Happy 2026 from all of us at Friends of Stewart Park!
We’re kicking off the new year energized by the momentum of 2025 and inspired by what’s ahead. We wrapped up last year with a highlight—the installation of a new interpretive sign celebrating Louis Agassiz Fuertes and the Fuertes Bird Sanctuary and Overlook, just in time for the final day of 2025.
Looking ahead, we’re excited to bring the Wharton Studio & Café project to life with our partners at the Wharton Studio Museum and the City of Ithaca.
We couldn’t do it without you! Your support, enthusiasm, and advocacy keep Stewart Park thriving, and we can’t wait to share another year of growth and revitalization with you. 
Meloney McMurry Executive Director, Friends of Stewart Park |
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Our final project of 2025, the new Fuertes Overlook interpretive panel, was installed on December 31! We are so excited to share these pictures with you. Check it out in person the next time you are in Stewart Park! We plan to host a ribbon-cutting when the weather is a little warmer!
This project was made possible by the Estate of Tapan Mitra, with thanks to the Community Foundation of Tompkins County, the Triad Foundation, and individual donors.
Special thanks to Jane Graves, Dierdre Cunningham, Jody Enck, David Nutter, Iron Design, Historic Ithaca, and Janelle Alvstad-Mattson, overlook restoration volunteers, and contractors Brainstone, Riley Masonry and Accufab. |
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Parks and Trails Winter Safety and AccessFrom the City of Ithaca |
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As winter weather settles in, the City of Ithaca is reminding community members of important seasonal changes and safety considerations when visiting City parks, including Cass Park, Stewart Park, and neighborhood parks throughout the city. The Ithaca Youth Bureau manages both Cass Park and Stewart Park on behalf of the City and encourages all visitors to enjoy these spaces safely and responsibly during the colder months. Please CLICK HERE to read more about safely and access regarding restrooms, playgrounds, trails, bodies of water and more. |
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25 Pictures to Remember 2025 |
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FSP sent out a “Year in Pictures” e-news to close out 2025. In case you missed it, here are 25 pics to celebrate 2025. |
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Even in the stark winter, Stewart Park’s beauty is undeniable.
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2, 3. Friends of Stewart Park welcomed our new Executive Director, Meloney McMurry after Rick Manning’s retirement from the position. |
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Construction on the Picnic Pavilion Addition was completed in early 2025. The 925 sq. ft. addition serves as storage for the Ithaca Youth Bureau's Stewart Park Day Camp, consolidating the camp's operations into one building, enhancing camper safety.
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Built-in cubbies with hooks were added by the side door to the building.
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Diana Riesman, executive director and co-founder at Wharton Studio Museum and Friends of Stewart Park’s board president, received Tompkins Weekly’s Hometown Hero award.
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The new Addition to the Picnic enhanced by new grass and trees in bloom.
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Spring volunteers included Zero Waste Ithaca and Ithaca College’s Park School of Communications students who braved gale force winds to collect trash, raked the playground, and built new benches!
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10, 11. I Love My Park Day volunteers showed up in force to paint inside the Picnic Pavilion Addition, spread mulch and more. We were especially tickled by the young folks from Love Ithaca, whose enthusiasm could not be dampened by the rain and cold. |
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We celebrated the official opening of the Picnic Pavilion Addition on May 30, 2025 with Assemblymember Anna Kelles, State Senator Lea Webb, and representatives from the City of Ithaca, Wharton Studio Museum, FSP, and other supporters.
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The Picnic Pavilion Addition is dedicated to the memory of Todd Peterson, who worked for the Ithaca Youth Bureau's Stewart Park Day Camp for more than thirty years, as well as with Belle Sherman Elementary School and Running to Places (R2P) Theatre Company. Todd changed the lives of thousands of children for the better. His dedication plaque was unveiled by his sister, Julia Stewart.
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Ribbon cutting guests were offered "sneak peak" of Stewart Park’s future, with refreshments served at café tables and chairs in the location of the Wharton Studio & Cafe terrace. FSP installed an exhibition featuring WS&C renderings and history of the building, providing information while also enhancing the Wharton Building facade!
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On Sunday, July 27, Friends of Stewart Park and Triphammer Arts hosted WaterMusic and Dancing on the Trail. Thanks to performers including Jorge Cuevas and the Caribe All-Stars, Joe Crookston, Nikolai Ruskin, the Triphammer Arts Dancers, Grassanova and many more for making the event special.
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| 16. Thanks to the generous support of the Strategic Tourism Planning Board and the Tompkins County Legislature, FSP was able to upgrade and add wayfinding signs in the park. |
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FSP gardeners worked tirelessly in Stewart Park and along the Cayuga Waterfront Trail to help keep everything beautiful, maintained, and safe. Thanks to Gretchen, Frank, Rick, and Mary for their hard work this year!
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18, 19. FSP works closely with the City of Ithaca and many of their employees. We said goodbye to carousel operator Dawn Stillwell, who retired after seven years of welcoming children, families, and visitors with a smile.
We were also happy to welcome Lloyd McKend as the City’s new Working Supervisor for Stewart Park! |
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Friends of Stewart, Wharton Studio Museum, The City of Ithaca, Bero Architecture, Taitem Engineering, Sciarabba Engineering, and W.L. Kline were winners of a 2025 Preservation Award from Historic Ithaca, recognized for excellence for their work on the compatible extension to the Stewart Park Large Picnic Pavilion.
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21, 22. We celebrated the 10th Annual Party for the Park fundraiser in style, with guests dressing to represent their favorite decades. |
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This year marked the third time Friends of Stewart Park had the honor of hosting Code Red Robotics for an afternoon of service. Forty-six high school students from the FIRST robotics team 639 spread mulch, disassembled broken picnic tables, painted new table boards, picked up litter and more!
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FSP gardener Frank Muller is also an excellent photographer. Here’s his picture on a foggy fall day off the Cayuga Waterfront Trail. @frankmullerphoto on Instagram.
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| We introduced the new Stewart Park Poster, a collaboration with artist and educator Tyler Nordgren. You might recognize Tyler’s work from his posters for the Erie Canal, New York State Parks and NASA. The poster is available here:
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If you appreciate the work that Friends of Stewart Park does, please consider a year-end gift. Your donations help keep our organization running so we can continue to write grants, mobilize volunteers, advocate for the park and plan for its future. |
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