Canal commissioner sees banner year celebrating Erie Canal’s 200th
Stratton announces Albany Symphony will perform in Medina on July 2
Photo by Tom Rivers: Brian Stratton, commissioner of the Canal Corp., said there are over 400 events celebrating the Erie Canal’s bicentennial this year. He spoke during Friday’s Legislative Luncheon for the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.
MEDINA – It’s going to be a big year celebrating the Erie Canal in 2025, which is the 200th anniversary of the completion of the 363-mile-long waterway.
Brian Stratton, the canal commissioner, said there are over more than 400 programs and events along the canal system in 2025, including many in Orleans County. He announced the Albany Symphony will be performing in Medina on July 2 to celebrate the canal’s bicentennial.
Stratton said the canal is an “economic engine” going across the state. He noted in Orleans County, canal water is used to supplement the tributary fishery, providing steady streams of water into December. The canal water also is used to irrigate farmland.
Those are just two ways the canal is used outside of navigation and recreation, the canal commissioner said on Friday when he spoke at the Legislative Luncheon in Medina, an event organized by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.
He spoke at the Bent’s Opera Hall, which has seen a dramatic restoration led by Roger and Heather Hungerford. Stratton highlighted a $4.5 million Forward NY grant from the state that will spur more investment in the community with nine different initiatives.
This year the canal will have a longer boating season than usual, opening May 16 and going until Nov. 3. There won’t be any tolls or fees for recreational use of the canal system this year.
“We’re extending the season because this year is such an important year,” Stratton said. “We’re going to have a huge celebration all year long.”
In 2024 the navigation season ended Oct. 16, and in 2023 it closed for the season on Oct. 11.
Stratton said he looks forward to the Erie Canal hosting the World Canals Conference in Buffalo from Sept. 21-25, with about 500 people expected. Many of them will make an excursion out to Medina and Orleans County, Stratton said.
Some of the local events highlighting the canal, in addition to the Albany Symphony concert on July 2, include:
- Erie Canal Arts & Craft Festival led by the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council from Sept. 26-28 at Medina, Albion and Holley. The event will be a celebration of heritage, creativity, and community spirit along the canal. It will feature over 400 artisan vendors, a theatre and car showcase, a headline concert with The Voice’s Ddendyl Hoyt, and a festive boat parade, and boat taxis for attendees to get from each village.
- Erie Canal Bicentennial Building Bricks Event organized by the Village of Medina Tourism Committee. The event will be Sept. 20-21 at the Sacred Heart Club in Medina. Participants will create canal-themed boats, bridges, and landmarks using LEGO bricks, while competing for awards based on age and creativity.
- The Erie Canal Family Concert at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina on June 23.
- Holley’s June Fest on June 7.
- Albion Strawberry Festival on June 13-14.
- St. Rocco’s Italian Festival in Hulberton on Aug. 31.
- Blue Thursdays concert series at State Street Park in Medina this summer.