2026 Event: PLENTY TO DO during Seneca Falls Convention DAYS, July 17, 18, and 19!
Plan to spend the weekend of July 17, 18 and 19 in Seneca Falls, when the community will celebrate the anniversary of the first Women’s Rights Convention held there in 1848. It was the “shocking” moment when Elizabeth Cady Stanton declared that “all men AND WOMEN are created equal.”
The Town of Seneca Falls’ Convention Days Committee has planned lots of activities in conjunction with Convention Days, Inc., and Women’s Rights National Historical Park. Enjoy musicians, speakers, living history portrayers, even a “Free Speech Squawk Box,” where protesters can voice opposing views! Look at the event schedule for activity locations, or check the main stage at People’s Park in Seneca Falls.
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS:
On Friday night at 5:00 pm at the Community Center, Seneca Falls residents Joyce and Vito Sinicropi will be recognized as recipients of the annual Community Service Award, a long-standing tradition that kicks off the Convention Days weekend.
A Saturday Luncheon hosted by Convention Days, Inc., will feature special guests 101-year-old “Rosie the Riveter” Mary Masciangelo of Rochester, New York, and pioneering Olympic boxing coach Gloria “Coach” Peek of Geneva, New York. Ticket information and details appear in the feature story below.
The luncheon will be immediately followed at 1:00 pm by a free concert in People’s Park (rain location: the SF Community Center) which features the Cool Club and the Lipker Sisters.
Enjoy many family-fun activities and opportunities to participate in living history, brought to you by the Women’s Rights National Historical Park. Their fantastic team will be joined by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Fredrick Douglass throughout the day. Check the schedule page for times and programs. The Genesee Country Museum is also providing a ladies vintage base ball (the authentic wording!). Watch an exhibition game at noon at the Stanton Home on Washington Street. Meet the team and learn how base ball was played , and perhaps even join in the fun!
Following the music in People’s Park, speakers will include Leah N’tuala, Pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Seneca Falls and a local activist, who last year was featured in media reports following her lengthy trek on foot from Seneca Falls to an ICE detention center in Batavia, 75 miles away. Her perception of community, and our responsibility to it, is both inspirational and motivational. Her talk, “This is What Activism Looks Like,” will take place at 2:30, immediately following the music in the park, and will outline what we as ordinary citizens can do to make a difference.
Also speaking at 3:00 pm will be Nadia Shahram, an Iranian mediation attorney, author, and women’s rights advocate. Her work includes the Declaration of Equalities for Muslim Women, which she presented to the Women’s Rights National Historical Park in 2015, where it now hangs on permanent display in the Visitor Center. She will speak about her activism and being drawn to put focus on the atrocities of war and the plight of families – especially young women and men – living in Iran.
On Saturday night, from 7 to 9 pm, there will be more live music brought to you by the Town of Seneca Falls in People’s Park. Acclaimed local artists the Diana Jacob’s Band will play rock, jazz and funk under the stars.
On Sunday, the Women’s Institute for Leadership & Learning will once again host their annual Brunch in honor of Dr. Sally Roesch Wagner. Featured speakers will be Dr. Julie Bazan, Ed.D., Director of Operations at the National Women’s Hall of Fame, and Marilyn Tedeschi and Diana Smith, both founding board members of the Women’s Institute for Leadership and Learning (WILL) in Seneca Falls. Ticket information appears in an article below.
There are many more surprises and activities soon to be announced. Please check back often for updates!
Event
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REGISTER FOR THE SATURDAY LUNCHEON featuring special guests!
The 2026 Convention Days Saturday Luncheon will honor two women’s rights heroes: “Rosie the Riveter,” Mary Masciangelo, and Trailblazing Olympic Boxing Coach, Gloria “Coach” Peek.
The 2026 Women’s Rights Convention Days Anniversary
Luncheon will celebrate the two extraordinary women whose lives reflect courage, perseverance, and service: 101-year-old “Rosie the Riveter” Mary Masciangelo of Rochester, New York, and pioneering Olympic boxing coach Gloria “Coach” Peek of Geneva, New York.
Masciangelo stands as a living link to America’s Greatest Generation. During World War II, she answered the nation’s call as a “Rosie the Riveter,” assembling parachute pins and aviator goggles for the U.S. Air Corps. Like millions of women who stepped into vital wartime industrial roles, her precision, stamina, and dedication directly supported American servicemen overseas.
Today, Masciangelo continues her lifelong commitment to community service and support for Veterans through Honor Flight and numerous local initiatives. In 2025, she received the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor awarded collectively to the “Rosie the Riveters,” presented by Congressman Joe Morelle of Rochester, New York.
She was also selected for the prestigious Soaring Valor experience through the Gary Sinise Foundation at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, honoring WWII veterans and those who supported the war effort on the home front.
Joining Masciangelo is Gloria “Coach” Peek, a groundbreaking leader in American boxing and youth mentorship. Originally from Geneva, New York, Peek’s military service in the U.S. Navy and her professional work with young people helped shape a remarkable career dedicated to empowering others.
Through her “Gold Standard” Boxing program, Peek has mentored thousands of youths while working with organizations including the Boys & Girls Club, YWCA, youth detention programs, and community boxing centers across the United States.
In 2012, Peek made history as the first woman to coach boxing at the Olympic Games, leading the U.S. boxing team in London. Under her leadership, boxer Claressa Shields won a Gold Medal and Marlene Esparza earned a Bronze Medal. Peek also served as an Elite Boxing Coach with USA Amateur Boxing at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and later became Head Coach of the U.S. Boxing Team for the Pan-American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Both women embody the enduring “We Can Do It” spirit and continue to inspire generations through leadership, resilience, and service.
Following the luncheon, the public is invited to attend a free outdoor concert at 1:00 p.m. at People’s Park featuring The Cool Club & The Lipker Sisters of Rochester, New York. They
will be sharing their amazing blend of harmonizing jazz, soul, classic R & B, and old favorites.
Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs. Food and beverage vendors will be available on-
site.
EVENT INFORMATION
WHAT: 2026 Women’s Rights Convention Days Anniversary Luncheon
WHEN: Saturday, July 18, 2026 – 11:00 a.m.
WHO: Guest Speakers Mary Masciangelo, a “Rosie the Riveter,” and Gloria Peek, first female Olympic boxing coach
WHERE: Seneca Falls Community Center, 35 Water St., Seneca Falls, NY 13148
COST: $35.00 – Advanced reservations required. Vegetarian option available. Tickets are non-refundable.
TICKET INFORMATION
To purchase luncheon tickets, contact:
Fran Barbieri – 315-568-5966 (FTBarbieri@gmail.com)
Holly Anne Waye – 585-474-7627 (HollyAnneIAWLTV@gmail.com) or click here: Shop/Sponsor
Make checks payable to: Convention Days, Inc. and mail to: 2895 Garden Street Ext., Seneca Falls, NY 13148
For additional weekend events and information, visit: www.conventiondays.com
MEDIA CONTACT:
Holly Anne Waye
585-474-7627
HollyAnneIAWLTV@gmail.com
RESERVE YOUR TICKET FOR THE SUNDAY BRUNCH
The Women’s Institute for Leadership and Learning is once again sponsoring the annual Convention Days Sunday Brunch honoring the life of women’s rights pioneer Dr. Sally Roesch Wagner, Founder/Director of the Matilda Joselyn Gage Foundation. Sally was a prolific author, activist, historian and thought leader who was one of the first to draw significant attention to the influence of Haudenosaunee governance and tradition on the women’s rights movement. Her passing in 2025 was heartbreaking to those who sought out her wisdom and relied on Sally’s voice for guidance, as she was the mark of true north in the continuing fight for equality.
The speaker and details for the 2026 Sunday brunch will soon be announced. In the meantime, you’ll want to secure your ticket early. Seating is limited and last year’s turnout reached the maximum very quickly!
Tickets for the brunch are $40. To register, call Adriene Emmo at (315) 521-3461 or Diana Smith at (315) 283-3751, or click here: Shop/Sponsor
BE A SIGNER – BECOME A PART OF HISTORY!
Add your name to the Declaration of Sentiments, and commit to the fight for equality.
During the Convention Days Celebration, you can join many dignitaries and National Women’s Hall of Fame Inductees who have signed the Addendum to the Declaration of Sentiments originally penned by Elizabeth Cady Stanton. A statement of rededication written by Stanton great-great granddaughter Coline Jenkins and Seneca Falls Mayor Diana Smith, the Addendum notes that the fight for equality must continue, and that the words of the original declaration are as meaningful, relevant, and compelling as they were in 1848.
We encourage you to be a signer. Add your name and join the fight! No purchase or donation is needed.
If you choose to support Convention Days with a gift of $12.00 or more, you can choose to receive a commemorative pen to remember this important occasion.
Preorder below, then pick up your pen at the Festival and use it to be a signer! Join those who have made a personal commitment to make a difference, and who believe that “…all men and women are created equal…”