Newark
Honorable Mention
Visitors to the Village of Newark will quickly notice an attractive waterfront park on the Erie Canal flanked by two large and colorful murals that depict the community's canal and village heritage. On summer weekends, music floats over the water, enjoyed by boaters and residents alike. A visitor center provides information and a full suite of free amenities to boaters and cyclists, while neighboring shops and restaurants offer a variety of fare. The Port of Newark is a testament to sustained planning and investment to create a premier destination on the Erie Canal in the heart of the Village of Newark.
What makes it great?
A Lively and Integrated Waterfront Destination
The Port of Newark includes canalfront with 1,200 feet of floating docks, T. Spencer Knight Park, and a Welcome Center run by the Greater Newark Chamber of Commerce. The Canalway Trail runs through the park, bringing cyclists, runners, and walkers to the village and waterfront. The active port has attracted new businesses as well, including Erie Shore Landing-- a former industrial building just steps from the park that now offers a gift shop, café, ice cream parlor, and print shop run by The Arc Wayne. Newark's downtown district is an easy walk from the port; new streetscape and landscape improvements make it safer and for pedestrians to enjoy the park and access the Village.
Signature Events
Community events during the summer enliven the park and attract thousands of visitors each year. Among them: Music on the Erie, presented by the Chamber of Commerce, which offers free concerts on Friday evenings; an annual Wine & Artisan Festival in June that features tastings from local and regional wine and craft beverage makers, food trucks, and local artisans; and Taste of Wayne County which offers samples of signature products from restaurants, food and beverage manufacturers, and agricultural producers local to Wayne County.
Community Engagement
Hometown pride and hospitality are hallmarks of the Port of Newark. A wide assortment of stakeholders contribute time, talent, and expertise to make the port a community showpiece. Stakeholders include town and village officials, the Greater Newark Chamber of Commerce, local developers, local businesses and non-profits, the school district, Rochester Regional Health, the library, historical society, boaters, and community volunteers. Steady leadership from the Village and Chamber of Commerce and continued stakeholder engagement will ensure that the Port of Newark continues to grow in exciting ways for years to come.
