On June 11, the Low Bridge High Water canal opening festival returned to the Brockport waterfront after a two-year hiatus; for the first time the festival was held in June where it will most likely remain.
A panoply of activities and displays, on land and water, greeted attendees. The fire district displayed their water rescue equipment, and the DPW, a loader for the kids to “touch a truck.” Seymour Library hosted a table of kids activities; The Brockport Police Department’s bike patrol, K9 Brock, and the Camp Abilities conference bicycle all made appearances.
For the adults, the Welcome Center displayed architectural renderings of the pedestrian bridge to be constructed by the guard gate on the Erie Canal; tables provided information on Walk/Bike/Brockport, the Erie Canalway Trail Town initiative in Brockport, and a pollinator garden pop up plant sale. The Sheriff’s Department marine unit docked at the Brockport waterfront offering information on boat safety, licensing, fishing, and more. Attendees took advantage of free kayaking courtesy of Fairport’s Erie Canal Boat Company, which also displayed adaptive kayaking and cycling equipment.
Guitarist and songwriter Cooper Scotti and the band GypsyLand provided music throughout the festival.
The fourth grade posters (140 in all) were larger and more colorful than in previous years. Instead of the usual canal focus, this year’s posters featured Victorian architecture. The first, second, and third place winners came to receive gift certificates to Lift Bridge Book Shop and to see their posters on display at the Welcome Center. The Morgan Manning Carriage House held a clothesline display of the other poster entries. The winning poster, by Kale Kakish, will become the advertisement for next year’s festival.
Sharon Marie Bartz and Greta Hall, high school artists in 2021, designed and painted a new Brockport mule and unveiled their creation at the festival. Decorated with Brockport scenes and stabled on the Welcome Center balcony, the mule invites visitors to the Welcome Center to join him for a photo op. This male mule, known as a “john,” needs a name, and submissions are invited for an historic Brockport name. Contact Susan Smith, Welcome Center director, with your suggestions at welcomecenter@brockportny.org.
Hands down, the biggest attraction of the festival was the strawberry shortcake sold by the Kiwanis Club. Fresh local strawberries served on warm buttermilk biscuits with a topping of whipped cream sold out well before the festival was over. Sales went to fund the organization’s children’s programs; tip jar proceeds went to Ukraine relief.
Next year’s festival will honor the bicentennial (1823-2023) of the Erie Canal in Brockport.
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