WEEKEND GUIDE: ROC the Riverway Weekend, Hilton Apple Festival, and more

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Here’s your guide to events happening this weekend in the Rochester area. You can learn more about what’s happening around town on our Community Calendar.

ROC the Riverway Weekend (Friday through Sunday)

A three-day event series celebrating the Genesee River kicks off on Friday. ROC the Riverway Weekend features over two dozen activities to celebrate the city’s relationship with the river.

ROC the Riverway Weekend dates back more than 40 years and will also highlight the city’s more than 30 projects along the river.

Some activities include boat cruises, historical presentations, and a chance to see the fall salmon run. There are also guided walking and biking tours. Here’s the schedule for each day. You can register and see more details here.

Friday:

• Fall Salmon Run: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Genesee River and Erie Canal Boat Cruises: 1:30 to 3 p.m. and 3:30 to 5 p.m.
• Genesee River and Erie Canal Boat Cruise with Live Music: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Reconnect Rochester’s “Light Up The Night Ride”: Gather at 6, ride begins at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday:

• Fall Salmon Run: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Sturgeon Release in the Genesee River: 10 a.m. to noon
• Tours of the Lower Falls and Gorge: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Rochester’s Origins Walking Tour: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
• ROC the Riverway Guided Bike Tour: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
• Boat Cruise: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• From the Beyond: Tales of Melancholy, Grief, and Tragedy: Noon to 1:45 p.m.
• Historic High Falls Walking Tour: 1 to 2 p.m.
• Charlotte Genesee Lighthouse Tours: 1 to 5 p.m.
• Genesee River and Erie Canal Boat Cruises: 1:30 to 3 p.m. and 3:30 to 5 p.m.
• Guided Paddle Clean-Up from the Genesee Waterways Center: 3 to 6 p.m.

Sunday:

• Fall Salmon Run: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Autumn at the Lake: Noon to 3 p.m.
• Walking tour of historic Charlotte: 1 to 2 p.m.
• Mount Hope Cemetery Walking Tour: 1 to 2:30 p.m.
• The Genesee River and the Third Ward Walking Tour: 2 to 4 p.m.
• Genesee River and Erie Canal Boat Cruises: 1:30 to 3 p.m. and 3:30 to 5 p.m.

Hilton Apple Fest (Saturday and Sunday)

The 42nd annual Hilton Apple Fest returns this weekend featuring all kinds of apple products and over 130 vendors selling handmade crafts.

It all takes place in the Village of Hilton around Lake Ontario Parkway, Clarkson-Parma Town Line Road, and Ridge Road. You can see a map here. The festival features a kids’ entertainment corner, pony rides, and fishing for apples.

There will be plenty of treats at the Hilton Apple Fest Farm Market including from Zarpentine R&K Bakery, Partyka Farms, Brookside Maple Farm, and Tripleberry Farm. There will also be live music from multiple bands.

The Hilton Apple Fest Auto Show, one of the largest in the area according to organizers, takes place on Saturday. This year’s competition celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Mustang, with an awards presentation at 4 p.m.

There will be free parking and shuttle services at Hilton High School on East Avenue. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Walk to End Alzheimer’s (Saturday)

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is taking place on Saturday at Innovative Field, raising funds for research and other programs that the Alzheimer’s Association is involved with.

Registration opens at 9 a.m. and the walk begins at 10 a.m. Walkers will get flowers to carry during the walk. In New York State, more than 426,500 people are living with Alzheimer’s and there are 543,000 caregivers. You can register and donate here.

Out of the Darkness Walk (Saturday)

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention of Rochester is holding a walk on Saturday to raise awareness and funding for preventing suicides.

The Out of the Darkness Community Walk is taking place at Veterans Memorial Park in Penfield. Registration begins at 10 a.m. and the walk begins after a program at 11:30 a.m. You can register here.

Last year, the Out of the Darkness Community Walks across the country raised $22.8 million for suicide prevention including research, education, advocacy, and survivor support.

The Courage Bowl (Saturday)

The St. John Fisher Cardinals and the Brockport Golden Eagles are set to face off in the 19th annual Courage Bowl. The focus of this game goes much deeper than just the action on the field.

The game is one of the biggest fundraisers for Camp Days and Special Times, which holds recreational activities to improve the quality of life of children affected by cancer or sickle-cell anemia. For a pair of Cardinals teammates, it’s personal. You can see our story here.

If you’re looking forward to the game, make sure to get to Brockport for a 1 p.m. kickoff on Saturday. You can get tickets to the game here.