Canal Day
- Thread starter bobh
- Start date
Actually, the location is the whole town. The Basin becomes one huge raft-up/Woodstock/Mardi Gras on the water. If you are going by boat forget about getting a slip at the Inn... those are all gone by the end of the day on Jan 1. It's definitely not a "Family Event" in the basin, if you get my drift. The town, on the other hand, is very much a family affair. They shut-down the streets and fill them with all sorts of vendors and displays. You park the car in designated remote lots and come into/out of town on shuttle buses....all free of charge and very convenient.
We would drive in via car, walk around the town looking at all the "stuff" and then have a long lunch and drinks on the balcony at the Chesapeake Inn so we could watch the antics in the basin...binoculars are handy to have if you want to indulge in some of the "details"
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All in all, great fun!
We would drive in via car, walk around the town looking at all the "stuff" and then have a long lunch and drinks on the balcony at the Chesapeake Inn so we could watch the antics in the basin...binoculars are handy to have if you want to indulge in some of the "details"
.All in all, great fun!
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The June issue of the Chesapeake Bay Magazine has an article about canal day with pictures.
boathandler
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Would that be the last FULL weekend in June, or June 30 / July 1?
Canal Day (officially it's just one day) is Saturday, June 30th and that is when the town of Chesapeake City becomes closed to traffic. However, the "affair" in Mechanics Basin will start building on Thursday, become a true party by Friday afternoon, a complete CIRCUS BLOW-OUT by Saturday Afternoon and turn into an Roman orgy on Saturday night. On Sunday morning people will wake-up trying to figure out whose boat they are on and who the hell is on their boat!
Believe me, the pictures are tame!
Believe me, the pictures are tame!
The pictures are very tame. Living in the Historic section, one block from the Chesapeake Inn, my alley backs up into the Inn. I had to go down to my car, to get someting last year.....did I come upon some surprised people, looked like they were having fun, wasn't super happy they were using my Land Cruiser for as a piece of furniture, but what can I say.
Its actually a big Catch22 for people that live in the town. Its great publicity, and the stores make a ton of money, for the most part its very fun, but there are always some way out of control people, so there are some that are ok with it and some that hate it. I really like it until about 2am Saturday night, when I'll hear some guy picking a fight with my tree (true story) or throwing up on my porch. Usually about Sunday noon, I'm happy again. They are starting to police more after dark so I think its getting better
I will say swiming in that basin must be the most disgusting idea ever. Every boat has been there since Thursday, there is no way to move to pump out...and people don't go to the Inn for bathrooms.
Its actually a big Catch22 for people that live in the town. Its great publicity, and the stores make a ton of money, for the most part its very fun, but there are always some way out of control people, so there are some that are ok with it and some that hate it. I really like it until about 2am Saturday night, when I'll hear some guy picking a fight with my tree (true story) or throwing up on my porch. Usually about Sunday noon, I'm happy again. They are starting to police more after dark so I think its getting better
I will say swiming in that basin must be the most disgusting idea ever. Every boat has been there since Thursday, there is no way to move to pump out...and people don't go to the Inn for bathrooms.
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C&D Canal Festival: Too Rowdy?
(AP) CHESAPEAKE CITY, Md. An annual June festival in Chesapeake City may become a thing of the past.
The Canal Day festival, held each year since 1975, raises money for local landmarks but is better known for a party outside on the C & D canal basin, where revelers drink and more than 400 boaters gather.
Mayor Bill Kiessling says the lewd, drunken behavior is spoiling the event. He called Monday for a study to review whether the festival should be canceled. Kiessling says other options include moving the date or changing the festival's name to discourage rowdy boaters from attending.
Laurance Smith, a Coast Guard auxiliary member, says authorities would step up enforcement next year and may limit the number of boats allowed in the basin.
(AP) CHESAPEAKE CITY, Md. An annual June festival in Chesapeake City may become a thing of the past.
The Canal Day festival, held each year since 1975, raises money for local landmarks but is better known for a party outside on the C & D canal basin, where revelers drink and more than 400 boaters gather.
Mayor Bill Kiessling says the lewd, drunken behavior is spoiling the event. He called Monday for a study to review whether the festival should be canceled. Kiessling says other options include moving the date or changing the festival's name to discourage rowdy boaters from attending.
Laurance Smith, a Coast Guard auxiliary member, says authorities would step up enforcement next year and may limit the number of boats allowed in the basin.
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If they change it to February they might just solve their perceived problem.