Park After Dark

Thank You for Joining Us at Park After Dark 2026!

Save the Date for Next Year: September 18, 2027!

Thank you so much to everyone who attended Park After Dark 2026, the largest annual fundraiser in support of the C&O Canal National Historical Park! Your participation helped make it  a memorable evening. In addition to enjoying a beautiful summer evening canalside for cocktails, lawn games, photo booths, dinner, music, and our annual Night Hike and Ask A Ranger Campfire experiences, we exceeded our fundraising goal of $240,000.00 with your generous help!

Your continued support played a vital role in our success in meeting our fundraising goals for this year’s event. We are truly grateful to have such dedicated Community partners and Canal Community members standing with us, and supporting our mission.

With your support, this year, the C&O Canal Trust announced the launch of the Great Falls Tavern Initiative as the Spotlight Fund for Park After Dark 2026.

Looking for photos from Park After Dark 2026? Visit our full gallery here.

We Need Your Help to Secure the Tavern’s Future

With your support, we hope to raise $150,000 to launch the first phase of the Great Falls Tavern initiative to begin restoration of the iconic and historic Great Falls Tavern Initiative. If you missed Park After Dark, you can help to preserve the Great Falls Tavern by making a gift today!

For those who were not able to join us this year, we missed you, and hope to see you next year!

Save the date for Saturday, September 18, 2027 when the C&O Canal Trust celebrates its 20th year of service to the C&O Canal National Historical Park!

Questions? Please contact [email protected].

Love the park? Help the Trust!

Thank you to our Park After Dark 2026 Sponsors

Canal Presenter

Canal Visionary

A.R. Landsman Foundation

Kiplinger Family Foundation

Canal Patron

Holly Cannon and John Guttmann

Francis and Carolyn Grant-Suttie

Canal Explorer

Mary Ann-Fisher

Canal Traveler

Steven and June Chaudet

Sandy, Wyatt, and Zeze Grace

 Paul and Laurie Juola

Mann Paller Foundation

Satwinder K. Sidhu Foundation

In Kind

Canal Preserver

Sherif and Norma Ettefa

Judy and Dallas Harrison 

Ann Hingston, in memory of Mark Hingston

M&T Bank

Michael and Sue Mitchell

National Park Foundation

Anthony and Deanna Stacy

Mark Stover and Marlene Appleton

Photo credits: Turner Photography and Paul Graunke

Let's Explore!