It isn’t officially summer yet, but it sure feels like it.
Time to get out and do stuff.
Sporting events are on, concerts are being staged and amusement parks are open or will soon.
Here are a few activities to consider in the greater Rochester region.
This list will be updated in the coming months, so check back for more ideas.
Why Rochester loves Seabreeze Amusement Park: Irondequoit’s Seabreeze Amusement Park, the fourth-oldest operating amusement park in the country and the 12th-oldest in the world, has been through a lot, including having to remain dark in 2020 for the first time in its history because of the coronavirus pandemic. But it rallied in 2021 and launched its 2022 season May 21.
Jack Rabbit, Bobsleds and other popular rides at Seabreeze: The attraction’s most iconic ride, the Jack Rabbit roller coaster, turns 102 this year, and its carousel, with 42 hand-carved and painted wood horses, has been going around more than 25 years. “It’s such an exquisite machine — one of the finest in the country,” says Rob Norris, the park’s president and general manager.
New additions coming to Six Flags Darien Lake this summer: Six Flags Darien Lake, about a 50-minute drive from Rochester in Genesee County, opens May 27. This year it’s adding a water slide to its water park, and in 2019, it debuted the tallest amusement ride in New York state, the Six Flags SkyScreamer, a 242-foot-high tower that swings seated riders around in a 100-foot circle at 35 mph.
New video shows Masai giraffe calf running around habitat: Rochester’s Seneca Park Zoo has been in existence for 128 years, and on April 29 it welcomed its first-ever Masai giraffe calf. Born to Iggy and Parker, the calf does not have a name yet, and it isn’t clear when he’ll make his public debut, but presumably soon — stay tuned. The zoo welcomed two male red panda cubs and a snow leopard cub in 2021, and you can see them now. A $121 million zoo expansion being proposed by Monroe County Executive Adam Bello would add a rain forest and a 220,000-gallon aquarium that would house at least two species of sharks.
Hot wings!: First-place Red Wings are riding a nine-game winning streak entering homestand: The Rochester Red Wings opened their 2022 season on April 12 amid Chamber of Commerce weather: bright sunshine and temperatures in the mid-60s. Even better, as we write this, they are No. 1 in International League East, thanks to speed and athleticism on the bases, more reliable pitching and an improved batting average. It’s a far cry from last year, when the team struggled all season.
Party in the Park 2022 band lineup unveiled: The Party in the Park concert series, which began in 1997, returns to Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park at Manhattan Square June 16 and runs for nine consecutive Thursdays. Gates open at 5 p.m., and the music starts at 5:30 p.m. Organizers recently released the lineup of acts, which includes The Tommy Brunett Band and RootsCollider.
The ‘heart of Monroe County’: Free events and activities scheduled for downtown Rochester: Rochester leaders say they hope a series of eight free events and activities will draw people together downtown this year. “A vibrant downtown is critical to retaining talent, regional economic growth and greater community pride,” said Heidi Zimmer-Meyer, president of the Rochester Downtown Development Corporation. The happenings start in June and run through December. Venues include Parcel 5, MLK Jr. Memorial Park at Manhattan Square and Roc City Skate Park.
CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival announces lineup and moves all headliners to Parcel 5 for free: The Rochester jazz fest shows typically held at the Eastman Theatre — the ones with the bigger price tags and the more widely known artists — are moving outdoors for the 2022 edition. And they’ll be free. After a two-year pandemic-driven hiatus, the fest returns this summer for its traditional nine-day stretch, from June 17 to 25, spread across downtown venues. And the festival’s headliner shows will now be at Parcel 5 downtown, and at no cost. Grammy winner Wynonna Judd was to have been one of them, but canceled following the death of her mother, Naomi Judd. Stepping in in her place will be Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, an Americana band out of Nashville.
Rochester Summer Soul Music Festival headliner, schedule announced: Grammy winner Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds will headline the 26th annual Rochester Summer Soul Music Festival in August. The singer/songwriter/producer caps off a slate of events Aug. 26 and 27 at Frontier Field.
CMAC announces summer concerts: Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center near Canandaigua has a full summer concert lineup that includes Ringo Starr, Robert Plant and Allison Krauss, Kenny Chesney, James Taylor and Jackson Brown. Some CMAC shows are sold out and others are close to it.
Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments. Send story tips to [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @MarciaGreenwood.
