ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Here’s your guide to what’s happening around the Rochester area on Thursday. You can see more upcoming events in our community calendar.
Harborfest at Ontario Beach Park
The 40th annual Harborfest at Ontario Beach Park kicks off on Thursday evening, featuring some special events celebrating America’s 250th birthday.
Harborfest runs through Sunday, with free admission. This year’s festival includes professional and amateur sand sculpting demonstrations, a visit from a historic ship, waterskiing, an acrobatic show, a beach volleyball tournament, carnival games, rides, live music, and more. There will also be tours of the 200-year-old Charlotte Genesee Lighthouse for a fee.
RELATED: Harborfest at Ontario Beach Park set to kick off amid high, possibly damaging winds
The festival kicks off at 5 p.m. on Thursday and runs through 10 p.m. with carnival rides and games. Then, Friday’s festivities run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., starting with a sand sculpture celebrating America 250. Friday will also mark the start of sailing tours aboard the historic 1893 schooner Lettie G. Howard. The ship will be at the festival through Sunday. You can book a tour here.
Saturday’s festivities kick off with the annual Harborfest 5K at 7:45 a.m. and 10K at 9 a.m. The races start at the beach and head along the Genesee River. You can sign up here. Then, the Regional Beach Volleyball Tournament begins at 8 a.m. On Saturday night, there will be an America 250 Boat Parade of Lights. Local boaters are welcome to participate in the parade on the Genesee River that gets underway at 9 p.m.
Harborfest will close out on Sunday. It runs from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with an Antique Fire Equipment Exhibit, a ROC City Circus Acrobats show, and performances at the music tent. You can see the full schedule here.
Fairport Angels Blood Drive
The Fairport Angels Blood Drive, one of the area’s largest annual blood drives, returns on Thursday, June 18, for the 15th year.
The blood drive is in memory of five teenagers who died in a 2017 crash, just days after they graduated from Fairport High School. It gets underway at 1 p.m. at St. John of Rochester on Wickford Way in Fairport and runs through 7 p.m.
You can pre-register for the blood drive by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767), or by visiting RedCrossBlood.org and entering the code “FaiportAngels” to schedule an appointment.
The blood drive honors Hannah Congdon, Bailey Goodman, Meridith McClure, Sara Monnat, and Katie Shirley. They were on their way to Keuka Lake to celebrate their graduation when a semi-truck hit their car in Bloomfield. Last year, News10NBC spoke with the mother of Katie Shirley, who thanked the community for donating blood and helping to save lives in memory of her daughter. We’ve spoken with other parents of the crash victims in previous years.
Organizers say the blood drive has helped to save more than 3,000 lives so far. A single blood donation can help to save up to three lives.
Rochester Juneteenth Block Party
Rochester’s Juneteenth Block Party on Thursday is moving indoors because of the high winds in the forecast. The celebration will take place inside Rochester City Hall on State Street from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. instead of Austin Steward Plaza. It will feature live music, food trucks, and other festivities.
Juneteenth commemorates the day that Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to tell ensalved African Americans that they were free, two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. The City of Rochester is also holding a celebration on Friday from noon to 5 p.m. and a parade and festival on Saturday to honor Juneteenth from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Happening Thursday: Harborfest, Fairport Angels Blood Drive, and Juneteenth celebration WHEC.com.
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