SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) –– Thornden Park is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The park has been a staple of the East Syracuse community for all 100 years of its existence. This year, the festivities have included movie nights on the green spaces, to events involving the city’s mayor and state legislatures. Thornden Park Association president Kate Auwaerter said this year has been all about the centennial celebration, especially coming off a year hampered by a pandemic.
“What we’re trying to do is just build up the programming that are in celebration of the 100th year, the centennial of the park,” Auwaerter said.
While the park has always been popular, it became even more lively during the peak of the Covid pandemic. Auwaerter said people would use the park as an escape from quarantine. She was surprised by how lively the park remained.
“The park became a magnet for people, you would not believe the number of people who were just in the park, you know, they were either tossing their frisbee or they were walking their dog or they were just out,” Auwaerter said.
Auwaerter said that due to the Covid pandemic, the Thornden Park Association expects the centennial celebrations to continue into 2022.
