Park After Dark

Saturday, September 20, 2025
6-9 pm

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].

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. Park After Dark Silent Auction is NOW live! 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!

6:00 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 Mule team! Take some time to check out the NPS and Trust exhibits.

6:00 pm – 8:15 pm
Silent Auction Open for Bidding

7:00 pm
Enjoy dinner beside the canal, featuring a farm-to-table menu served by
local caterer Foodies Farms and Friends of Potomac, Maryland.

7:45 pm – 8:00 pm
Remarks by NPS and Trust leadership on current and future programs—including a presentation on the Spotlight Fund, a new Trust initiative supporting historic culvert restoration.

8:15 pm
• Join a ranger-guided night hike to Olmsted Island, or
• Enjoy traditional bluegrass music with the Seneca Creek Bluegrass Band, or
• Sit in on a fireside chat with a ranger about nightlife in the park while enjoying s’mores.

8:30 pm
Checkout for Silent Auction Begins

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. 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 Sponsor

Canal Patron

Francis and Carolyn Grant-Suttie

John Guttmann and Holly Cannon

A.R. Landsman Foundation

Canal Explorer

The Jewell Foundation

Canal Traveler

Cheryl Altschuler

Gay and Tony Barclay

Steve and June Chaudet

Mary Ann Fisher

Sandy, Wyatt, Zeze Grace

Paul and Laurie Juola

Mann Paller Foundation

Howard Morse and Laura Loeb

Ed Ryan and Catie Malone

Canal Preserver

Crescent Cities Charities

Marc Grossman and Mildred Patterson

Judy and Dallas Harrison

The Healthier, Greener, Kinder Foundation

Mike and Sue Mitchell

M&T Bank

Photo credits: Turner Photography and Paul Graunke