Canal Days

Canal Days is a marine heritage festival held in Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada. The festival has been held annually since it was started in 1979 by the Port Colborne Historical & Marine Museum.

Port Colborne is located on the north-east shore of Lake Erie, on the southern portion of the Niagara Peninsula, and is about 30 minutes drive from the US border at Buffalo, New York. The city is also the southern terminus of the Welland Canal, where ocean vessels pass through the downtown area on their way into the inner Great Lakes, or out to sea.

Canal Days began in 1979 as part of a larger regional celebration of the 150th anniversary of the opening of the First Welland Canal. 400 visitors attended at the Museum grounds where the festival was held. In 1980 the Museum decided to continue with the festival, and it has grown larger each year since.

During Canal Days the downtown streets and lift-bridge are closed to traffic. The festival provides a supervised children's area with live entertainment, a carnival midway, and a live bird of prey and reptile exhibit. Tall Ships moored along the canal wall are open for exploration. The ships provide cruises including a day-long journey from Lake Ontario, through the canal locks.

The festival also hosts an open-air vending area and outdoor food court, and Ontario's largest outdoor vintage car show and kite display is located at H.H. Knoll park. The Roselawn Centre for the Living Arts hosts a Jazz on the Lawn concert with big band music; other performances include classic rock headliners, tribute bands, and local musicians.

The festival culminates with a boat parade along the Port Colborne canal corridor and a fireworks display over the water.