Enjoy Events and Festivals

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Celebrate, Learn, Enjoy!

Hundreds of thousands of residents and visitors celebrate their canal heritage at a variety of canal-related festivals and events each year. Join the fun!

2020 Corridor-wide Events:

Canal Opens for the Season

May 15
corridor-wide

Head to the water for a season of fun!
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Journey Along the Erie

June 27 - July 7
Buffalo to Albany

Take the 1st Mile Challenge with John Robinson as he hand-cycles from Buffalo to Albany.
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Cycle the Erie Canal

July 12-19
Buffalo to Albany

Join more than 600 riders of all ages for this 8-day, 400-mile bike tour across New York State. 4-day option also available.
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Featured Community Events

These events will give you reasons to head to the water and to canal communities again and again. In addition to this listing, please visit the NYS Canal Corporation for a complete canal calendar.

Celebrating 100 Years of the 19th Amendment Through Music

April 3 - December 4   >>   Seneca Falls
Enjoy free music along the canal in Seneca Falls to celebrate the centennial of the 19th Amendment's ratification. Performances will showcase female-led bands and acts.
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14th Annual Wildlife Festival

May 2   >>   Montezuma Audubon Center, Savannah
Enjoy a great lineup of family-friendly activities including wildlife presentations, live music, and guided birding and canoeing tours in one of New York’s Important Bird Areas. Experience the rich cultural and natural history of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex.
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Schenectady County Pedal-Paddle-Run

May 9   >>   Aqueduct Park, Niskayuna
Not your typical triathlon, participants will bike, kayak, and run along the along the scenic Mohawk River.
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Fort Miller Days

May 16-17   >>   Fort Miller
Bike, paddle and tour a Sacred Sites Community. Visit the Fort Miller Reformed Church and Meeting House and enjoy a walking tour of the island, the Lock 5 Gate House and the historic Fort Miller Cemetery. Or take a paddling tour on the Hudson River.
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Erie Canal Half Marathon

May 19   >>   Adirondack Bank Center, Utica
Enjoy the beauty of the Erie Canal while running (or cheering) the Erie Canal Half, an event organized by the Boilermaker Road Race. Half marathon, 5K, relay, and kids races available; sign up and earn your Canalway Challenge miles!
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Trailblaze NY

May 26 - July 5   >>   Troy, Hudson, Kingston, Schenectady, Amsterdam, Albany
Trailblaze NY celebrates the completion of New York's Empire State Trail, a 750-mile multiuse trail, including the Erie Canalway Trail. The Albany Symphony will present concerts and multimedia art events over five weekends throughout the Canalway Corridor.
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Paddle the Mohawk Valley

June 6   >>   Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site, Boat Launch
Paddle the scenic and historic Mohawk River on this guided half-day trip from Schoharie Crossing Boat Launch to Port Jackson.
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Cruise the Canal with Black Girls Do Bike

Saturdays, June 6 - 27   >>   Rochester
Explore the Erie Canalway Trail near Rochester at Black Girls Do Bike’s Saturday biking event series. Learn biking basics from REI, then track your Canalway Challenge miles with a leisurely group bike ride on the trail.
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A Taste of Kayaking

June 6   >>   Lock 32, Pittsford
Whether you’re an avid paddler or family looking to get more active, head to Lock 32 and learn the basics of kayaking and stand up paddle boarding so you can safely enjoy paddling through New York famous Erie canal and lock system.
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Old Erie Canal Boat Float & Bash

June 15   >>   Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum, Chittenango
Join hundreds of paddlers as they celebrate everything the Old Erie Canal has to offer. Track up to 9.5 miles by kayak, canoe, or stand up paddleboard for your Canalway Challenge.
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Inclusive Kayaking and Cycling Extravaganza!

June 13, July 11   >>   Erie Canal Boat Company, Lockport
Enjoy a free two-day paddling and cycling event at the new Erie Canal Boat Company location at Wide Waters Marina in Lockport, NY. Explore and try adaptive and standard equipment options and discover the joy of recreation on the historic Erie Canal!
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CanalFest at Mabee Farm

July 11   >>   Mabee Farm Historic Site, Rotterdam Junction
Enjoy a day of free family fun! The festivities include live music, petting zoo and pony rides, rehabbed wild animals, boat rides, food and craft beer, craft vendors, and activities for all ages!
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15 Miles on the Erie Canal

Wednesdays, July 11 - August 8   >>   Montgomery County, multiple locations
Spend your Wednesday evenings this summer kayaking the Mohawk River/Erie Canal and exploring the history, environment, art, recreation, and transportation of the Mohawk Valley. Participate in all five events and rack up 15 miles for the Canalway Challenge.
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2nd Annual Pancakes and Paddles - *An official 1st Mile Challenge event*

July 18, 25   >>   Phoenix, Oswego
A pancake breakfast from 8-11 am is followed by inclusive kayaking from 10 am until 4 pm for people of all abilities and a range of mobility needs. A variety of adaptive equipment will be available, and guides will ensure a safe paddling experience. $25 covers two breakfasts and a one-hour paddling experience for two. Hosted by Move Along Inc., in partnership with Oswego Expeditions, Phoenix Risin…
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Rome CanalFest

July 31 - August 2   >>   Bellamy Harbor Park, Rome
Enjoy three days of exciting activities celebrating the Erie Canal. The event includes vendors, live music, the 'anything but a boat' race, water ski show, fishing contest, and fireworks.
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Canal Fest at Sylvan Beach

August 9 - 11   >>   Lakefront Park, Sylvan Beach
Celebrate the Erie Canal on the shores of Oneida Lake at this exciting family-friendly event. The three-day festival includes circus performances, fireworks, a water ski show, and a historical presentation.
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Towpath Day, The Legacy of the Erie Canal

August 8   >>   Camillus Erie Canal Park, Camillus
Celebrate the Erie Canal with a day filled with family-friendly activities, demonstrations, dance, dramatization and great music that represent the 1800s canal era. Sign up for the Mule Skinner 5K Walk/Run Race and earn Canalway Challenge miles.
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16th Annual Cardboard Boat Race

August 8   >>   Fort Hardy Beach, Schuylerville
Join Hudson Crossing Park for the 16th Annual Cardboard Boat Races! Will your boat have what it takes to stay afloat? Join the fun or just watch from the shore, the Cardboard Boat Races are not to be missed!
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Doors Open Buffalo 2020

August 8   >>   Buffalo
Tour many of Buffalo's most significant historic and architecturally significant buildings during this day of free public access. More than 50 different locations are included.
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33rd Annual Little Falls Canal Celebration

August 10 - 16   >>   City of Little Falls
This family-friendly festival offers a variety of fun-filled recreational, educational, and creative programs and entertainment. Celebrate our heritage while exploring our City's charm and beauty.
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Equality Weekend

August 21-23   >>   Seneca Falls
Celebrate the 19th Amendment's Centennial in the birthplace of the women's rights movement with the Susan B. Anthony Boat Naming, Corning Museum's all women glass blowing demonstrations, and speeches including Elizabeth Cady Stanton's relative.
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Ride the Women's Revolution

August 21 - 23   >>   Johnstown to Seneca Falls
Join a 3-day fully supported bike ride from Johnstown, NY, where Elizabeth Cady Stanton was born and inspired, to Seneca Falls, where she shared her ideas with the world, via the Erie Canalway Trail, the information highway of Stanton's time.
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Mohawk Towpath Byway Duathlon

August 23   >>   Riverview Orchards, Rexford
Run two miles, bike 17 miles, then run another two miles through beautiful fall foliage, and conclude with a barbecue dinner. Participate as an individual or team and track your Canalway Challenge miles, or join the cheering section!
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Tugboat Roundup

September 11 - 13   >>   Hurst Harbor Center, Waterford
Enjoy this annual signature celebration of tugboats and New York’s maritime heritage. The three-day festival includes boat rides, tug tours, music, vendors, and fireworks.
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Old Timers Fair

September 12   >>   The Cobblestone National Historic Landmark District, Albion
The Cobblestone Museum will come alive with artisan demonstrations and reenactors recreating life in 19th century Orleans County.
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Color Wayne- *An official 1st Mile Challenge event*

September 12   >>   T. Spencer Knight Park, Newark
Join the fun at this 2-mile colorful run/walk along the Erie Canalway Trail open to people of all abilities. Run or walk through four different color stations along the route and participate in a final color toss.
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10th Annual Kayaking 4 Meso

September 12   >>   Waterford to Halfmoon
Enjoy a fun 8-mile paddle through the Waterford Flight and into the Champlain Canal. Or join in the festivities at the end point, Halfmoon Lighthouse Park. Proceeds go to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.
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Locktoberfest Lockport

September 26   >>   Canal Street, Lockport
Join the celebration of summer’s harvest and life on the Erie Canal with lock demonstrations, guided tours, music, food, and entertainment. This event will include the dedication of the newest phase of the Flight of Five Locks.
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Locktoberfest Phoenix

October 3   >>   Phoenix
Celebrate fall at Locktoberfest with 100 craft and unique vendors, complete beer and wine garden with a food court of over 30 food trucks and vendors. Live music, helicopter rides over the lock, children's activities, and fireworks.
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Locktoberfest Rome

October 3   >>   Bellamy Harbor Park, Rome
Enjoy the Erie Canal at Rome’s Bellamy Harbor Park with a youth fishing derby, canoeing, and live landscape paintings. Local vendors offer craft beer and wine, as well as live entertainment and art.
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Locktoberfest Fort Edward

October 17   >>   Fort Edward
A fall harvest festival celebrating Fort Edward and the Champlain Canal, featuring the best of local breweries, music, and artisanal products.
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Low Bridge, High Water

May 30   >>   Village of Brockport
Join the annual "Low Bridge, High Water" Festival, a signature event and Village tradition to cheer the opening of the canal to boat traffic. The festival includes canal-inspired art, recreational activities, live music, food and beverages. Families are encouraged to participate in the Brockport Challenge to kick off their Canalway Challenge.
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