Corn Hill Navigation launched its summer season for the Sam Patch and Riverie riverboats with a send-off in Pittsford that included a blessing of the fleet.
The May 10 ceremony marked the the nonprofit’s 35th year running boat tours—and a much bigger milestone: the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal.
“People come from all over to see the Erie Canal,” said Patrick Russell-Walsh, executive director of the Corn Hill Waterfront and Navigation Foundation.
The canal opened to the entire state in 1825. Its function has changed over the last two centuries but it remains a vital part of the region’s identity.
The canal still drives economic activity and draws tourists who want to experience it, “whether that’s riding a bike alongside it, or visiting one of the many villages throughout upstate New York and cities that are along the Erie Canal, or getting on the Sam Patch or the Riverie to experience it from the water,” said Russell-Walsh.
Corn Hill Navigation expects more than 20,000 passengers this season. Their schedule includes more than 800 cruises, plus educational trips and special events. Their season runs now through Halloween.
