Best ways to celebrate 200 years of the Erie Canal

Happy Monday, Capital Region! Today, we’re taking you along the Erie Canal as the historic waterway marks its 200th year in 2025. Still rocking the locks after all these years 😂 

Also, the results of our reader poll on Niskayuna’s newly designed city logo are in. Drumroll please… 53% of you actually liked the logo! That surprised us a bit. Only about 10% of you really hated it, and the rest said they could live with it.

Some reactions:

• “I like the graphic but it doesn't evoke Niskayuna to me.”

• “Only thing missing is carrying the baby in the diaper in its talons—too storkish, needs to look more heron.”

• “People who want to keep ancient seals over logos amaze me.”

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

Best ways to commemorate the Erie Canal’s 200th anniversary

When the Erie Canal officially opened in 1825, it didn’t just connect Albany to Buffalo. It linked the East Coast to the American interior, helping to turn New York into what we now know as the “Empire State.”

Cities like Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo grew into major trading centers along the canal’s 363-mile route. Albany served as a key crossroads, where raw materials, goods, and people all converged. 

The canal was a remarkable feat of engineering, but it was also a vital engine of economic and population growth for a young nation. 

New tools were invented. New businesses sprang up. Towns grew. And people saw new possibilities for what America could become.

We should all take some time to recognize the profound impact of the Erie Canal on the Capital Region and state. Here are some cool ways to commemorate its 200th year:

Hit the trail: One of the best ways to experience the canal is by bike. You’ll cover a lot more ground than walking it. 

One popular route is to take Little Falls to Albany (or vice versa), an 86-mile journey. A more manageable trip would be to bike the portion known as the Mohawk-Hudson Trail, an 11-mile excursion from Albany to Cohoes. You’ll be rewarded with lovely views of the Hudson, and explore parts of Albany, Schenectady, Niskayuna and Cohoes.

The Cycle the Erie Canal Bike Tour is actually happening this week. It’s too late to participate in this annual fully-supported, 8-day ride from Buffalo to Albany, but you can register now for the 2026 tour.

There’s still time to join a guided cycling tour at Beers, Bikes & Barges, hosted by Brown’s Brewing Co. in Troy on Aug. 21.

Take a cruise: Even though the Erie Canal ends in Albany, the nearest best cruise boat to tour the canal and see the locks in action is in Herkimer, NY. Erie Canal Cruises offers a 90-minute cruise along the Mohawk, highlighted by a 20-foot drop and raise in a canal lock. The cruise has nearly 1,600 reviews and a 4.8-star rating on Tripadvisor. The cost is $27 for adults; $15 for kids.

Grab a paddle: Perhaps the most intimate way to experience the Erie is to get in the water. You can actually kayak, canoe or paddle board your way through the canal. The best access point near Albany is at the Waterford Boat Launch, where Upstate Kayak Rentals operates. You can rent kayaks for self-guided tours of Waterford’s Flight of Locks, or you can charter a pontoon cruise of the Erie Canal for $25 per person (up to 6 guests).

Rock out: In August, get to the Yankee Hill Lock at Schoharie Crossing Historic Site for Rock the Lock 2025. Over three consecutive Saturdays starting Aug. 16, enjoy an afternoon of music and picnicking along the canal. 

This Saturday, the Erie Canal Singers puts on “The Irresistible Erie,” a free concert at the Great Hall of the Arkell Museum and Canajoharie Library featuring music that you would have heard 200 years ago.

Learn some history: On July 23, join a lively discussion organized by the New York State Archives at the Hart Cluett Museum in Troy. ”Boats, Barges & Big Ideas” will explore the impact of the canal on the Capital Region and beyond.

Read a novel: Local author and UAlbany alum David Sylvester recently published Hung Be the Heavens with Scarlet, a historical novel set in Upstate New York during the Civil War. The Erie Canal and West Troy figure prominently in it.

From Albany to Buffalo, there will be numerous events celebrating the Erie Canal’s 200th. Check this calendar for many more throughout the year.

For more information on everything related to the Erie Canal, visit the excellent website maintained by the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.

🤮 Well, this is one sh*tty story: “People keep defecating in our new city pool.” Apparently, Albany’s freshly renovated Lincoln Park Pool has been shut down on several occasions because of people pooping and vomiting in the water. This is why we can’t have nice things. [Reddit]

🧸 Here’s another headline we just couldn’t pass up: “Eufuria convention in Albany to celebrate furry fandom.” Happening this week, Eufuria is the Capital Region’s only active festival for people who call themselves “furries.” An organizer tells the TU: “Our members are very specifically, overwhelmingly LGBTQ.” [Times Union]

🔫 The uncle of the 17-year-old who was shot in the head during the violence on July 4th in Albany is speaking out. “His goal was just to have a good time,” said Jose Curet, about his nephew, Vance Mims III. “I feel like the city turned their backs on us. Do better, do better.” [Spectrum News]

The GE Realty Plot in Schenectady was designed with the ideals of the City Beautiful movement in mind—think wide boulevards, mature trees, and a parklike setting. At its heart sits this iconic 1910 Quinn house, a classic example of Italian Renaissance Revival architecture. Although the kitchen could use a refresh despite the (award-winning) 2008 renovation, the family room was opened up with a gorgeous window wall looking out over the lush backyard.

The spacious living room and formal dining area with beamed ceilings flow into a standout sunroom with a fireplace. The large, dry basement adds flexibility and the new (2022) central air system is top notch. Out back, enjoy a covered porch, stone patio, and a fully fenced half-acre lot. Bonus features include a sprinkler system, Kohler generator, and two-car garage. You gotta check out the photos.

The deets: 4 bd, 4 ba, 3462 sf. Asking: $539,500. Days on market: 4. See the full listing here. 

Our full weekend roundup publishes every Thursday. Be sure to check your inboxes!

🎭️ Oklahoma! plays at the Washington Park Playhouse through July 26. Admission is free, unless you want to pony up for reserve tix. Read our story to find out why everyone should support this show.

🎬️ On Tuesday, the Palace Theatre’s Summer in the City series screens Kung Fun Panda. It’s free for all!

💀 International punk is about to hit the Empire State Plaza. On Wednesday, don’t miss Gogol Bordello, led by Ukrainian frontman Eugene Hütz. Also on the bill: The Big Takeover’s Desmond Dekker-inspired rocksteady, reggae and ska rhythms.

🧸 Are you furry curious? Check out Eufuria: Solarpunk at the Albany Capital Center this weekend.

🎸 On Thursday, it’s Classic Rock Night at Albany’s Alive at Five, featuring Middle Aged Dad Jam Band (w/ Wild Adriatic) at Tricentennial Park.

🍔 Also Thursday, the 2025 Biking, Burgers & Beverages on the Rail Trail in Bethlehem is your chance to walk or bike the trail, plus hit a food truck or two.

🎬️ On Friday, Live Score Movie Night in downtown Albany features the animated classic, The Iron Giant, screened with a live band!

🎨 It’s Upstate Art Weekend! Get ready for hundreds of art shindigs throughout the Hudson Valley.

👮‍♀️The 2025 Unite the County: Carnival and Skills Challenge brings community and law enforcement together for games and friendly competition. Free and open to all, at MVP Arena on Saturday.

🖼️ Variations, Tones of the Earth, featuring work by Renata Grec Gilman, Camille Grec and Ben Niese, opens at Varosy Studio in Greenwich, NY, this weekend.

👩‍🎨 Albany Center Gallery’s interactive, all-ages Summer Art Fest takes over Quackenbush Square on Saturday.

🎸 It’s Harbor Jam Concert Weekend in Schenectady, featuring two awesome tribute bands: BonJourney (Bon Jovi, of course) and Who’s Bad (the late great Michael Jackson).

🧘‍♂️ This Sunday, Girls Upstate invites you to Yoga on the Water at the Kayak Shak on the shores of Saratoga Lake.

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