Canal Corporation Announces 2006 Calendar of Events

More Than 85 Festivals, Events and Attractions to Showcase Canal Communities

New Events Planned for 2006 Include Canal Splash! ’06 – Canalwide Celebration August 12th -13th to Feature dozens of Guided Hikes, Bikes, Paddles, Interpretive Cruises, Discounted Admissions to Historic Sites and More

The New York State Canal Corporation today released its 2006 Calendar of Events, a comprehensive listing of fun, family-friendly festivals, events and attractions along the 524-mile Canal System.

“The New York State Canal System is an ideal getaway for families, history buffs and outdoor enthusiasts,” Canal Corporation Director Carmella R. Mantello said. “An easy drive from almost anywhere in the Northeast, the Canal offers the perfect combination of land and water-based recreational sites, historical attractions and seasonal events that make it a premier tourism destination for all.”

The Canal Corporation will kick off the season in late April with the Canal Clean Sweep, a coordinated series of cleanup and beautification activities along the Canal and the Canalway Trail. Perennial favorites such as the Waterford Canal Fest (May 13), the Medina Jazz Festival (May 21), Fairport Canal Days (June 3-4), CanalFest of the Tonawandas (July 16-23), the Oswego Harborfest (July 27-30, the Waterford Tugboat Roundup (Sept. 8-10) and the City of Rome’s Head of the Erie (Oct. 14-15) return once again, as well as new favorites.

New this year, The Festival on the Erie, a roving Irish music and cultural festival featuring well-known regional and local musicians will hit the waters of the canal and make stops from Waterford to Syracuse, June 2-11. The Canal Corporation also is sponsoring the first Annual CanalSplash! -- a signature weekend canal-wide celebration August 12th-13th that will feature 60 or more hikes, bikes, canoe and kayak paddles, narrated cruises, historical tours, and more.

The Erie Canalway Trail Celebration will be held Saturday, June 3 in conjunction with National Trails Day to celebrate the opening of more than 30 miles of new Canalway trail. With more than 245 miles of trail and access to hundreds of historic sites and attractions, the Erie Canalway Trail is fast becoming one of the nation’s premier cycling destinations.

The Canal Corporation is once again partnering with Parks & Trails NY to co-sponsor the popular Cycling the Erie Canal bicycle tour July 9-16. Cycling the Erie Canal is an eight-day, 400-mile, recreational bike tour from Buffalo to Albany along the historic and scenic Erie Canal. In 2005, the tour drew over 500 riders from nearly every state in the U.S., as well as Canada, Australia and Great Britain.

The New York State Canal System is comprised of four historic waterways, the Erie, the Champlain, the Oswego and the Cayuga-Seneca Canals. Spanning 524 miles across New York State, the waterway links the Hudson River, Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, the Finger Lakes and the Niagara River with communities rich in history and culture.

For the complete 2006 Calendar of Events, or for more information about news
and special events along the New York State Canal System, please call
1-800-4CANAL4 or visit
http://www.canals.state.ny.us.