About Us

Ontario Beach Park Program Committee

Who We Are

The Ontario Beach Park Program Committee (OBPPC) is a Not for Profit, 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to producing free and low cost family entertainment events in Ontario Beach Park, the Port of Rochester harbor and the lower Genesee River area in the City of Rochester, New York. Comprised entirely of volunteers, the organization’s mission is to promote the use and responsible development of Rochester’s unique Lake Ontario and Genesee River resources.

History of the Park and the Program Committee
(scroll to bottom to see a yesteryear gallery of Ontario Beach Park!)

Ontario Beach Park in Rochester, New York has been an important part of Rochester culture, commerce, and community for over 150 years. In its early days and over many decades, the Park and Port of Rochester area where the Genesee River completes its course into Great Lake Ontario was a dazzling cornucopia of attractions and amenities. With the lakeshore offering much cooler air and breezes than the core of the city a few miles to the south, Ontario Beach Park was a go-to source of summer relief and relaxation before the advent of air conditioning. Called “The Coney Island of the West,” the Rochester waterfront on Great Lake Ontario was laden with attractions, hotels and cottages, amusements, and was served by trains and trolleys from all over the region.

Check out this fascinating history of Ontario Beach Park

Ontario Beach Park and the lakeshore today are still marvelous places to spend time–iconic and important pieces of the Rochester community that offer natural and cultural delights all year round.

The seeds of the Ontario Beach Park Program Committee were planted in 1981 by the Charlotte Community Association and the Charlotte Area Business Association. Concerned about the deterioration of Ontario Beach Park, the de-commissioning of the Rochester Port Authority, closure and neglect of the port properties, and proposals for various commercial uses of the valuable waterfront area, the organizations began discussing ways to bring the area back as the attractive destination that it was in the early 1900s when the area was described as the “Coney Island of the West.”

In 1984, the committee served as the nucleus for the planning of the Lake Ontario Tall Ships Festival, a major component of the City of Rochester’s Sesquicentennial Celebration. The event attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors to the area, most of whom had not visited in years, if ever, and as a result reawakened interest in the beach and the harbor area.

Building upon the success of the Tall Ships Festival and recognizing that a key to resurgence of the area was the need for year-round free and low-cost entertainment and activities that would attract families, the Ontario Beach Park Program Committee (OBPPC) was established. To ensure that all facets of the community were involved, the OBPPC Board of Directors has always been comprised of representatives from each of the major community organizations, each of which appoint a representative to serve on the Board together along with members elected at-large. Working out of the old Port Authority warehouses back in the 1980s, plans quickly took shape to replicate the Tall Ships Fest with an annual Harborfest, concerts, dances and other community events, most of which continue today. A giant indoor sand sculpture diorama was commissioned depicting the area’s past, present and future–to serve as a visual roadmap to the unlimited potential.

For nearly four decades now, the Ontario Beach Park Program Committee has worked nonstop to bring activity and vibrancy to Rochester’s unique Great Lake Ontario shoreline.

Recognized for its service to the community by the New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the New York State Legislature, the Monroe County Legislature, the City and Mayor of Rochester and Rochester City Council, the OBPPC has produced events which have attracted millions to the area, year-round. As a direct result, interest and support of a once neglected water front area has surged, helping to spur multi-million dollar improvements to Ontario Beach Park, the development and repurposing of the Roger Robach Community Center, restoration of the historic Dentzel Carousel, and development of the William Johnson Port Terminal and Port of Rochester Marina.

What We Do

The Ontario Beach Park Program Committee works closely with Monroe County, the City of Rochester, other organizations and the community of Charlotte to plan and organize free-admission community events throughout the year. Events hosted annually include:

The Lakeside Winter Celebration and Rochester Polar Plunge – every February
Ontario Beach Kite Flight – First Sunday in May
Jazz at the Beach – Tuesday evenings monthly, April-November
Wegmans Concerts By The Shore – Wednesday evenings, June-August
Harborfest – every June
Spring and Fall Big Band Dance Series
Roc the Riverway – October

Operating entirely with volunteers and cooperative agreements with other organizations, events are financed through fund raisers, tax-deductible contributions, donations, corporate sponsorships, grants and vendor fees. The City of Rochester and Monroe County provide support through use of facilities, in kind logistical support and cooperative programming.

www.facebook.com/ontariobeachparkprogramcommittee

ontariobeachentertainment@gmail.com