Every year, the residents of Chesapeake City, Maryland invite the community to savor festivities in the historic streets along the canal.
Chesapeake City’s 35th annual Canal Day will be held Saturday, June 27, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Chesapeake City is located northwest of Middletown, Delaware on Route 213 at the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal.
There will be crafts, artists, vendors, raffles, local crab cakes, free historic boat tours, several children’s activities, restaurant specials, food and beverages.
Entertainment will be provided by the Grimsley Music Band and Frequency Band.
Harriet Davis, president of Chesapeake City’s Civic Association, said Canal Day is a fun event, where families can come enjoy what the town has to offer.
“It is a street fair and is one of the oldest festivals in Cecil County,” she said. “It is a fun day out and you don’t have to spend a lot of money.”
Davis said several vendors, painters, craftsman and writers attend the festival. Many non-profit organizations help sponsor the event, and partially hold fundraisers during it.
“You can meet a lot of interesting people,” she said. “You can support a lot of the local charities.”
Davis said last year the civic association raised between $4,000 and $5,000, to help support the maintenance of Franklin Hall and The Pell Garden in Chesapeake City.
“Usually about 10,000 people attend [Canal Day],” she said.
5K run
The day will feature the first Chesapeake City 5K Walk/Run Race. Warm-up is at 6 a.m. and the race starts at 8 a.m.
The registration fee is $18 and the race benefits the city’s new recycling program.
Rita’s Water Ice and The Pretzel Factory will provide refreshments. Race categories include men, women and different age groups.
Music and entertainment
Gianmarco Martuscelli, owner of the Chesapeake Inn Restaurant and Marina, said every year a lot of people from the area attend because the event always bestows a good time.
“It’s a tradition,” he said. “It draws everyone for the summertime and is a great party.”
Martuscelli said although Canal Day activities are Saturday, the Chesapeake Inn tries to make Canal Day a weekend event.
“People come in Thursday and stay until Sunday,” he said. “We usually have between 4,000 and 6,000 people attend [on boats].”
The Chesapeake Inn Restaurant and Marina will start entertainment Friday, June 26, with music by Kristen and The Noise, The Approach and DJ Doug, and continue Saturday at 12 p.m., with DJ Dan followed by groups such as Plastic Parts, Hyjinx, What Momma Said and Betty Ford Dropouts.
Martuscelli said commonly about 400 boats come to the city on Canal Day.
“It’s on a first-come, first-serve basis,” he said.
