The New York State Museum will open the second and final phase of it’s exhibition Enterprising Waters: New York’s Erie Canal on Saturday, September 22.
The first phase of the exhibition opened in September 2017 and focused on the circumstances leading up to building the canal and the canal’s construction. The second phase of the exhibition focuses on the Erie Canal’s growth, politics, industries and legacy.
The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor has announced they are now accepting grant applications from not-for-profits, municipalities, and federally recognized Native American tribes that have a project or idea aimed at inspiring people to learn more about New York’s canals, celebrate the Erie Canal Bicentennial, or that encourages further exploration of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. Continue reading
The annual Waterford Tugboat Roundup is set for this weekend, September 7-9, with an estimated 30 boats expected to attend. The boats range from historic to modern tugs, workboats, fireboats, crew boats, tenders and more.
A main attraction of the Roundup will be the new paint job of the Harvey. This historic fireboat became itself a palette for Tauba Auerbach, an artist commissioned by the Public Art Fund and 14-18 Now Exhibition. The rendering of the Harvey shows contradictory directions of whites and reds, emulating the ‘dazzle designs’ applied to ships during World War I to confuse U- boats in firing torpedoes. Continue reading
Amateur and professional photographers have been invited submit images for the 13th annual Erie Canalway Photo Contest. Images should convey the wealth of things to do and see along the waterway and express the unique character of the canal and canal communities. Winning photos will be featured in the 2019 Erie Canalway calendar.
Images will be judged in four contest categories: On the Water, Along the Trail, Canal Communities, and Classic Canal. Judges will select first, second, and third place winning images in each category, as well as 12 honorable mentions. Continue reading
The Rome Historical Society is set to host “Chenango Canal: The Million Dollar Ditch” a presentation and book signing with Wade A. Lallier on Thursday, August 15th at 7 pm.
With the completion of the Erie Canal across New York State, the construction of other canals then began to be proposed all along the Erie’s route. One of these lateral canals would connect the Susquehanna River at Binghamton to the Erie Canal in Utica. Continue reading
Schoharie Crossing is set to host the annual Canal Days Festival on July 14-15 from 11 am to 4 pm. This event is a free community festival celebrating the Erie Canal and the character of the people and towns along the way. This event is part of the continuing celebration of the Erie Canal Bicentennial. The Erie Canal was started in 1817 and completed in 1825.
This year’s festival will feature a participatory balloon art installation by Airigami. This company has been creating unique art displays which have been showcased around the world. As part of the Canal Days festivities, they will be supervising the creation of a large Erie Canal packet boat mural out of environmentally friendly balloons. Continue reading
The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor has announce that new dockside kiosks are being installed at 45 locations along the Canal System this summer.
The signs are intended for boaters, cyclists, paddlers, and other canal travelers, and are intended to give people a big picture understanding of the canal system, as well as make connections with local communities. Continue reading
Registration is now open for the 2018 New York State Canal Conference, October 14-16 in Staten Island.
This year’s conference celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Erie Barge Canal and continues the celebration of the 200th Anniversary of the Erie Canal. It will also focus on the unique role of New York Harbor as the eastern terminus of the Canal System. Continue reading
The Museum Association of New York (MANY) has announced that it will be the organizational partner for the state-wide tour of the Smithsonian Institutions’ Museum on Main Street Water/Ways exhibition.
Water/Ways will travel to six small- to mid-sized museums for six weeks each between June of 2019 and April of 2020. Three museums along the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor will be selected. The fourth site will be located in the Hudson River National Heritage Area, the fifth in Suffolk County, and the sixth location will be any New York museum that makes a strong case for the importance of water to its history and cultural heritage. Continue reading
A new study of the economic impact of events and tours in the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor estimated $1.5 billion annually is generated by events, boat tours, bicycle and paddle-sport rentals and historic site/museum tours along the Erie, Champlain, Owsego and Cayuga-Seneca Canals. Events and tours drew 3.3 million visitors in 2017.
The economic analysis was conducted by Level 7 Market Research for the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor through its nonprofit affiliate, the Erie Canalway Heritage Fund, Inc., and supported by a grant from Market New York through I LOVE NEW YORK, the state’s Division of Tourism, as a part of the Regional Economic Development Council awards. Continue reading