(WRGB) — The Albany Symphony will bring its Water Music New York: More Voices Festival to Waterford on Friday, July 10. The free outdoor event is tied to the Erie Canal Bicentennial and focuses on celebrating the future of the historic waterway.
Executive Director Emily Fritz-Endres said the festival is designed to welcome people from across the region and New York State while highlighting the Erie Canal through music and community activities.
“We believe that music is a fundamentally human art form,” Fritz-Endres said. “It’s about being able to share our greatest existence of what it means to come together.”
The symphony has been working at Lock E2 in Waterford and has hosted a composer in residence who spent time getting to know the community. The composer created a new work, which will premiere during Friday’s event.
In addition to the musical performances, the festival will feature kayaking, biking, art, food, history talks and family-friendly activities. Programming begins at 2:30 p.m. and continues through the orchestra performance at 8 p.m., followed by a drone show.
“The whole idea is that we want to activate this entire Erie Canal area and showcase that it is part of a linear public park that anybody can enjoy,” Fritz-Endres said. “And really celebrating the future of what the Erie Canal can represent for people across New York State.”
Fritz-Endres, who is not originally from New York, said she has been impressed by the connection many communities have to the Erie Canal, particularly in Waterford.
“It’s a point of identity. It’s really incredible,” she said. “It’s amazing to see that people use the Erie Canal, just like a public park or like an extension of their backyard.”
As part of the festival, the orchestra will perform on a barge in the water, allowing audience members to watch from the embankment, locks, bridges and surrounding downtown area.
The Water Music New York More Voices Festival will take place Friday, July 10 at Lock E2 in Waterford. Activities begin at 2:30 p.m., with the orchestra performance scheduled for 8 p.m. Admission is free.