2026 Commencement Ceremony

At 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 9, we look forward to returning to the Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview to celebrate our graduates.

Please note the walk from the main gate to the seating area is a 7–10 minute walk.

Location

Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview
490 Restoration Way | Syracuse, N.Y. 13209

Food is available to purchase from Bull and Bear Roadhouse food trucks. Vegetarian options available. Beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages will also be available for purchase. Vendors are cashless; credit, debit, and mobile payments will be accepted.

Regalia

All students who participate in Commencement are required to wear a cap and gown. You can obtain these through the Syracuse University Bookstore in the Schine Student Center (bring your ESFID when you pick up) or by calling (315) 443-9900.

Undergraduate Students can purchase regalia at the SU Bookstore or order online.

Graduate students MUST order online. No Masters or Doctoral regalia will be available for purchase in store.

Please note, there is no charge to ship to store, but shipping charges do apply for the ship to home option.

ESF Regalia

Regalia Reuse Program

Alumni can donate gently used graduation regalia for soon-to-be graduates to rent and wear on their big day! On average, graduation regalia is only worn for 90 minutes, with over 5 million ending up in the landfill annually. By donating or borrowing graduation regalia, you are keeping “single use” textiles out of the landfill and further fulfilling ESF’s mission to Improve Our World!

Donating Regalia

Regalia should be clean, gently used, and free of stains or heavy perfumes/colognes

Only donate ESF-branded graduation regalia

How to donate:

Commencement ceremony: There will be a drop off bin at the Amp.
On campus: Bring it to the Office of Sustainability (123 Bray) or use a donation bin in Moon and Gateway the week after Commencement.
Ship it: Send your regalia to: Office of Sustainability, 1 Forestry Dr., 123 Bray Hall, Syracuse, N.Y. 13210

Borrowing Regalia

Submissions are now closed for May 2026 Commencement.

Parking/Drop Off

Guests may park on-site at the Amphitheater in the Orange Lot. Please follow directional signage and instructions from the ESF team.

There is a designated accessible parking or drop-off; please follow the signs once you enter the Orange Lot.

Clear Bag Policy

The Amphitheater has a clear-bag policy that limits the size and type of bags that may be brought into all events. Bags will be checked upon entry.

More Details on the Clear Bag Policy

Accessibility Details for Amphitheater

As we prepare for the 2026 Commencement ceremonies, we invite guests who require disability‑related accommodations to notify the Division of Student Affairs. Please email your requests to students@esf.edu.

Parking/ Drop-Off
Guests may park on-site at the Amphitheater in the Orange Lot. Students and guests with a valid handicap parking placard may park in the designated accessible section of the Orange Lot. The address for the venue is: 490 Restoration Way, Syracuse, NY 13209.

Guest Transportation and Walking Distances
Shuttles will be available to transport guests from the Orange Lot to the back entrance of the Amphitheater. From this entrance, there is still a walk to the seating area, though it is shorter than the walk from the main entrance. Guests entering through the main entrance should expect a walk of approximately 7 to 10 minutes to reach the seating area. Guests with limited mobility are encouraged to bring wheelchairs. Please see additional details below.

Accessibility Seating for Guests
Seating for guests with limited mobility is available adjacent to the wheelchair‑accessible seating rows. While we cannot guarantee availability in this section, we encourage guests to arrive early for the best selection of seats. To ensure that accessible seating remains available for those who need it, we ask that the guest with limited mobility be accompanied by only one additional guest in this area.

Captioning
Closed captioning will be provided for the ceremony. Captions will appear at the bottom of the jumbotron, which is visible from all seating areas within the Amphitheater. If additional accommodations are needed, please contact the Division of Student Affairs at students@esf.edu.

Wheelchairs
We strongly recommend that guests bring their own wheelchair or transport chair if needed. A very limited number of wheelchairs will be available on-site for short‑term assistance to and from seating areas. Because these chairs must remain available for other guests, they cannot be kept for the duration of the ceremony. A volunteer will return at the conclusion of the event to assist with transport back to the entrance.

Restrooms
Accessible restrooms are available in the East and West Plaza Restrooms. Portable toilets will also be available closer to the seating area.

Seating

All guests are to be seated in the Amp seats, not the lawn. Please note there will be sections designated for graduates and faculty; all other seating is available for guests.

Weather

Commencement will proceed, rain or shine! All seating at the Amp is covered.

Get Your ESF Gear

ESF merchandise will be available for purchase from the ESF Bookstore tent at the top of the lawn.