Full Season of Events Planned Along NY’s Canals

Complete listing available on Erie Canalway online events calendar

WATERFORD—As the NYS Canal System opens for the season on May 15, the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor invites New Yorkers and visitors to enjoy hundreds of events taking place along New York’s canals in 2026. An online events calendar, searchable by type, region, and date, is available at http://eriecanalway.org/events.

Events include major festivals, community celebrations, recreational activities, canalside concerts, guided tours and more.

“The Erie, Champlain, Cayuga-Seneca, and Oswego canals and the communities along them are incredible destinations for summer events and activities. I encourage you to look at our user-friendly calendar and head to the water with family and friends for extraordinary canal experiences,” said Bob Radliff, Executive Director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.

New York State Canal Corporation Director Ben Walsh said, “From festivals and concerts to paddling, cycling, and family-friendly programs, these events showcase how the Erie, Champlain, Cayuga-Seneca, and Oswego canals are driving recreation, tourism, and economic activity across upstate New York. I encourage everyone to explore the events calendar, get out on the water or along the towpath, and experience firsthand the history, beauty, and vitality of New York’s canals.”

Larger events include:

• May 16: Waterford Canal Festival, Waterford
• June 6 – June 27: The Replica Erie Canal BoatSeneca Chief Back to Buffalo Tour, Waterford to Buffalo
• June 6 – September 7: Medina Art Triennial, Medina
• June 13: Old Erie Canal Boat Float n’ Folk Festival, Chittenango
• June 27: Paddle the Canals: Mohawk River Adventure, Niskayuna
• July 10 & 11 & August 15: Water Music NY with the Albany Symphony Orchestra, Waterford, Rome, & Tonawanda
• July 11 – 19: Cycle the Erie Canal, Buffalo to Albany
• August 1: Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Junior Ranger Day, Statewide
• September 11: Tugboat Roundup, Waterford
• October 3: Locktoberfest, Lockport

Event hosts are welcome to submit their events at https://eriecanalway.org/explore/events/submit. Submitted events are reviewed and accepted at the discretion of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. The canal is set to open for the season on Friday, May 15, weather permitting.

ABOUT THE ERIE CANALWAY NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR

Two hundred years after its opening, the Erie Canal remains an iconic symbol of American ingenuity and determination. The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor preserves New York’s extraordinary canal heritage, promotes the Corridor as a world-class tourism destination, and fosters vibrant communities connected by more than 500 miles of waterway. It achieves its mission in partnership with the National Park Service, New York State agencies, non-profit organizations, local residents, and more than 200 communities across the full expanse of upstate New York. Visit http://www.eriecanalway.org/.