Fall is the time for festivals in New England, and Saturday, September 10, will see one of the most exciting of them all - right on Harding Street in Worcester's Canal District, directly accessible from Rte. I-290. And it's free!

The Blackstone Canalfest is a classic street festival complete with music, entertainment, vendors, food, an abundance of kids' activities, horse-and-wagon rides, kayak rides, historic as well as current canal project information, a giant raffle and much more. At the center of the festival will be an actual, re-created segment of the canal, 75 feet long filled with over 4,500 gallons of water, recalling the era when it served as a cargo waterway to the sea.

Canalfest '11 has a dual purpose: To celebrate the renaissance that is occurring in the district and to promote public awareness of the Blackstone Canal Replication Project itself. Food vendors will be drawn from the wealth of local restaurants, entertainment will reflect the multi-ethnic heritage of the district, and information booths will promote the historical theme of the canal. Most importantly, however, the purpose of the Canalfest is good, clean family fun; and with street performers, multiple children's activities, horse-and-wagon rides, and food and entertainment galore, it stands to accomplish just that. In this its sixth year, it is organized and presented by the Canal District Alliance.

The Blackstone Canal connected the City of Worcester to Providence and the sea in the first part of the 19th century, catalyzing economic growth in the city and hastening the advent of the railroads. It was covered over in the 1890s, but its waters still flow underneath Harding Street. The intent of the canal replication project is to use the "unearthed" canal as the focus of a new, mixed-use neighborhood and visitor destination in what is once again referred to as the Canal District.

Canalfest '11 will celebrate the rebirth that is already happening in the neighborhood. It will recreate a portion of the waterway along Harding Street, and it give all participants a taste of the vitality that is soon to characterize Worcester's most exciting and fashionable district. It will be free, it will be festive, and most of all, it will be fun.

Parking will be available for $1 at the Union Station Parking Garage.

Blackstone Canalfest
Saturday, September 10th, 2011
11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Conveniently located
Harding Street, exit 13 or 14 off of Rt.290
Worcester, MA