Event Support

Event Support Grant

Funder: New York State Canal Corporation and Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor

Geographic Scope: Erie Canalway Corridor (500+ miles of waterway and Canalway Trail in New York State)

Focus Areas:

• Canal heritage events (history, culture, arts)
• Recreation events (paddling, cycling, hiking, walking)
• Canalway Challenge or 1st Mile Challenge events
• Accessibility-focused events
• Tourism promotion events
• Other canal-related events

Eligibility:

• Counties
• Municipalities
• Units of local government
• Not-for-profit organizations
• Federally recognized Native American nations

2026 Program Priorities:

• Accessibility for all community members
• Addressing service and amenity gaps
• Events that help people explore and connect with the Canalway Corridor's heritage, recreational assets, beauty, or unique communities

Program Objectives:
Events should demonstrate how they will achieve one or more of the following:

• Facilitate recreation and/or tourism
• Enhance visitor amenities and/or improve visitor experience
• Encourage overnight stays
• Commemorate the history, heritage, or culture of the canals
• Make recreational and tourism assets more accessible for people with and without disabilities
• Expand audiences served
• Improve and/or promote connectivity between recreation areas and communities or between waterways and land trails

2026 Timeline:

• Applications Opened: October 14, 2025
• Applications Closed: November 21, 2025
• Awards Announced: February 2026

Economic Impact:
Canal-related events and tours generate $1.3 billion in economic impact for Canal Corridor communities annually.

Event Support Application Process

2026 Applications Now Closed

Check back in the fall for 2027 event support applications.

Submission Instructions:

1. Review application instructions prior to submitting
2. Submit via electronic form available on website
3. Can cut and paste answers into form
4. Cannot save application once begun—have answers ready
5. Complete application in one session

Required Information:

• Applicant name and managing organization(s)
• Complete address and contact information
• Primary contact and organizational website
• Event title, dates, and location
• Event website (event details or placeholder must be on website by June 1)
• Event type (select all that apply): Bicentennial, Canal heritage, Recreation, Canalway Challenge, Accessibility, Tourism, Other promotional
• One-to-two sentence promotional description
• Detailed event/festival description
• Estimated event cost and matching funds
• Anticipated attendance
• Amount requested
• How funds will be used
• Partner organizations
• Description of any fees for participants/spectators
• Accessibility details: Is event accessible? How will you promote/invite people with accessibility needs?
• COVID-19 contingency plan
• Whether organization previously received Erie Canalway funds

Required Supporting Materials:

• W-9 form (upload or mail separately)
• Supplemental materials (optional): promotional photos, brochure/flyer
• Final match report required 30 days post-event demonstrating 1:1 match of non-federal funds (cash or in-kind)

Contact:
Ashley Quimby-Simoni, Program Manager (for recent cycle information)
Phone: 518-237-7000, ext. 202
Email: ashley_quimby-simoni@partner.nps.gov