Celebrate Harriet Tubman Week in Auburn, NY
Each year on March 10, we commemorate the passing of Harriet Tubman by celebrating her life, accomplishments, and legacy on what is now known across the country as Harriet Tubman Day. Harriet Tubman Day was enacted as a national holiday in 1990 by the United States Congress as a way to celebrate her heroic work and in 2003 it became a legal holiday in New York State. Here in Auburn—Tubman’s chosen hometown for over 50 years of her life—we like to extend that celebration into what we refer to as:
Harriet TubmanWeek.
In honor of Harriet Tubman, the Cayuga County Office of Tourism is proud to unveil a brand-new Harriet Tubman poster. Created in collaboration with David Owens of Owens Illustrations and rangers from the National Park Service at the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park, the poster depicts Tubman as she might have looked during her early years in Auburn standing in front of the AME Zion Church on Parker Street—the location where she herself attended services and where her funeral was held, March 1, 1913.
Designed not only to honor Harriet Tubman’s legacy but also to encourage residents and visitors alike to “explore national history in Cayuga County,” this poster is the first in a series of five that Tour Cayuga will be releasing throughout 2024 highlighting historical figures of note who resided within the county.
The Tubman poster will be available for free (beginning March 10) from the Cayuga County Tourism Office in the NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center. Request your poster by contacting the Tour Cayuga Office at 315-255-1658 or info@tourcayuga.com.
Harriet Tubman, was a former slave who fought tirelessly to free other slaves by assisting them in fleeing their captors. She was a conductor on the Undergound Railroad and is credited with being the most successful conductor along the route . She was also a Civil War Hero, serving in the U.S. Army as a scout, spy, nurse and was the first women in U.S history to lead a military expedition! Click here learn more about Harriet Tubman’s life and legacy.
In addition to picking up a Harriet Tubman poster,
there are several other ways to celebrate Harriet Tubman Day (or week!) in Cayuga County:
- 2nd Annual “You Matter” Women’s Conference: Hosted by the NAACP and the Harriet Tubman Liberation Foundation, this three-day conference will be hosted in Auburn on March 8-10, and will feature presentations from Women of Color facilitators who are experts in their fields, providing vital, life-changing information on women’s healthcare, mental healthcare, spiritual direction, nutrition, eldercare, and yoga.
- Harriet Tubman Day: On March 10, the NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center will be hosting a celebration with special guests, live music, official proclamations, commemorative souvenirs, and more to celebrate Tubman’s life and legacy. The event will be followed by a panel at the Auburn Public Theater, “Passing the Torch: Honoring Harriet Tubman’s Legacy for Another Generation.”
- 3rd Annual Brave Brews Festival: In honor of Harriet Tubman’s entrepreneurial spirit, celebrate and support the enterprising women and nonbinary individuals reinventing New York’s craft beverage industry from March 8-10. Inspired by Prison City Brewing’s annual Pink Boots Society Collaboration Brew Day, this weekend kicks off Women’s History Month and creates a welcoming environment for craft beverage professionals and consumers.
- Minority & Women Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Opportunities Information Session: In collaboration with Taste NY and Cornell Cooperative, Harvest NY will be hosting a MWBE information session on March 8 at the NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center, featuring refreshments and a panel discussion with guests from Empire State Development’s Division of Minority and Women Business Development.
- Visit the Harriet Tubman Home and take a tour of the property she owned and lived for over 50 years. Tour the Tubman Home for the Aged and explore the visitors center. Please note: preregistration is required and tour are held Tue-Sat at 10am and 2pm.
- Pay your respects at Fort Hill Cemetery, Harriet Tubman’s final resting place. Her headstone is engraved with the dedication, “Servant of God, Well Done” and is usually adorned with various mementos left by visitors. Fort Hill Cemetery was originally a fortified village occupied by Indigenous people know as the Cayuga, this land was used for burial mounds as early as 1100 A.D.
- After paying your respects at Fort Hill Cemetery, stop by the Thompson Memorial AME Zion Church, it’s just a short walk. See the exterior of the church Harriet Tubman pledged $500 to build and where she attended services for 22 years and where her funeral was held. It is now owned by the National Park Service and is currently being restored to mimic how it would have look when was first built.
- Visit Seward House Museum, and tour the home of William H. Seward ( U.S Secretary of State under President Lincoln) and his wife Frances Seward. Avid abolitionist, their basement was used as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Click here to discover other places in Cayuga County that where used as Underground Railroad Stops and take a self guided tour.
- In front of the Equal Rights Heritage Center pose for a picture in front of the bronze statue of Harriet Tubman. Inside learn about the New Yorkers who fought for the abolition of slavery as part of the “Seeing Equal Rights IN NYS” interactive exhibit. While there learn more about the self guided Harriet Tubman’s Lantern Trail. This is an immersive outdoor experience that highlights unique moments in Auburn’s history. The whole city is part of Harriet Tubman’s story.
For more information on places to visit to learn more about Harriet Tubman click here.