For Immediate Release:
06/30/17
Contact:
Steven Gosset
| Steven.Gosset@nypa.gov
Media Realations | (914) 390-8192
STATE CANAL CORPORATION AND LOCKPORT ANNOUNCE ERIE CANAL BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
LOCKPORT--The New York State Canal Corporation and city of Lockport will host a bicentennial celebration for the Erie Canal on Saturday, July 8, in the Lockport Locks District, home to the “Flight of Five,” the Canal’s final set of locks before reaching Lake Erie.
Lockport and several community groups have planned programming throughout the day, including music, a farmer’s market, free admission at the Erie Canal Discovery Center, lock demonstrations at the original Flight of Five and walking tours led by docents in period costumes.
At 7:30 p.m., the evening program will kick off with a brief speaking program featuring Canal Corporation Director Brian Stratton, Lockport Mayor Anne McCaffrey, and David Alan Miller, Grammy-award winning conductor of the Albany Symphony Orchestra.
At about 8 p.m, the Albany Symphony Orchestra will perform from a barge inside a lock. It will mark the finale of the orchestra's week-long Water Music tour in communities along the Canal. More information on the Water Music tour can be found at: http://www.albanysymphony.com/the-tour
At about 9:30 p.m., a larger fireworks show will conclude the evening.
The Erie Canal has a special legacy in Western New York. We hope that you will join us in Lockport for a special performance by the Albany Symphony Orchestra and a fireworks show after the concert,” said Gil C. Quiniones, president and CEO of the New York Power Authority, which runs the Canal Corporation as a subsidiary. “The Canal’s bicentennial is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion. Bring your friends and family to celebrate.
The Erie Canal transformed Western New York, New York State, and the nation as a whole. The cities of Buffalo, Albany, Syracuse, and Rochester can all trace their initial rise as commercial centers to the opening of the Erie Canal.” said Brian U. Stratton, New York State Canal Corporation director. “The list of the Erie Canal’s contributions goes on and on. Come to Lockport on July 8 and learn all about the Canal’s history and meet some of the men and women of the Canal Corporation who are proud to maintain this national treasure today.
For more information, go to www.nycanals200.com/lockport.
About the New York State Canal Corporation
New York’s canal system includes four historic canals: the Erie, Champlain, Oswego and Cayuga-Seneca. Spanning 524 miles, the waterway links the Hudson River with the Great Lakes, the Finger Lakes and Lake Champlain. The canals form the backbone of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and connect hundreds of unique and historic communities. In 2017, New York will celebrate the bicentennial for the start of the Erie Canal’s construction.
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