Schumer: NEW Trump Admin’s Senseless Bureaucracy Threatens to STOP Seneca Falls “right to RUN” Celebration, Senator Demands National PARK Service CUT Through RED TAPE to Ensure Beloved Local Event CAN...

National Park Service Said It Cannot Approve Permit For Planned Seneca Falls Event Celebrating Women’s Rights Because Of Trump Executive Order Forcing Review Of How Events At National Parks Characterize American History, Throwing New Hurdles And Delaying Permit Process
10thAnnual “Right To Run 5K/19K Race Weekend” Celebration Draws Hundreds Of Athletes, Tourists, And Spectators To Downtown Seneca Falls To Commemorate Pivotal Role In Women’s Rights Movement; Schumer Calls On NPS To Approve Permits ASAP So Event Can Continue As Planned
Schumer To NPS: Cut The Red Tape And Approve Race Permits For Seneca Falls To Celebrate History
After hearing reports of needless Trump bureaucracy threatening a beloved Seneca Falls celebration on Mother’s Day weekend, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today called on the National Park Service (NPS) to immediately approve permits so the 10thannual Right to Run 5K/19K Weekend Celebration can continue as planned. Schumer said event organizers were informed the NPS was unable to approve a necessary permit in time because of a recent Trump executive order, and now Schumer is demanding immediate action to ensure this prized Finger Lakes event, which is about to enter its 10thyear, can continue as planned.
“For nearly a decade, families and athletes from across the country have come to Seneca Falls for the beloved ‘Right to Run’ celebration, but now that tradition is under threat because of new, senseless Trump bureaucracy. Organizers can’t get the permits they need because of a last-minute hurdle stemming from a Trump executive order, and that could derail the event. That means fewer tourists here in the Finger Lakes and fewer people coming to visit Seneca Falls and spending money at our shops and restaurants,”said Senator Schumer.“We cannot risk this event when we are so close to the finish line. The National Park Service needs to cut the red tape and immediately approve permits in time for event organizers to welcome hundreds of athletes, tourists, and spectators to beautiful Seneca Falls on Mother’s Day Weekend.”
Schumer explained that event organizers were informed that the NPS was unable to approve a necessary permit in time because of a recent Trump executive order calling for the Department of the Interior to re-examine how public monuments and events occurring at those monuments characterize American history and values. The celebration starts at the Women’s Rights National Historical Park, which, as part of the National Park system, is under the Department of the Interior’s jurisdiction. The weekend was to open Friday evening at the National Park’s outdoor Declaration Park amphitheater and adjoining Myndeerse Street with local food and Finger Lakes wine and craft beer venders, local musicians, along with wellness workshops, nationally recognized artist exhibits, and the keynote address and opening ceremony in the National Park’s historic Wesleyan Chapel where the 1848 Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Convention was held. Without a federal permit, organizers cannot use this site, putting the beloved race weekend at risk.
Schumer’s letter to National Park Service Comptroller Jessica Bowron can be foundHERE.
The Right to Run is led by Daniele Bonafiglia, CEO of BonaDent Dental Laboratories, along with Judy Wentzel and Hannah Wood, fellow community leaders based in Seneca Falls.
Right to Run Race Organizer Daniele Bonafigliasaid, "Seneca Falls is our home, we live here, we work here, and we’re doing this because we’re proud of the historical significance of community. The Right to Run is more than just a race, it represents a shared vision for the power of our history to bring people together to celebrate our past while inspiring our future. To see all that community-driven 'good' stalled by Washington feels like a step backward for the community we love so much."
According to event organizers, the Right to Run can’t get the permits they need because of a last-minute hurdle stemming from a Trump executive order, and that could derail the race, as well as the major sculpture installation by acclaimed artist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, and this year’s Right to Run's keynote speaker, Tiffany Shlain. The Right to Run is a decade-old tradition, led and organized by local Seneca Falls-based residents and community members, rooted in the history of the women’s rights movement and intentionally centered at the birthplace of that movement to elevate Seneca Falls as a national destination rooted in history, culture, and community. Hundreds of people are scheduled to convene in downtown Seneca Falls on Mother’s Day weekend for the tenth year to celebrate Seneca Falls’ role as the birthplace of the women’s rights movement, while boosting the local economy by supporting Main Street restaurants and shops. The celebration brings together the athletic, arts, and literary communities for a weekend of programming that honors women’s rights while driving meaningful economic activity for the region.
Artist and Emmy-nominated filmmaker, Tiffany Shlain, this year's Right to Run keynote speaker, said, "The Right to Run event and installation of my sculptureDendrofemonology: A feminist history tree ringis meant to honor women’s rightful place in our country, and celebrate the perseverance of those who continue to protect and expand women’s rights. Women helped create this country, our history matters."
Schumer has long supported Seneca Falls’ development as a nationally recognized cultural center and historical destination, securing over$5 million for the Women’s Rights National Historic Parkand $500,000 to help complete construction of theNational Women’s Hall of Fameat the historic Knitting Mill building in the heart of Seneca Falls.
In a letter to NPS Comptroller Jessica Bowron, Schumer explained that this permit must be quickly granted so the event can welcome hundreds of athletes, tourists, and spectators to downtown Seneca Falls to celebrate its history and support local Main Street businesses and restaurants.
Schumer’s letter to National Park Service Comptroller Jessica Bowron can be foundHEREor below:
Dear Comptroller Bowron,
I write to urge you to approve the pending Special Use Permit request for the 10thAnnual Right to Run 5K/19K Weekend Celebration scheduled for May 8-9th, 2026, at the Women’s Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, New York. Despite months of coordination, organizers have been informed by the Women’s Rights National Historical Park’s Superintendent now at the last minute that the permit cannot be approved at this time due to President Trump’s Executive Order 14253 and Secretarial Order 3432. Put plainly, this event and its weekend-long women’s rights celebration and activities that draw hundreds of athletes, tourists, and spectators to downtown Seneca Falls directly supporting Seneca County’s tourism, local economy, and tax revenue while injecting tourism dollars into local Main Street businesses, restaurants, and shops, is all now being jeopardized due to this senseless bureaucratic Executive Order.
The Right to Run is a decade-old tradition, led and organized by local Seneca Falls-based residents and community members, rooted in the history of the women’s rights movement and intentionally centered at the birthplace of that movement to elevate Seneca Falls as a national tourism destination rooted in history, culture, and community. It brings together the athletic, arts, and literary communities for the race and also for a weekend of programming that celebrates women’s rights while driving meaningful economic activity for the region. It was to feature a kickoff Friday evening Block Party in the heart of the Town of Seneca Falls at the Nation Park’s Declaration Park amphitheater and adjoining Myndeerse Street with local food and Finger Lakes wine and craft beer venders, local musicians, along with wellness workshops, nationally recognized artist exhibits, and the keynote address and opening ceremony in the National Park’s historic Wesleyan Chapel where the 1848 Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Convention was held and where the Declaration of Sentiments was signed by the 300 participants who, as isstated on the National Park website, “met at the Wesleyan Chapel to protest the laws and customs that discriminated against women.”
Organizers have worked diligently with National Park Service staff throughout the planning process, engaging in good faith and maintaining consistent communication as they developed their plans. At this late stage, however, thanks to a new Executive Order from President Trump, they are now being forced to navigate last-minute uncertainty tied to a new federal review requirement mere weeks before the event.
As the Women’s Rights National Historical Park Superintendent Ahna Wilson stated in correspondence to the organizers, their permit request would not likely be considered by the time of the Right to Run Weekend Celebration, due to the Executive Order and the delay it is causing the National Park Service to review exhibits throughout the National Park Service including reviewing America 250thcontent, explaining: “In accordance withExecutive Order 14253andSecretarial Order 3431: Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History, all National Park units must submit new interpretive media projects and/or content for review to ensure that all public facing content focuses on ‘the greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people or, with respect to natural features, the beauty, abundance, and grandeur of the American Landscape’. This includes new permanent (long term) and temporary (short term) ‘public monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar properties.’ This includes displays as part of Special Park Use Permits.”
The Annual Right to Run weekend is not a quick set-up and tear down event. It is a multi-day celebration taking place on Mother’s Day weekend, drawing hundreds of participants and visitors into Seneca Falls. The event supports food vendors, local businesses, and tourism, while also activating the broader network of women’s history organizations and heritage sites that define the community, like the National Women’s Hall of Fame, and the Women’s Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, New York. Tourism has become a major industry in Seneca Falls, and events like this are not incidental – they are essential to sustaining that growth and reinforcing the community’s identity as the birthplace of the women’s rights movement.
This kind of uncertainty is particularly damaging for an event of this scale. Unlike smaller or single-day gatherings, a multi-day event requires coordination across multiple partners, schedules, and physical spaces. Vendors must be secured, programming must be finalized, and visitors must make travel plans. Moreover, this weekend brings visitors from across New York and beyond directly into Seneca Falls, supporting local businesses, increasing tourism activity, and contributing to the local economy and tax base. Disruption at this stage threatens that economic activity, and places unnecessary strain on the businesses and community that depend on it. A delayed determination at this stage is tantamount to a denial, bringing real, cascading consequences for organizers, participants, and the surrounding community.
I urge the National Park Service to swiftly grant the permit necessary for the Seneca Falls community to proceed with the 10thAnnual Right to Run 5K/19K Weekend Celebration. After ten years of successful programming and continued coordination with federal staff, it should not be this difficult for organizers to receive clarity on whether they can proceed. Avoidable uncertainty at this stage serves no one – not the organizers, not the community, and not the mission of the National Park Service.
My office stands ready to assist in facilitating a resolution to this issue. I respectfully request an update on the status of this permit, including where it currently sits within the review process, and the specific steps required to ensure that this event can proceed as planned no later than April 10, 2026.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your response.
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