50th Canal Day Music & Craft Festival Scheduled for August 24

Unique Site of Morris Canal Features Nearly 200 Years of History

The 50th Annual Canal Day Music & Craft Festival, set for this Saturday, August 24 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Hugh Force Canal Park at 180 West Central Ave., Wharton, promises to be a lively celebration of the historic Morris Canal and the rich heritage of the communities along its route.

The old-time country fair offers a day filled with music, culture and family-friendly activities including:

Live Music: Enjoy performances by some of New Jersey's finest acts across two stages featuring Rock, Blues, Country, Classical as well as traditional and contemporary Irish Folk Music.

Interactive Activities: Take free kayak rides, join a formal history boat tour, and learn the traditional craft of blacksmithing.

Educational Exhibits: Engage with Revolutionary War and Civil War reenactors and marvel at a live animal show featuring local and exotic wildlife.

Shopping & Food: Explore over 150 vendors offering fine art, crafts, and delicious food from local eateries and gourmet food trucks.

An engineering marvel that spanned 102 miles across Northern New Jersey, the Morris Canal operated from the 1820s until 1924. The site at Wharton’s Hugh Force Canal Park features one of the best-preserved sections of the Morris Canal, which was critical to regional development nearly two centuries ago.

A 16-year, $4.7 million restoration funded by state and county grants revitalized a quarter-mile stretch and the only operational lock remaining from the 102-mile canal that once linked Phillipsburg and Jersey City. The lock that once elevated and lowered boats on their journey though the canal was fully restored in 2022, along with the adjacent stone "lock tender’s" house which now serves as a museum.

As part of Morris County’s Cultural Resources Survey, the county’s Office of Planning and Preservation has also been actively compiling a list of the men, women and children who earned a living on the Morris Canal.

 Here are the Morris County Officials and Organizations participating at this year’s Canal Day:

Morris County Clerk's Office: Get information on the many services provided, from recording vital records to officiating marriage ceremonies and processing U.S. Passport applications.

Morris County Engineering and Transportation: Discover how you can help prevent water pollution through proper stormwater management.

Morris County Mosquito Control: Learn about mosquito habitats, life cycles, and how to reduce standing water around your home. A live mosquito display and expert advice will be available.

Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority: Find out more about recycling and waste management programs across Morris County, and how its Water Division supplies drinking water to local municipalities and water companies while serving as the county's key environmental resource.

Morris County Sheriff's Office: Meet the Bomb Squad and K9 team, with demonstrations and equipment displays. Sheriff James Gannon will also be present with Hope One, the mobile recovery access vehicle providing addiction and mental health services, along with Narcan training.

Admission to the festival is free, with $5 off-street parking available. Stick around for a spectacular fireworks display at Robert Street Park at 7 p.m.  

For more information and a festival map, visit www.canalday.org.

Schedule of events:

Great Field Bandshell Musical Performers

• 10:30 a.m. to noon: Norton Smull Band
• Noon - 1 p.m.: The Big Noise band
• 1-2 p.m.: Sonrise Mountain Revival
• 2-3 p.m.: Bootleg, The Band
• 3-4 p.m.: Stone Hearth Bluegrass Band
• 4-5 p.m.: Colburn & Co.

Street Area activities (all day):

• Morris County Sheriff's Department Bomb Disposal Unit demonstration
• Blacksmith demonstrations by William Barrett
• Pony rides

Park Area - Gazebo Opening Ceremony: 10-10:30 a.m.

• 10 a.m. Opening ceremony with color guard, bag pipes and flag salute
• 10:15 a.m. History of the Morris Canal provided by The Canal Society of NJ

Park Area - Gazebo Music Schedule:

• 10:30 a.m.: Growing Old Disgracefully
• 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.: Wallaby Tales Animal Show
• 1-2 p.m.: Niki Briar
• 2-3 p.m.: Coo Coo Cachoo
• 3-4 p.m.: Long Hill String Band
• 4-5 p.m.: Loretta Hagen

Park Area Special Activities (all day):

• Kayak rides on the Morris Canal
• Revolutionary War encampment and firearm demonstration by the 3rd NJ Regiment "Jersey Blues"
• Civil War encampment provided by the 7th Virginia Cavalry Co. A
• Morris Canal narrated historical boat tour on the Morris Canal, by The Canal Society of NJ
• Interpretation of Morris Canal Lock 2 East and Tender's House
• Horse drawn hayrides
• 11 a.m. and 2:45 p.m., Civil War Small Arms Firing Demo
• 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m.: Guided historical walking tours along the Morris Canal by The Canal Society of N.J.