For those with a taste for adventure,
visit Port Colborne July 31, August 1, 2, 3, 2009!

The Canal Days Marine Heritage Festival offers activities and attractions that will enliven the senses. The Tall Ships gather in Port Colborne each August holiday weekend, for a four-day celebration of history and heritage. Explore the decks, try your hand at the wheel, or feel the spray as you cruise a Tall Ship on Lake Erie.

Nestled at the juncture of the Welland Canal and the Lake Erie north shore, Port Colborne is a working marine community, with rich nautical history and welcoming hospitality. At the height of summer, the entire city takes time to celebrate the reasons why this picturesque town has grown and prospered – our marine heritage and our connection to the St. Lawrence Seaway and the seafaring world at large. 2009 marks the Seaway's 50th anniversary, and the 180th anniversary of the first Welland Canal, and Canal Days this year will be dedicated to these historic milestones.

The Canal Days Festival encompasses the entire community, with activities at a dozen different venues: HH Knoll Lakeview Park hosts Ontario’s largest outdoor classic car and kite show. The Seaway Park children’s area has games, entertainment and kid’s activities throughout the weekend. At the Port Colborne Marine Museum the history of the Canal is on display, and heritage artisans can be seen working their trade. Festival guests can ride the free Canal Days shuttle to the West side indoor Craft Show, Lock 8 Park Gateway Experience, or the Garden Swing Jazz event at the Roselawn Centre. Festival food and shopping kiosks fill historic West Street, and the Market Square concert venue features top notch entertainment nightly.

Each year 300,000 people visit the festival over four days. Friends, families, and former residents return and reminisce, and Canal Days continues to grow by bounds. An ever-changing roster of activities has redefined Canal Days again and again, and as the festival moves into its fourth decade, that growth will continue as the festival blooms again. 2009 Canal Days will feature the addition of a 5K fun run, new heritage food area, youth entertainment programming, and Canal Days Mountain Bike Race.  In 2009, it is the St. Lawrence Seaway that takes centre stage, and to honour her 50th anniversary, an armada of vessels, including the Brig Niagara, will ply the waters through the downtown area. Celebratory fireworks will light the night sky.

A source of great community pride, Canal Days is Port Colborne’s signature event, and it is the scores of local volunteers who work tirelessly that make this unique event Niagara’s premier summer festival.  The Canal Days Marine Heritage Festival, Port Colborne: July 31, August 1, 2, 3, 2009.