Hundreds of Paddlers Fill the Waterford Flight | | |
More than 270 colorful kayaks and canoes journeyed through the Waterford Flight of five locks on Sunday, June 22 for our bicentennial paddling celebration, Paddle the Canals: Erie Canal 200! Paddlers from all corners of New York and 11 states, including North Carolina, Minnesota, Michigan and Washington, participated in the festive event, followed by lunch and walking tours of Peebles Island State Park.
Thank you to all participants, paddling volunteers, and volunteers from Friends of Peebles Island, Peebles Island State Park, Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site, and the US Coast Guard Auxiliary and NY State Police Marine Patrol Unit for making the event a terrific success. The event would not have been possible without our generous lead sponsors: Brookfield Renewable and NRS, along with Awards by Walsh, Bass Pro Shops, and CDPHP.
| | | Register Now for the World Canals Conference | | The World Canals Conference is just around the bend and you won't want to miss this once in 200 years event! Now is the time to reserve your spot for field sessions and tours and make plans to be in Buffalo, September 21-25. If you can’t attend the entire conference but don’t want to totally miss out, check out the new option for single-day registration. Peruse the day-by-day plan, packed with programming, presentations, and opportunities for networking. Select the best day or days that work for you and sign up today! | | | The Cycle the Erie Canal bike tour is coming to a community near you, July 13-20. If you work or live along the canal, consider ways to welcome riders and share the hometown hospitality that is a hallmark of the Canalway Corridor. By welcoming and serving bicycle tourists, you will create promoters for the Erie Canalway Trail and your community that will pay lasting rewards. | | |
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Offer water. It’s one of the simplest ways to welcome riders.
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Give plenty of notice. Put up several lawn signs along the trail in advance of your attraction or community to give riders notice of what's ahead and entice them to stop.
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Put up a sign. Download and display a Welcome Cyclists sign at your site or business to let people know you’re glad they’re visiting.
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Be prepared to answer common questions. Know where the nearest bike racks, restrooms, ATMs, snack bars, and restaurants are located.
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Entice riders to return. Cyclists may not be able to stop and explore all the places they’d like to. Making riders feel welcome will invite them to return and to spread the word about cycling the Erie Canal.
This event is funded in part with support from the NYS Canal Corporation and the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.
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Brockport Bicentennial Bridge Opens
The new Brockport Bicentennial Bridge over the Erie Canal in the Village of Brockport opened to fanfare on June 13. We were pleased to join officials from the New York Power Authority and New York State Canal Corporation who gathered with leaders from the Village of Brockport, SUNY Brockport, students and others to unveil the dramatic span. The bridge connects SUNY Brockport to the Empire State Trail and the village’s downtown. The pedestrian bridge is fully accessible and integrates sustainable features such as native species planting, stormwater rain gardens, and LED light fixtures.
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New Tourism Kiosks in Montgomery County
Visit Montgomery County officially unveiled three new tourism kiosks to help travelers and locals alike discover the many historic, cultural, and recreational opportunities throughout the county. Positioned in walkable downtowns and near trail connections, each kiosk highlights local eateries, outdoor spaces, historic sites, and seasonal events. The kiosks are installed in Fort Plain, Canajoharie, and St. Johnsville. Another will be installed in the Village of Fonda later this summer.
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Buffalo Pulls Out the Stops for the Bicentennial
Exciting exhibits, special events, and programs are on tap all summer long at Canalside in Buffalo. The lineup includes tours of the replica Erie Canal boat Seneca Chief and a new immersive exhibit, Waterway of Change. The historical, interactive exhibit at the Longshed, curated in collaboration with The Buffalo History Museum, explores the complex legacies of the Erie Canal. From the canal’s construction as an engineering marvel to the diverse perspectives of the communities affected by the canal's development, there’s something for all interests and ages. View the full calendar of events and plan your trip.
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Get Involved!
Volunteers make good things happen all along the canal! The Newark Garden Club recently added pollinator plants to Memorial Garden near the East Avenue Bridge along the Erie Canal. In other canal communities, volunteers serve as canal greeters, trail ambassadors, and museum docents. They work at visitor centers, educate kids at school field trips and summer camps, and help keep the canal clean and healthy. If you have time or talent to share, contact a canal museum, historic site, or visitor center near you to see how you can become involved.
FIND HERITAGE SITES >
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Water Music Festival
July 2-6 >> MEDINA 7/2, UTICA 7/3, SENECA FALLS 7/4, FORT PLAIN 7/5, SCHUYLERVILLE 7/6
Five full-day FREE festivals culminating in Albany Symphony concerts will commemorate the Erie Canal Bicentennial through an inclusive celebration of New York State’s canal-side communities.
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DID YOU KNOW?
Canal construction began in Rome, NY on July 4, 1817. Canal engineers chose Rome so that workers could begin with the easiest, most level section. Canal surveyors laid out the “Long Level” extending in both directions from Rome. This 66-mile section, from Frankfort in the east to the outskirts of Syracuse to the west, was completed without a single lock. Today, much of the long level is preserved in the Old Erie Canal State Historic Park.
| | | Make good things happen along the canals when you give to the Erie Canalway Heritage Fund, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit partner of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. Your generous support today will ensure that the canals that transformed America continue to be cared for and serve as an engine of economic and community development now and into the next century. | | | | |
