Events

Parks & Trails New York organizes and hosts events to highlight, improve and advocate for New York’s park system, public lands and multi-use trails. From volunteer workdays and conferences, to advocacy days and workshops, join us in giving back, speaking out, and enjoying our treasured outdoor places.

Friends-to-Friends Workshops

PTNY regularly hosts workshops designed to support grassroots Friends groups through the sharing of best-practices, innovative programming and collaboration. Our workshops feature expert panelists ranging from professional consultants to other Friends group leaders, who share their insights on a variety of topics designed to increase the capacity and impact of grassroots organizations. Our workshops also provide opportunities for Friends to network and share resources.

Learn More About our Workshops

Park Advocacy Day 

Park Advocacy Day (PAD) is an annual advocacy event hosted by Parks & Trails New York and the Open Space Institute. In 2021 we celebrated the 15th anniversary of Park Advocacy Day, and though it was held virtually due to public health guidelines surrounding the coronavirus, our advocates accomplished 27 legislative meetings and executed successful letter writing and social media campaigns. We are looking forward to our next PAD in February 2024.

Learn More About PAD

I Love My Park Day

I Love My Park Day, held the first Saturday in May, attracts thousands of volunteers from across the state to participate in cleanup, improvement, and beautification events at New York State parks, historic sites, and public lands. Join us on Saturday, May 4, 2024 to celebrate New York's iconic park system by cleaning up park lands and beaches, planting trees and gardens, restoring trail and wildlife habitat, removing invasive species, and working on various site improvement projects.

Learn More About ILMPD

Statewide Conference 

The Statewide Conference for Friends groups - hosted by PTNY and New York State Parks - is an opportunity for groups to come together and engage in meaningful workshops, informative breakout sessions, and peer-to-peer discussions. Last hosted in 2019, this two-day event focused on increasing the capacity of individual groups and strengthening communication between Friends and their colleagues at State Parks. We are looking forward to hosting another conference in Fall 2024 so stay tuned for details.  

NY State Parks Event Calendar

Searching for an event in your region happening at NY state parks and historic sites? Check out the NY Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation's event calendar. Find an Event.