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Fairport Celebrates 200th Anniversary of Erie Canal with Community Celebration
FAIRPORT, N.Y. (WROC) — Fairport residents gathered on Sunday to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal with a lively birthday party filled with balloons, treats, and live music. The event, held at Ironsmoke Distillery, honored the canal’s enduring legacy as a vital artery for commerce, tourism, and community connection in the Rochester area.
“This is just a really special day, definitely worth celebrating,” said Captain Tammee Poinan Grimes, President of the Canal Society of New York State. “200 years is a very big deal, so we’re happy to have so many people here to celebrate.” Grimes highlighted the canal’s role in connecting communities, pointing to the recent journey of the replica Seneca Chief from Buffalo to New York City as a testament to its enduring appeal.
Fairport Mayor Julie Domaratz emphasized the canal’s ongoing impact on the village. “It’s had a huge impact on our community, whether it’s bringing people who want to learn about the canal to our village, or it’s bringing people to enjoy the environment around the canal, restaurants, shops, businesses,” Domaratz said. “It’s a huge driver for tourism and visitors to our community, and it’s central to what happens in this community.”
The celebration included a performance of a new original song dedicated to the Erie Canal, composed by Mike Gladstone and commissioned by the Canal Society. The bicentennial celebration served as a reminder of the canal’s historical significance, which dates back to 1825 when Governor DeWitt Clinton first traveled its full length aboard the Seneca Chief.
First Piper 