the neighborhood and the Syracuse community!

LOVE the Park? Consider becoming a sponsor in 2025!
Carol Simson
@syracuseu Office of Community Engagement
@coopfed
@wegmans
@armoured_one
Ron Ehrenreich & Sondra Roth
G&L Meat Co
George Curry
peachy_clean_llc
UNPA - University Neighborhood Preservation Association
@pricechopper
Price Chopper Supermarkets
Steve Stehman
Martha & Peter Thompson
@syracuseshakespeare
Syracuse Shakespeare In The Park
Peter Ensminger & Lisa Warnecke
Dale Avers
Jack Graver
Joe & Ann Gibson
Gwyn & Phil Olenych

Join us this Sunday, March 3, from noon-3pm at the Thornden Park Field House. See you there!

It's almost Chili Time!
Thornden Park Association's Chili Bowl Festival, Sunday, March 3, noon-3pm at the Thornden Park Fieldhouse.

Only A Month Away!
27th Annual Thornden Park Chili Bowl Fest, Sunday, March 3 from noon to 3pm, Thornden Park Fieldhouse.

Something missing from your holidays? Wish you had something cozy for your family walks? 🌲❄️☃️

The Thornden Park Association Online Store is open for a limited time! Closing on Friday Jan 5th 2024!

Order online; orders will be produced starting Feb 2024 for pickup. Click the link in our bio.

TODAY is the Westcott Cultural Street Fair! We can’t wait to see you and show off our new accessories! 🍳🧳🧢

NEW totes, aprons, & hats for every occasion!

Cool autumn nights… morning walks amongst the Thornden trees…no matter where, keep cozy with our NEW hoodies! 🪵🍁

Available in premium fabric & zip-up options, in our new nature-inspired color palette. Available at the Westcott Street Fair this Sunday, October 1st!

$45 each!

Ready to get your fall fitness on? We are so excited to show off these new exercise versions of the classic Thornden Park shirt! 🏃‍♀️🌳🏋️‍♀️

Available in women’s (fitted), unisex, and tank tops in a variety of colors. Stop by our tent during the Westcott Street Fair this Sunday 10/1 12:00-6:00!

Long Sleeve 1/4 Zip for $30, Tank Tops for $25!

We are ready for the Westcott Street Fair, we hope to see you there! NEW t-shirts with new nature-inspired colors. Perfect for layering in this gorgeous fall weather 🍂☀️🎃

Selling for $20!

Friday night is Movie Night in Thornden Park!
Bring a chair or blanket, grab a hotdog and some popcorn, and enjoy a movie under the stars. Concessions open at 7pm, movie starts 8:15pm.

Mark your calendars! Thornden Park MOVIE NIGHT is coming, Friday, September 8. Concessions open at 7pm with I Am Legend (PG 13) beginning at 8:15pm. Hope to see you there!

Thank you to all the amazing SUNY ESF students who came out for a Day of Service in Thornden Park this morning. We got a ton done around the Carriage House, Herb Garden, Rose Garden and we even planted four new lilacs in the Lilac Grove. Great work!

Shakespeare In the Park brings WEST SIDE STORY to the Thornden Park Amphitheater! Saturday evening at 5:30pm and Sunday at 2pm.
Get your FREE tickets here:
https://ssitp.ticketleap.com/ssitps-west-side-story/

Pops in the Park welcomes TrumpTight 315 to the Thornden Park Amphitheater, Wednesday, July 26.
The Parks & Rec van arrives at 5pm with games and activities for the whole family. Music by TrumpTight 315 begins at 6pm. Come and enjoy another beautiful evening in the park!

This Wednesday evening, July 19, Pops in Park presents Jamel Lorick in the Thornden Park Amphitheater!
Bring a blanket or chair, pack a picnic dinner, kick back and enjoy! The Mobile Recreation team will be onsite 5 to 7 p.m. with games and activities. Music starts at 6 p.m.

It's summer at last --the Thornden Park Pool is open!
Hours: Monday-Saturday noon-6pm
Sunday 1pm-6pm

Thanks @syracuseparksrec!!

This past Thursday, twenty-three Mandela Scholars joined us to weed, remove stumps and clear brick paths around the Lily Pond. The scholars are in Syracuse for a 6-week Leadership Institute at SU's Maxwell School. Thank you for your hard work in the blistering heat!

As part of ESF’s Saturday of Service, today a group of 14+ ESF Freshmen worked alongside community members and gave some much needed tender, loving, care to Thornden’s historic Weeping Beech. Hidden by its cascading (weeping) branches, they removed an amazing amount of weed growth. Years ago the Thornden Park Association unsuccessfully attempted to get the tree nominated on the register of historic trees. Maybe it is time to try again. We thought you would enjoy reading this excerpt from our Historic Walking Tour Brochure.

“As long ago as 1913, the Syracuse Herald claimed the Thornden Weeping Beech (Fagus pendula) was, "the largest of its sort in the world, reaching a height of thirty feet, a spread of sixty feet and covering more than 2,500 square feet!” If the tree was indeed 70 years old in 1913, as this article claims, it must have been planted in the 1840’s, which would mean it predates both Davis and Haskin.
After Thornden became a city park, the weeping beech was nicknamed by neighborhood children the “elephant” or “umbrella” tree. Perhaps it was called “elephant” because the tree’s thick gray trunk resembles an elephant's foot. In the 1930’s, the trunk of this tree became a favorite surface on which young lovers carved their initials, and at that time, it was fenced to prevent people from further damaging the tree. A sign on the fence read, “I pray you, mar no more trees by writing love songs on the bark.” The “umbrella” nickname derives from the fact that when you stand near the trunk of the tree, you are enclosed and protected by a cascade of leaves and branches that reach the ground, creating its own special world.
In March 2013 one large section of the tree was felled by old age and a strong gust of wind. The fallen trunk brought down a smaller tree nearby, which the Thornden Park Association had planted in 2000 to eventually be the larger tree’s replacement. Luckily two sections of the tree remain as a favorite spot for children from the nearby Discovery Camp to go and lie under its branches.”

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

Join us this Saturday May 14 and next Saturday May 21 at the Lily Pond anytime from 10-12.

Last week we started mulching the Lily Pond. Swipe to see the after

The lilac grove is in full bloom. Check out the heavenly smells and flowers this week.

#thorndenpark #springishere #syr #syracuse

It’s an absolutely beautiful morning in Thornden Park. There is still time to learn about how to volunteer in the park. Join us anytime between 10 and 11am.

#thorndenpark #earthday #syracuse

@novemberprojectsyracuse thanks so much for inviting us to your Earth Day cleanup. The hill around the water tower looks amazing. Found items include a couch cushion, sled, and that baby pool.

Saturday, April 9th 10 - 12 noon Total 58 hours. A group of 20 students from the Alpha Phi Alpha and Delta Zeta came to help us in Thornden Park on a chilly Saturday morning and contributed 48 hours to our total. Rain threatened but we lucked out! Eight students weeded flower beds in the Rose Garden with members of the Syracuse Rose Society. They managed to clear four huge beds! The rest of the students worked with community volunteers from the Thornden Park Association (Kate Auwaerter, Matt Oja, Athena Mandros and Miranda Hine) up at the Lily Pond. They cleared brick pathways, staircases and did an amazing job edging the paths.

Our next session will be:
Saturday, April 30, 1:00 - 3:30 Orange Seeds, Alexis Taylor Schneider
We are expecting 20+ students and will divide this group between the Rose Garden and the rest of the park. Do join us.

The 2022 volunteer work in Thornden Park has started. 5 Members of the Alpha Phi Omega service organization at Syracuse University came to help the Syracuse Rose Society clear leaves from the beds around the perimeter of the gardens. A huge job! Lots of raking and carting wheelbarrows full of leaves to the curb. It was a chilly morning. Thank you!

Thank you Westcott neighborhood and the greater Syracuse community for coming out to the annual Chili Bowl festival at Thornden Park! We had a beautiful day for it this year and had so much fun! A very special thanks to Chef Ginty and crew for bringing you all the delicious chili’s and to Syracuse University students for serving the food, painting faces, facilitating the raffle and helping set up! Finally, thank you TPA board members (especially Sondra Roth) for putting on another great event! See you next year.

Stay tuned for more TPA events (movie nights!) coming up this summer! ☀️

This year’s chili’s were delicious! The sampler platter was the way to go. 😋🌶🥄 #thorndenchilifest

A long line full of hungry bellies! @chefginty really outdid himself this year! #thorndenpark #thorndenchilifest

Chili Bowl Fest is underway at Thornden Park! The sun is shining and the chili is hot! Come on out! #chilifest #thorndenpark #thorndenchilifest

Movie Night #2 is up tonight! Tonights show is the classic comedy, Spaceballs! Bring your chairs and blankets. The Thornden Park Bulldogs will be holding concessions with popcorn, candy, soda and more. See you soon! 🍿🍫🍭📽

We need your help! The historic herb garden is in rough shape. We’ll be meeting on Friday from 4:40-6:30 and Saturday from 8:30-10:30. No experience needed, we’ll teach you.

Thanks everyone who came out to our first movie night! We had a great time and hope you did too! Join us again on August 20th for Spaceballs. Here are some pics from Friday night.

Do you know how the gardens stay beautiful in Thornden? It’s our volunteers! Join us:

Wed. July 28th, 4:30 @ the Lily Pond
Saturday July 31, 8:30, location TBD

#thorndenpark #syracuse #volunteer

Thornden Park and Syracuse Parks is happy to present two movie nights in Thornden Park coming up soon in August! We hope you will join us!

RSVP and share the events here-

Black Panther on Friday, August 6th -
https://www.facebook.com/events/1699285843792238
&
Spaceballs on Friday, August 20th -
https://www.facebook.com/events/878861542721972

We are excited to announce Carvel DeWitt and MACHOS NACHOS food trucks will be on the scene to provide some tasty treats! See you there!

Thank you everyone who came out today to celebrate 100 years of Thornden Park! It was a spectacular sunny day to honor the park, celebrate this milestone and acknowledge all the people who have put years of love, care and enjoyment into it. A special thanks to our speakers, Mayor Walsh, Senator May, Councilor Driscoll, Parks Commissioner LaFave, Miranda Hine, and Thornden Park Associaton President Kate Auwaerter!

Stay tuned for many fun events coming up in the park this year!

Join us this Thursday at 12pm, at the Thornden Park Playground to celebrate 100 years of fun in the park. A short presentation will be followed by cupcakes in the pavillion.

Were excited to partner with UNPA to help keep our parks and neighborhood beautiful this Earth Day. We'll hope you'll commit to helping out. Link to register in our bio.

#tbt to all our amazing volunteers. Did you know that volunteers care for all the gardens in #thorndenpark? If you’re interested in joining our volunteer list, DM us or email thorndenpark@gmail.com

#syracuse #community #volunteers

Did you get married in the park? We’re you a bulldog? Did your Girl Scout troop meet in the park? Did your family go for a walk every Sunday? Share your favorite Thornden Park story with us in honor of our 100th birthday. Use the #thorndenpark100 or email us at Thorndenpark@gmail.com

#thorndenpark #syracuse #memories

#tbt to our first chili bowl in 1989 to our last chili bowl in 2020 right before COVID and some in between. We are so grateful we were able to gather as a community last March and look forward to gathering again later in the year.
P.S. chili bowl will be back in 2022 😊

#thorndenpark #community #syracuse #throwbackthursday

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