This article was scraped from Rochester Subway. This is a blog about Rochester history and urbanism has not been published since 2017. The current owners are now publishing link spam which made me want to preserve this history.. The original article was published August 08, 2010 and can be found here.
Once-in-a-lifetime opportunities don't come along very often--that's why they're referred to as such. So clear your calendar, put the dog out, and grab your coat and hat... preferably a hard-hat.
After our subway excursion was squashed last Spring, many of our readers feared that they had missed their last chance to see the inside of the Rochester subway tunnel with their own eyes (and smell it with their own quivering noses). But this Summer the stars have aligned. Here come not one, not two, but THREE rare opportunities to go inside Rochester's seldom seen subway... legally!
Oh, and did I mention, a lucky few* will get to enjoy cocktails and a catered dinner party INSIDE the tunnel? Yummy! Okay, here we go... these may be your final chances to experience the Rochester subway tunnel...
1. Bicycle Tour of Street Art
Who: Hosted by Rochester Contemporary Art Center
What: Bike Tour of Rochester Street Art (including the subway)
When: Sunday, August 15, 2010, 1:00pm
Where: Departs from RoCo at 1pm (rain or shine)
Tour Stops:
- Legal Wall / Anderson Alley: This large industrial/commercial complex was once made available by the property owner for local graffiti artists to work on.
- St. Joseph's Neighborhood Center / 417 South Ave: Rochester area peace groups commissioned Eder Muniz (Salv...ador) and Denis Sena (Brazil) to paint their vision of peace at St. Joe's House of Hospitality.
- Broad St. Aquaduct (subway tunnel): Rochester's hidden graffiti gallery with a storied past and uncertain future.
- BBoy BBQ / Clifford St.: The site of this annual Hip Hop culture event is a constantly evolving display of some of the best graffiti in the region, including work by the illustrious FUA.
Additional Details: Visit RoCo State of the City - 2010
2. World Canals Conference 2010
Who: World Canals Conference (WCC)
What: Tours of the Rochester Aqueduct and Subway Tunnel
When: Sunday, September 19, 2010, 1-5pm
Where: Behind the Blue Cross Arena near Broad St.
Additional Details:
As part of the World Canals Conference , free tours will be given of the Erie Canal/Genesee River Aqueduct Bridge from 1-5 pm on Sunday the 19th in conjunction with the Free Community Day festivities.
3. Dinner in the Ditch*
Also on the schedule for WCC 2010 is what's being billed as a "ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME" opportunity to dine inside the Aqueduct. Just when you thought your partying days were behind you...this is sure to be a wild one. The party is actually IN the Aqueduct and will be catered by the Rochester Riverside Convention Center. Planner and Event Coordinator Rick Rivers tells us that the floors will be grated, carpets rolled out, and music piped in. I should note this is NOT a public event... "Dinner in the Ditch" is primarily for conference attendees and sponsors only. Mr. Rivers says there could very well be 400-500 dinner guests in attendance.
I also asked Mr. Rivers if this conference and event would be used to promote the Rochester Canal District Plan and Broad Street rewatering project. While Rivers admits the plan would be a highlight, many of the conference's attendees would also certainly be there to discuss other preservation and restoration ideas.
You can read more about the latest Canal District Plan at Greenovation (a RochesterSubway.com partner site ).
More About the World Canals Conference:
The 23rd World Canals Conference will return to Rochester, New York September 19-24, 2010 at the Rochester Plaza Hotel & Convention Center. Hundreds of delegates from more than 20 nations are expected to convene here to discuss economic development and tourism of canals and waterways.
This is the first time the World Canals Conference has ever returned to a city a second time. The 22nd World Canals wrapped up a month ago September 20-27 in Serbia. The 2011 and 2012 Conferences will be held in the Netherlands and China respectively. Fourteen countries have already confirmed they will be sending delegates including Panama, Germany, Belgium, France, Sweden, Norway, England, Scotland, Czech Republic, Serbia, Poland, China, Korea and Canada. This is the first time Panama will have attended a World Canals Conference and the second time for Poland.
"It's all about ideas," said Tom Grasso, Chair of the World Canals Conference 2010 and President of the Canal Society of New York State. "The last conference really inspired us to move forward with many projects. We have a lot to show the world. This is a golden opportunity for us to display the successes we have achieved over the past 10 years."
Visit the World Canals Conference for a complete schedule of public events, activities, and workshops.
*The "Dinner in the Ditch" is an invitation-only event. Sorry
