Fall 2011 Activities and Events

September 11, 2011 
Welcome Picnic at Greece Canal Park
241 Elmgrove Road, Greece
3:00–7:00 pm.

Welcome to Rochester with an opportunity to meet international students from around the city, socialize with RIC members, enjoy sports, nature trails, and a barbecue with lots of good food.  Sign up in ISO or ISS for a ride.  

September 23, 2011
Square Dance at the Barn at Liberty Hill
2201 Lehigh Station Road, home of the RIT President
7:00 – 10:00 pm. 

Learn traditional American folk dance and celebrate a new semester.  Wear comfortable clothes and shoes to dance on a wooden floor.  Light refreshments.  RIT students can sign up in ISS for a ride. 


October 22, 2011
Fall Hike to Letchworth
10:00 am – 4:30 pm

Letchworth Park is known as the Grand Canyon of the East!  Ride a charter bus into the country to enjoy the Fall color, have a picnic lunch(vegetarian options available), then hike to see several spectacular waterfalls.  Make your reservation on our website. Letchworth Hike Registration

October 30, 2011
Mt. Hope Cemetery Tour & Afternoon Tea,

Celebrate Halloween by meeting at our most famous cemetery at 1:00 pm for a stroll through the past, North Gatehouse on Mt. Hope Ave.  A local historian provides a humorous history of the Rochester area and its famous citizens.  Gather in a nearby home afterward for tea, cakes and conversation.  Limit 25 participants – sign up required.   

*Thursday, November 24, 2011
Thanksgiving Dinner    

RIC members and friends in the Rochester area
invite students into their homes to share in this traditional holiday feast. International students join American families for this traditional celebration.  Sign up in RIC office or by email to (jw@rifc.org) by November 16.

* These events require advance registration

Spring 2011 Activities and Events

Sunday, January 16
Mendon Ponds Winterfest
10:30 am – 4:00 pm

Join RIC members and international students/scholars and their families at the Mendon Ponds Winterfest at Mendon Ponds Park in Pittsford. This is an indoor/outdoor event. Come prepared for sled dog race, hay ride, snow show demonstration and hike, and cross country ski displays, lessons and tours. Play and enjoy the winter fun! Refreshments will be provided. Click here for the RIC flyer for this event and the map of the park. Send an email to the RIC office (jw@rifc.org) if you need a ride by Wednesday, January 12. (free)

Friday, February 18
Country Western Line Dancing  
6:30 – 9:00 pm

If you enjoyed the Square Dance, don’t miss the fun of Line Dancing – you don’t even need a partner.  An instructor will teach you everything you need to know for this popular American dance form.  It is best to wear smooth soled shoes or boots which slide on a dance floor, not tennis shoes. Make reservations in ISO or ISS. Brighton Town Park, 777 Westfall Rd.  Click here for the flyer. (no fee)

Friday, March 18
International Insights:  Film “Our Summer in Tehran”
7:00 pm

Join us for a screening of the film “Our Summer in Tehran” followed by a panel discussion and refreshments. The documentary chronicles the 2007 trip to Iran by the filmmaker and her six-year old son, giving viewers a glimpse into daily life through the lives of three Iranian families. For more information, click here.

*Sunday, March 20
Maple Sugar Tour at Cumming Nature Center 
9:30 am – 3:30 pm

Take an hour’s drive through the country to Cumming Nature Center. Walk through the wooded grounds to discover how maple syrup is made, enjoy the hands-on displays, and try to tap a tree yourself. Learn what role maple syrup has played in early American history. Enjoy a hearty breakfast with other students and RIC members. Non-refundable advance payment of $15 required. Click here for the flyer. Register here!

*Sunday, April 10
Trip to Corning  
8:45 am – 6:00 pm

All day trip to Corning Museum of Glass and Rockwell Museum of Western Art. The Corning Museum of Glass is the world's largest glass museum, featuring 35 centuries of glass artistry, live glassblowing demonstrations, Sandblasting Workshop and an International Glass Market. The Rockwell Museum of Western Art features the best of American Western and Native American art. Non-refundable fee of $35 includes bus, lunch, museum admissions and tours, and Sandblasting workshop. Click here for the flyer. Register here!

*Friday, April 29
Wine Tasting at the renovated Strathallan 
5:30 – 8:30 pm

Bring your friends to sample an assortment of international wines and a sumptuous Viennese dessert buffet.  Must be over 21. $35 per person.

* These events require advance registration

Rochester International Council
4-219, Dewey Hall, University of Rochester Rochester, NY 14627 USA
phone (585) 275-8779 fax (585) 756-8086 e-mail: jw@rifc.org
Office Hours: 9:30 am to 4:30 pm Eastern Time, Monday-Friday,
closed Thursday