The Waterford Canal and Towpath Society will present their 40th Annual Waterford Canal Festival on Saturday, May 16, 2026 – a cherished tradition that celebrates the history, culture and community spirit of the Village of Waterford and its intersecting Erie and Champlain Canals and Hudson and Mohawk Rivers.
The Canal Festival on the village’s waterfront is one of the Capital Region’s signature annual canal-based celebrations. The event honors Waterford’s unique identity as the gateway to the canal system.
The Champlain Canal had opened through the community two years prior to the Erie Canal, making Waterford an integral canal site for 203 seasons this year.
Perhaps the most significant and memorable of its many events this year will be tour’s of the Buffalo Maritime Center’s canal boat Seneca Chief, a historic replica of the first canal boat to navigate the Erie Canal from Buffalo to the city of New York.
The NYS Canal System will open this year on Friday, May 15, 2026 and the Seneca Chief will be on display and available for boarding and interpretation both Friday during the opening of the Canal, and Saturday, May 16, 2026 during the festival. Many dignitaries are expected to attend the opening, which will feature a presentation from the Albany Symphony Orchestra.
Visitors can also expect free family-centered programs and entertainment, including live music, historical tours, boating; as well as a children’s obstacle course and bounce around fun; and food and beverage vendors. Visitors can take a stroll on the promenade along the canal, go for a boat/kayak/bike ride and take part in one of the historical tours and witness the impressive workings of the locks system in operation.
You can learn more and see the entire schedule at the Waterford Canal Festival’s webpage.
Read more about New York State’s Canals.
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