Park After Dark
Join us for Park After Dark 2025 on the lawn of the Historic Great Falls Tavern in Potomac, MD!
This signature C&O Canal Trust event, held under the stars beside the canal, is the largest annual fundraising event in support of the C&O Canal National Historical Park. Over 150 guests will enjoy a lively evening celebrating this national treasure and hearing directly from Trust and National Park Service leadership about current initiatives and plans for the future.
The evening offers one of the most influential gatherings of the canal community and includes music of the canal by the Seneca Creek Bluegrass Band, a seated farm-to-table dinner catered by Foodies Farms and Friends, and a silent auction featuring canal-inspired art and weekend getaways showcasing the unique history, small businesses and recreational activities of C&O Canal Towns. Following the evening’s program, guests will enjoy a variety of activities, including country dancing, a guided nighttime hike to Olmsted Island, and a fireside chat with an NPS Ranger about Night Life in the park.
Park After Dark 2025 sponsors are key to the success of this event and the mission and goals of the Trust. We are grateful to our sponsors for supporting this event! We hope to raise $220,000 from this event to support our mission and fund urgent NPS priority needs. Help us sell every ticket and show the NPS team our full support at this time, now more than ever! For more information contact our Development team at [email protected] or view sponsorship, tickets sales and donation opportunities below. Ticket sales close September 10, 2025.
Proceeds from the event support the mission of the C&O Canal Trust, the official nonprofit partner of the C&O Canal National Historical Park, and directly fund priority preservation initiatives and programs of the park, which hosts millions of visitors each year and spurs increased local economic development in the many canal towns along the towpath. This year, the evening’s program will shine a spotlight on preserving and restoring the historic culverts throughout the park that are an integral structural component of the foundation for the canal’s 184.5-mile-long towpath that connects the port of Cumberland in western Maryland to the harbor in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
Help us sell out our tickets this year by buying a table and inviting friends to join us and learn more about the Trust and our vital mission to support the C&O Canal for current and future generations. Can’t attend? donations welcome!
Photo credit: Paul Graunke
Evening’s Schedule:
6-7 pm:
- Cocktails on the lawn & Don’t miss the opportunity to get a selfie with Julie and Jen, the newest members of the C&O Canal Trust Mule team!
- Music provided by local band Seneca Creek BlueGrass
- Silent Auction featuring canal-inspired art and adventure getaways showcasing the unique history, small businesses and recreational activities of C&O Canal Towns
- NPS and Trust Interpretive Exhibits and Activities
7-8 pm:
- Seated Dinner on the lawn, under a tent & beside the canal, featuring farm-to-table menu served by local caterer Foodies Farms and Friends of Potomac, MD
- Program featuring remarks by NPS and Trust leadership on current and future program initiatives
- Spotlight Fund presentation to support historic culvert restoration
8:15 – 9 pm:
- Ranger guided night hike to Olmsted Island
- Ranger fireside presentation: Nightlife in the Park w/ s’mores
- Country dancing to music by the Seneca Creek BlueGrass Band
Free onsite parking available. Please note this event is a rain or shine event. Night Hike will be rescheduled if inclement weather prevents hike on the night of the event.
Park After Dark is the largest annual fundraising event to benefit the C&O Canal. Love the Park? Help the Trust! Join us to show the C&O Canal some love!
Ticket sales close September 10.
For more details, please visit canaltrust.org/ParkAfterDark.
Questions? Please contact [email protected].
Tune into our e-newsletters and follow us on social media to receive announcements about future events.
With Many Thanks,
C&O Canal Trust Staff
Thank you to our Park After Dark 2025 Sponsors
Presenting Sponsors
Canal Visionary
Canal Patron
Francis and Carolyn Grant-Suttie
John Guttmann and Holly Cannon
A.R. Landsman Foundation
Canal Explorer
Canal Traveler
Cheryl Altschuler
Gay and Tony Barclay
Sandy, Wyatt, Zeze Grace
Howard Morse and Laura Loeb
Canal Preserver
Marc Grossman and Mildred Patterson
The Healthier, Greener, Kinder Foundation
