Park After Dark

C&O Canal Trust

Park After Dark, the C&O Canal Trust’s signature event, returns this year on September 19, 2026, 6-9 pm, to the Historic Great Falls Tavern.

Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center

<h3>Event Info </h3>

Join us for the largest annual fundraising event in support of the Chesapeake &amp; Ohio Canal National Historical Park(C&amp;O Canal), as we celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary and the unique role the C&amp;O Canal played in our country’s early history!The evening offers one of the most influential gatherings of the C&amp;O Canal community, as the C&amp;O Canal Trust’s Board of Directors, President &amp; CEO, and C&amp;O Canal National Historical Park leadership team join together with donors, stakeholders, stewards, volunteers, and other supporters to celebrate the shared history and unique historical, cultural, and natural resources of this treasured national park.

<h4>Programming </h4>

The evening’s program begins with cocktails on the lawn of the historic Great Falls Tavern, music of the canal by the Seneca Creek Bluegrass Band, followed by a catered dinner canal side, and a Silent Auction featuring C&amp;O Canal-inspired art and adventures donated by over 60 small businesses located in various canal towns, from the port of Cumberland in Western Maryland, to Georgetown in the District of Columbia. The after dinner program includes activities such as the much-beloved ranger-guided Night Hike to Olmsted Island, s’mores around the campfire, and a fireside chat with a ranger about the unique history of the Tavern and life along the canal.

The spotlight fund for this year’s celebration will focus on the iconic Great Falls Tavern. Learn more about the unique history of the Tavern through the course of the canal’s history and heyday as a vibrant community of trade, along America’s first highway, the canal, designed by George Washington himself! Sponsorships are available now!Love the Park? Help the Trust!

<blockquote>The C&amp;O Canal Trust is an exempt organization, as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. No goods or services were exchanged for this donation. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. The current financial statement and annual report of the C&amp;O Canal Trust is available here: <a href="https://www.canaltrust.org/about-us/about-the-co-canal/our-accountability/" title="https://www.canaltrust.org/about-us/about-the-co-canal/our-accountability/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Our Accountability</a></blockquote>

Park After Dark

Event Info

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Location

Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center

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Park After Dark

Event Info

Good to know

Location

Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center

How do you want to get there?

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Discover more events from C&O Canal Trust, from Community to other experiences you might love.

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