Tasting Tent - Recruit and contract businesses for tasting, oversee tasting
Advertising - attend a few meetings to know where and what info needs to be distributed; contract with advertising agencies
Children’s Activities - 2-3 hour shifts helping in activity tent
Canaligator Race - planning throughout the year and helping during the race
Arts and Crafts - check in vendors; serve as goodwill ambassador to listen to crafter suggestions, needs, etc.
Food Vendors - co-coordinator to share job of securing food vendors and communicating with food vendors
Solicitations - contact sponsors to help fund event
Entertainment Committee - Recruit, contract and oversee bands
Setup/teardown - 1.5 hours at beginning and end of event
Garbage detail - 1.5 hours twice daily
Co-coordinator for event - share job of overseeing the event. Plan general meeting agendas and lead approximately 10 meetings per year
Photographer - take pictures periodically throughout event to be used in future advertisements
Volunteer Dinner - help with details for organizing the dinner
Also needed 50 volunteers for the two day event!
Anyone with a few spare hours and a love for the Village of Spencerport and this community event, please stop by one of the Information Booths where there will be signup sheets, contact Kathy Wilson at Spencerportcanaldays35@gmail.com or call 585-352-1350 to learn how you can help make Spencerport Canal Days 2026 a reality.
Spencerport Canal Days to feature top-notch entertainers
by Grace Scism for Spencerport Canal Days
There’s nothing better than spending a summer day listening to great live music. Check out the lineup for this year’s Canal Days and come out to support these amazing artists.
Dori’s Music Studio performing
from 10 to 10:30 a.m. Dori offers a summer band program in July for students who have been playing for at least one year. The program, which includes students from her studio and from her band program at Leo Bernabi Elementary School, is a fun way for band students to keep up their playing skills during the summer. This year the band is learning fun pop music such as “Any Way You Want It,” “Smoke on the Water,” and “Louie, Louie.”
arrangements. No matter what generation of listener, this power trio will keep the party going!
From 1:30 to 3 p.m., Feedback , a high energy five-piece band plays everything from classic rock, blues, and Motown, to country and modern hits. Featuring the dynamic lead vocals of Vernette Hill, Feedback is a crowdpleaser everywhere they play. They have opened for such national acts as Eddie Money, Rik Emmett (of Triumph) and Steve Augeri (of Journey).
Closing out Canal Days from 2:30 to 4:30
is
Closing out Saturday from 3:30 to 5 p.m. is SIRSY, a two-piece vocalist/drummer group. Charismatic vocalist/drummer Melanie Krahmer and her husband, Rich Libutti on guitar manage to sound like a full band. Their energetic show often includes stories from the road, laughter, and dance parties.
All the performances are in the Firemen’s Field Entertainment Tent with plenty of chairs so visitors can relax and enjoy the music. Provided photos
The UCC Praise Band will perform contemporary Christian music for your enjoyment from 1 to 2 p.m. The band features Mark DiNitto on bass, Doug Schott on drums, Mark Schott on guitar, Dori Swarthout on keyboard, and vocalist Darcy Colby. Their repertoire includes songs by Jelly Roll, Blake Shelton, Wyonna Judd, MercyMe, Matthew West, and others.
p.m.
Johnny Bauer, a touring musical entertainer from western NY. He is an accomplished singer, songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player accompanied by Nicki Paris on bass guitar and vocals, and Ryan Bauer, Johnny’s son, on drums, guitar and vocals. They perform country, blues and rock in a soulful Americana style.
Over 70 crafters on hand at Spencerport Canal Days
by Grace Scism for Spencerport Canal Days
Local crafters work hard all year long so that they have the opportunity to sell their arts and crafts at local festivals. This year, Spencerport Canal Days will feature over 70 crafters, plus four community groups, and 10 commercial vendors.
Among this year’s new crafters is Tiffany Smith, owner of Coastal Wood Creations. She and her husband moved from coastal North Carolina to Albion about two years ago. Her one-of-a-kind creations include epoxy river coasters, charcuterie boards, and oceaninspired resin decor that brings a touch of nature into one’s home.
“It started out as a hobby, just making things for myself in 2020 during the pandemic,” said Smith. “But as I perfected my skills, I decided to start an Etsy shop and participate in festivals, and quickly became successful.”
Laura Chilson is also new to Canal Days. After graduating from art school in 2008, she focused on painting portraits of people and pets. But since working at a local flower and vegetable farm, she has been creating farm-inspired art.
Take the shuttle –save the trouble!
by Grace Scism for Spencerport Canal Days
Spencerport Canal Days will again offer free shuttle buses to and from Spencerport High School, 2707 Spencerport Road, to the power station behind Slayton Place in the Village of Spencerport. Buses will run from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. both days. Plenty of free parking is available at the High School. Handicap accessible buses are available, and the buses can also accommodate strollers.
For the past 14 years, the Canal Days Committee has coordinated with the Spencerport School District to offer shuttle buses and drivers. The festival profits pay for the bus rental and cost of the drivers.
Please leave your pets at home. No pets are allowed.
“Sometimes I’ll take pictures of things on the farm, and then I create paintings from the photo references,” said Chilson. She sells greeting cards, tote bags, and magnets featuring her artwork, and also hand-paints vases that she uses to create unique arrangements with flowers grown on the farm.
Livonia resident Kerry Chartier will be bringing her Goat Isle Soap to Canal Days for the first time. She has been crafting smallbatch, raw goat milk soaps in partnership with local farms, blending sustainability with luxury skin care. Each bar is cold processed and enriched with nourishing oils, butters and essential oils. Rose Quartz; Blueberry Thyme; Turmeric, Charcoal and Tea Tree; and Oatmeal Milk and Honey are some of the scents she’ll have for sale.
“Beyond soap, we’ll have a curated selection of scrubs, lotions, balms, and moisturizers - all developed from scratch in our studio with a focus on skin repair and nourishment,” said Chartier. “Everything is packaged with care using low-waste, eco-friendly materials.”
Shop Spencerport Canal Days arts and crafts on Saturday, July 26 and Sunday, July 27 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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What better reason to visit Spencerport Canal Days than to fill your belly with tasty treats from a variety of food trucks and community groups? There are favorites that will make a return appearance, new food trucks to try, and several community groups selling food.
Community groups that will be selling food and beverages include Lalla Rookh Daughters of Mokana, Mary Jane Holmes Chapter #440 of the Order of the Eastern Star, Kiwanis Club of Spencerport, and Rotary Club of Spencerport.
Food vendors will be located in both the Firemen’s Field and on South Union Street. Spencerport Canal Days runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 26 and Sunday, July 27.
Canal Days Tasting Tent returns for tenth year
by Grace Scism for Spencerport Canal Days
The popular Canal Days Tasting Tent is back again this year with four NY wineries and a distillery offering tastings and bottles for purchase.
Many are familiar with Casa Larga Vineyards and Winery in Fairport. Their offerings include reds, whites, Rosé wines, and ice wines.
Montezuma Finger Lakes Winery, one of the Martin Family Wineries and Distilleries, located at the top of Cayuga Lake, specializes in Rieslings, Vignoles, and strawberry wine.
Thousand Islands Winery in Alexandria Bay offers a wide variety of wines that range from dry to dessert wines, including a Marquette Bourbon Barrel Aged red wine.
Victorianbourg Wine Estate in Wilson, NY specializes in European-style varietal table wines, sweet wines for sophisticated tastes, unique table wines infused with chocolate, and Vika wines served warm like herbal tea.
Festival goers also will have the opportunity to taste products from Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery in Fort Ann, near Lake George. The distillery uses the clean, unprocessed water from Springbrook Hollow, which gives their spirits a unique flavor. Springbrook Hollow distills their bourbon in
a custom-made copper pot still, one batch at a time. At their distillery, they sell Cowboy Coffee, Apple Moonshine, Maple Moonshine, Limoncello, and Adirondack Straight Rye Whiskey, to name a few.
The Tasting Tent will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days of the festival in the Firemen’s Field on the southwest side of the canal bridge. Admission is $5 per person to sample vendor products and ID (valid driver’s license) will be checked at the door. Tickets must be purchased prior to 4:30 p.m. Customers can request that their purchases be held until the end of the day, so they don’t have to carry them as they enjoy the festival.
Grab a bite from one of the many food vendors. File photo by Karen Fien.
Sample various offerings from New York wineries and a distillery. File photo by Karen Fien.
The Canaligator Race is back!
by Grace Scism for Spencerport Canal Days
The popular Canaligator Race is back after a brief hiatus and will take place on Sunday, July 27 at 4:30 p.m. So be sure to purchase your tickets during Spencerport Canal Days at either of the two Information Booths on Saturday, July 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. or Sunday, July 27 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $5 each or five tickets for $20. (You do not need to be present to win.)
For those who have never experienced a Canaligator Race before, the event involves dumping over 1,000 little green canaligators off the Union Street Bridge into the Erie
Canal to see which make it to the finish line first…and last. Finish fast or float in last - you could win a prize!
Each one of the little green canaligators has a number on his tummy and if your number is called, you are a winner! Prizes, which total nearly $3,000, include generous Wegmans and Tops gift cards, RMSC passes, Rochester Red Wings tickets, Cinemark movie tickets, Dunkin gift cards, The Strong National Museum of Play passes, VISA gift cards, and a date night package to Home 2 Suites by Hilton.
Proceeds from this year’s race will be donated to Spencerport community organizations and programs.
Kathy Wilson takes over as Spencerport Canal Days chair
by Grace Scism for Spencerport Canal Days
For over 40 years, Ginny Swarthout volunteered to help make Spencerport Canal Days a reality. Last year, she announced it would be her last year as chair so that she could devote more time to her business, The Unique Shop on South Union Street. In stepped Kathy Wilson.
Born and raised in Spencerport, Wilson is a retired teacher who taught special education for 33 years at Leo Bernabi Elementary School in Spencerport.
“My husband, Kevin, and I began volunteering in the information booth a number of years ago, and gradually became involved with other volunteer opportunities within Canal Days,” said Wilson. That included helping with solicitations, the Tasting Tent, and the Volunteer Dinner.
“Ginny had been telling me for a couple of years that she was going to be stepping down,” said Wilson. “Knowing that I was retiring, she approached me to take over her roles and responsibilities as director.”
Wilson credits the Spencerport Canal Days Board for providing guidance and support, and answering her “thousands of questions.” She also credits the volunteers who generously give their time to make the event possible.
As a teenager, Wilson worked at the Ben Franklin store during Canal Days. Now in its 43rd year, the event has become a community institution.
“Spencerport Canal Days is a way of highlighting our community along the canal to the thousands of visitors who will attend,” said Wilson. “And I am extremely proud of the fact that our proceeds are given back to our many community causes and organizations.”
Free SAFE CHILD cards available at Canal Days
by Grace Scism for Spencerport Canal Days
The Ogden Police Department will be offering free child identification cards at this year’s Spencerport Canal Days. Having a SAFE CHILD card will give the parent or guardian peace of mind knowing that should anything ever happen to their child, they will have an ID with vital information for authorities.
SAFE CHILD cards contain a child’s name, biographical information (including date of birth, gender, height, weight, hair color, eye color, and other identifying data), and a fingerprint image of both index fingers. In only three to five minutes, a SAFE CHILD card is printed and laminated for each parent or guardian free of charge.
In addition to being able to quickly provide important details to law enforcement agencies investigating a child’s disappearance, the SAFE CHILD Card will serve as an im-
major SponSorS
Howard Hanna Real Estate Services
Oaks Construction, Inc.
Tops Friendly Markets - Spencerport
Town of Ogden
Village of Spencerport
Wegmans
Westside News Inc.
Top BraSS LEVEL
Spencerport Insurance Agency
Towne & Country Eyecare Associates tceyeonline.com
admiraL LEVEL
Fuse Creative FuseCreativeCo.com
Kidtopia Rochester, LLC kidtopiaschool
Natale Signs
Stonewall Construction Company, Inc. www.stonewallconstruction.net
Ann Keeley - Avon Products, Inc., Bath & Beauty Products
Bayford Construction, Inc. Bloom & Blend, LLC bloomandblendsmoothies.com
Cellura Dental www.celluradental.com
IMCO, Inc.
J. Williams Jewelers, Inc. jwilliamsjewelers.com
portant tool when used in conjunction with the NYS AMBER Alert and Missing Child Alert programs. The card will allow essential missing child information to be disseminated, statewide if necessary; within minutes and dramatically increases the possibility of bringing a missing child home.
Ogden Police Department will use new equipment that contains the latest digital fingerprinting technology and high-resolution photography capabilities, some of which was purchased thanks to a generous donation by the Spencerport Canal Days Committee.
The SAFE CHILD Card program is a free public service administered by the New York State Sheriffs’ Association, Inc.
The SAFE CHILD booth will be located at the entrance to the Firemen’s Field to the left of the Information Booth on Saturday, July 26 and Sunday, July 27 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Please note that children must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
LaDanse Workshop, LLC Lee Nail Art
Mary Lobene Hunt Real Estate/ERA marylobene.huntrealestate.com
Maximum Tan
McColley’s www.mccolleys.com
MGB Building, Inc. www.mgbbuildinginc.com
MJ Dispensery
Retro Traders Facebook Retrotraders1983
Spencerport Federal Credit Union www.spnfcu.org
Spencerport Neighbors Magazine
Suburban Disposal Corp.
The Feltner Group www.thefeltnergroup.com
The Stowe Law Firm LLC www.Stowelegal.com
The Unique Shop
Texas Bar-B-Q Joint BBQRochester.com
“CrEw”LEVEL
Birnie CPA, PC Birniecpa.com
Buttonwood Golf Course buttonwoodgolf.com
Capone’s Italian Eatery Westside Cardinal Lawn & Landscape, Inc. cardinallawnlandscape.com
Cobble Creek Farm cobblecreekfarm.net
Crane-Hogan Structural Systems, Inc.
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Africamba Curios
Ogden Farmers’ Library ogdenlibrary.com
philoSophie’s Stationery and Gifts www.philosophies.shop
Spencerport Media www.spencerportmedia.com
St. John the Evangelist Church stjohnschurchspencerport.org
Canaligators splash down on Sunday afternoon. File photo.
