NATIONAL ABOLITION HALL of Fame & Museum
Walk the
FIFTH ANNUAL ABOLITION ROAD
Events
Friday Evening, October 9, 2026 ~ 5-6:30pm
Oneida County Freedom Trail
Guided Walking Tour/Talk Through Downtown Utica
5:00pm-6:30pm Rain or Shine No Registration required Meet at: Utica Coffee, 92 Genesee St, Utica, NY 13502, Gather at outdoor seating area 5:00-5:30 Lingo Family Singers perform as the historic abolitionist Hutchinson Singers 5:30-6:30 Guided Walking Tour: walk begins at Mechanics Hall sign, and ends at Utica Rescue sign Free and open to the community--no registration needed
Saturday Morning, October 10, 2026 ~ 8:00am
Fifth Annual ABOLITION WALK
102 S Peterboro St, Canastota NY 13032 to Clockville NY 13043
and return to S. Peterboro St, Canastota NY 13032
Register Here to Walk or Ride*
Saturday, October 10, 2026
*A bus will be available for those who prefer to ride. Seating is limited. Ride reservations must be made by September 15. First 104 students register for free.
Route Of Reform
Walk with us and trace a portion of the footsteps of 104 abolitionists who escaped an angry pro-slavery mob in Utica in October 1835, embarked on a barge to Canastota, and climbed the hills to Peterboro, where they formed the New York State Antislavery Society.
The Lingo Family singers will perform 19th C. reform songs. Buses are provided for folks who need a lift all or part of the way.
Route Of Reform is funded in part with support from the
NYS Canal Corporation and the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.
Why we walk
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When a group convened in Utica to form the New York State Antislavery Society in 1835, they were disrupted by an angry mob of anti-abolitionists. Gerrit Smith stepped forward and invited the delegates to "Come to Peterboro" to resume the meeting.
This historic event motivated Gerrit Smith to devote himself to the abolitionist cause, making Central New York the heart of the abolitionist movement in America, a safe haven for persons escaping slavery, and a respite for influential reformers in our region during the decades leading up to the civil war.
Abolition Walk
Route & Schedule
Walk or ride the bus from Canastota to Clockville and back (5.4 miles - 2 hrs).
Check back here for the latest news and updates to the schedule.
Transportation
A bus will be available for those who prefer to ride all the way - and back. The bus registrations must be made by September 15.
The bus is also available for those who need a short rest from walking.
Mission
Our goal is to celebrate unity in Central New York and shine a light on a largely unrecognized, pivotal moment in the history of the abolitionist movement. We seek broad participation to make this dramatic local history a source of pride and inspiration for freedom-loving people everywhere.
Proceeds from the Abolition Walk will benefit