Corn Hill Waterfront & Navigation Foundation (CHN) recently kicked off the year-long Erie Canal Bicentennial by announcing a season of special events marking the beginning of an historic year.
To commemorate the Erie Canal’s 200th Birthday, Corn Hill Navigation is launching a Bicentennial Birthday Card Initiative, encouraging the community, especially students and families, to submit home-made birthday cards throughout the boating season. Each week a card will be randomly chosen and the well-wisher will receive four tickets for a cruise on one of the two CHN boats – Sam Patch or Riverie. For more information, visit https://cornhillnav.org/blog/bicentennial-birthday-cards/.
The Bicentennial events kick off with a Blessing of the Fleet on Saturday, May 10: This will be CHN’s most ambitious season of ticketed cruises with more than 800 offerings, including lock cruises, birdwatching, live music, sip and sail cruises, and a new kids’ cruise series with different themes each month. CHN’s cruises start on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11, and run through the end of October.
CHN announced its new Unlocking the Past Speaker Series, unveiled its giant birthday card, available in the Waterfront Center, shared updates on the new engine currently being installed in Sam Patch and website updates to promote greater accessibility and inclusion, announced new initiative for reduced priced tickets for groups from low-income senior centers, and previewed a display of historic Erie Canal images from the Albert R. Stone Negative Collection from the Rochester Museum and Science Center.
CHN also announced new partnerships for the Bicentennial season, including working with Friends of Mount Hope to share the fascinating stories of Rochesterians and the Erie Canal, partnering with American Friends of Lafayette, to honor Major General Lafayette’s June 1825 visit to Rochester by the Erie Canal and coordinating with the Buffalo Maritime Center to bring the historic Erie Canalboat Seneca Chief to Rochester and Pittsford in September. More information is available at https://cornhillnav.org/blog/2025-season/.
For 200 years, the Erie Canal has connected communities, driven economic growth, and shaped the cultural identity of New York State. From its vital role in transforming Rochester into America’s first “Boomtown” to its continued use for tourism, education, and recreation, the canal remains a treasured part of the region’s heritage. Whether a history enthusiast, a local resident, or a first-time visitor, Corn Hill Navigation invites the community to join in celebrating 200 years of innovation, culture, and adventure on the Erie Canal!
For more information on CHN’s Erie Canal Bicentennial Season, check the website at cornhillnav.org or call 585-662-5748.
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