Waterloo Village Canal Day Festival Set for Saturday (June 24)

Published on June 21, 2017

KICKS OFF 2017 SEASON FOR HISTORIC VILLAGE IN 19TH CENTURY MORRIS CANAL TOWN

Morris County residents are invited to join the Canal Society of New Jersey for a day of family fun and entertainment on Saturday as they kick off an 11th season of interpreting historic Waterloo Village on Saturday (June 24), from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., just across the border in nearby Sussex County.

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This year's Waterloo Canal Day Festival will feature a wide range of activities for the whole family. On June 24th the Canal Society of New Jersey will bring historic Waterloo Village back to life with canal boat rides, live music, tours and demonstrations.

A special feature will be the new Canal Boat Exhibit that will include the recently discovered remains of a real Morris Canal boat. Many of the historic buildings will be open including Smith's Store, blacksmith shop, a working water-powered gristmill, and the New Jersey Canal Museum. Canal Society volunteers who will be on hand to talk about Waterloo's history and offer hands-on activities.(JPG, 358KB)

Once a bustling inland port on the Morris Canal, Waterloo retains its character as a 19th Century canal town. Since 2007, the Canal Society has gradually opened industrial and commercial buildings to interpret trades that were common throughout the 19th Century.

Waterloo Village is managed by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry within the state Department of Environmental Protection and is located in Allamuchy Mountain State Park.

Scheduled activities at the festival, which has free admission and a $5 parking fee, include:

(New) Carpenter's Canal Boat Repair Shop: Includes demonstrations using historic carpenter's tools;

(New) Highlands Canal Boat Exhibit;

Smith's Canal Store: Fully stocked canal store with many fascinating products and labor-saving gadgets from bygone days;

Canal Boat Rides: The only public boat ride on the Morris Canal;

(JPG, 70KB)Blacksmithing: Experienced blacksmiths will demonstrate and interpret various smithing techniques, working red-hot metal. Watch them turn a 20-penny nail into a decorative hook;

Entertainment: Singing historian Roy Justice will perform traditional songs about canals, coal, and Americana. Chairs under the tent allow visitors to sit and relax in the shade;

Smith's Sawmill: Water-powered sawmill, typical of those built across North Jersey;

Water Powered Grist Mill: The fully operational water-powered grist mill grinding corn into meal; interactive activities include corn shelling and grinding by hand;

(JPG, 127KB) Singing Historian Roy Justice