TOWN OF DEWITT – The 52nd Canal Day is scheduled to return to Ryder Park from 3 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 7.
Due to COVID-19-related restrictions on large group gatherings, the annual tradition did not take place as it normally would have last year.
In lieu of the usual gathering, videos and photos posted to the DeWitt Recreation Virtual Resource Center put the spotlight on previous Canal Days instead, since the town did not host any live events at that time.
“All of 2020 was very weird for us,” Megan Ball, the town’s director of recreation, said. “There were quite a few things we weren’t able to do that we normally do annually and Canal Day definitely was one of the larger ones.”
As Aug. 7 approaches, Ball said she expects Canal Day’s comeback to be warmly welcomed by DeWitt residents.
“I think it’s a staple event for a lot of people,” she said. “In general, everyone is looking forward to having things kind of return to normal too, at least as normal as possible.”
Ball—who became the recreation director in January 2020—said Canal Day will carry on its family-friendly, community-building focus in the wake of the year spent apart.
The town has, however, decided to hold off on indoor activities as a safety precaution, which means the community group booths ordinarily situated in the town hall’s court room will be moved outside.
As a result, this year’s event will have to be able to endure through rain or heat, barring “extreme, dangerous weather,” Ball said.
The seven-hour schedule for Canal Day encompasses balloon twisting by Jeff the Magic Man through the late afternoon and early evening, a concert performance by the DeSantis Orchestra starting around 6:30, and a 9:15 firework display.
The Page Wildlife Center will be showcasing rescued birds of prey under the park pavilion, and the CNY Diaper Bank plans to hold a diaper drive throughout the day.
The festivities will also include $2 pony rides, $5 caricatures, inflatable slides, obstacle courses and a midway featuring games with prizes. Food trucks will also be stationed around the grounds at 5400 Butternut Drive, as will members of local police, firefighting and ambulance crews.
As usual, admission and next-door parking for Canal Day will be free.
For more information about how to become a sponsor of the event or how to reserve a space for a particular organization, contact the Town of DeWitt Recreation Office at the email address [email protected] or call 315-446-3910, ext. 9.
