The 48th annual Canal Days Marine Heritage Festival in Port Colborne, Ontario, has released its full schedule for the Civic Holiday long weekend, running from July 31 to August 3. The event will feature carnival rides, tall ship sails, and family fun, along with new indoor attractions and expanded safety measures.
A carnival midway will operate on King Street all four days, while King George Memorial Park hosts a kids zone with bouncy castles from Niagara Inflatables and balloon twisting by the Welland & District Shrine Club. For those drawn to the water, the tall ship STV Pathfinder, operated by Brigs Youth Sailing, will offer sailing experiences from West Street.
New this year are indoor events at the Vale Health & Wellness Centre at 550 Elizabeth Street. The Port Colborne Optimist Club hosts its annual craft show on August 1 and 2, with handmade items from about 55 Ontario vendors. A die-cast toy show featuring more than 50 tables will also run inside the centre.
To ensure guest safety, medical tents will be stationed at both the West Street festival grounds and the concert area at H.H. Knoll Lakeview Park. This follows heightened security planning after a 2024 incident where concertgoers breached fencing during a show, causing 15 minor injuries and an assault on a Niagara Regional Police officer.
