Sensory-friendly event brings inclusive fun to Clay Town Park

Families spent Sunday at Clay Town Park in Liverpool for Big Hearts Big Fun Day, a free sensory-friendly event at 4821 Wetzel Road built for children with special needs and their loved ones. Callahan Entertainment set the gathering for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a rain date of July 26, 2026, and CNY Central’s photo gallery showed families at the park that day.

The event centered on the kind of environment many Onondaga County parents look for but do not always find in public recreation spaces: lower stimulation, a calmer pace and activities designed to reduce overload. For children who struggle with bright lights, loud music or crowded settings, that difference can determine whether a day out is enjoyable or impossible.

Callahan Entertainment framed the program as an inclusive outing, and the day brought in organizations with direct ties to disability services and family support. LifePlan CCO NY says its community networking events connect providers, community partners and families while elevating the voices of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Its Instagram bio says the organization is empowering 17K+ New Yorkers with IDD through person-centered care coordination.

Prime Care Coordination, which lists a Syracuse office and describes itself as help for people with disabilities in Upstate New York, was also part of the mix. That combination of an entertainment company and service organizations points to more than a simple park party. It shows how recreation, care coordination and outreach are increasingly overlapping in local family programming.

The Clay Town Park gathering also fits into a broader pattern across Central New York. Destiny USA says five of its entertainment venues, APEX Entertainment, Build-A-Bear, Museum of Intrigue, Regal and WonderWorks, offer sensory-friendly options after associates were professionally trained to meet the needs of that audience. Chuck E. Cheese in Syracuse advertises Sensory Sensitive Sundays, opening two hours early on the first Sunday of each month for a calmer, lower-stimulation experience.

Onondaga County Parks also keeps a regular calendar of family programming, adding another sign that accessible recreation is becoming part of the region’s public life rather than an occasional exception. For many families, that matters as much as any headline event: it means there are more places in Syracuse, Liverpool and across Onondaga County where children with sensory needs can take part without being pushed to the margins.