Erie Canal Bicentennial Events Announced

Full listing available on new online calendar

WATERFORD— As the NYS Canal System gets set to open for its bicentennial year, the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and the NYS Canal Corporation are pleased to announce major bicentennial events taking place throughout 2025. A full listing of events is available using the new online Bicentennial Events Calendar at https://eriecanalway.org/events.

Larger bicentennial events include:

“These events invite people from near and far to experience the canal that transformed New York State and the nation during this auspicious year,” said Bob Radliff, Executive Director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. “We’re also pleased to share our new events calendar, which makes it easier than ever for the public to find events and join the festivities.”

More than 100 community celebrations, tours, and waterfront festivals are slated for 2025. The new online Bicentennial Events Calendar enables users to find events by searching or filtering by date, region, or type.

New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton said, “If ever there was a time to visit the Erie Canal, it’s right now, as we commemorate the bicentennial of its completion. Each day, more and more communities and organizations across the corridor are lining up to announce public events to honor this momentous occasion. With so much activity planned or in the works, it’s hard to keep up! But our partners at Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor have created an easy way for hosts to submit information on their events, and for people who want to get in on the action, to find activities right in their own backyard.”
Event hosts are welcome to submit their events at https://eriecanalway.org/events. Submitted events are reviewed and accepted at the discretion of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.

The Bicentennial calendar and events are being supported through a Market New York grant awarded by Empire State Development and I LOVE NY, New York State’s Division of Tourism.

NYS Canal System Opening: Due to heavy rains and high-water levels, the NYS Canal System will open in phases, with the Erie Canal from Lock E-28A in Lyons through Locks E-34/35 in Lockport opening on Friday, May 16. The Eastern and Central Erie Canal, Champlain Canal, and Oswego Canal will open once movable dams are able to be set and navigation is safe. Further details will be forthcoming from the NYS Canal Corporation.

ABOUT THE ERIE CANALWAY NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR

Opened in 1825 and now commemorating its 200th year, 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. http://www.eriecanalway.org/

ABOUT NEW YORK STATE CANAL CORPORATION

The New York State Canal Corporation, a subsidiary of the New York Power Authority, oversees the operation and promotion of the New York State Canal System. The Canal Corporation’s mission is to operate and maintain a premier waterway and trail system that honors the historic legacy of the Erie Canal and offers unique recreational and tourism opportunities, while also promoting sustainable economic development throughout the canal corridor. www.canals.ny.gov

RGB General Contracting is a residential general contracting company. Their service include: roofing, soft scape landscape, yard care and clean up, deck resurfacing, gutter cleaning, and more across the Mohawk Valley Region.