Lockport Old Canal Days returns this weekend, opens Thursday

Lockport — Old Canal Days is returning to Lockport this weekend and will have more activities for attendees to enjoy than ever before.

The annual festival will run for a full four days, starting Thursday and continuing through Sunday.

The festival, which is hosted along the historic I&M Canal on the former Chevron property at 2nd Street and Canal Road, kicks off officially at 5 p.m. Thursday with access to the carnival, food court, and beer garden and a performance by DJ Jon Wise from 7 to 10 p.m.

Before the official opening, there will also be two hours of special access to the carnival for disabled community members and their families starting at 2 p.m. Access during this time is free, but families, including the disabled individual and up to five family members, had to register by Monday.

Once the gates open for the general public, the first 200 teens under 21 will receive free glow wands and necklaces for the performance, while the first 100 adults 21 and over will receive a free mug.

“We’ve always had the carnival on Thursday, but this is the first time we’re doing the music and food with it,” said Annette Parker, executive director of the Lockport Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors Old Canal Days. “Last year we were down at the site on Thursday and there were a lot of parents just hanging around while the kids were at the carnival, and we thought ‘Why not have more for people to do?’ We’re already set up. It’ll be good for the guests and help our food vendors.”

The carnival and food offerings will run throughout the weekend from 5 to 11:30 p.m. Friday, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sunday. Food court vendors will include Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, Creamery, Dairy Queen, Embers, Frosty Dogs, GrzGrub, Krispy’s Nashville hot Chicken, Mr. Salty, Pierogi Rig, Smokin’ Z BBQ, Supermercado and Villa Nova Pizza.

The annual parade will be held through the downtown down State Street from 12th Street to 3rd street starting at 6 p.m. Friday. The festival will close with a firework show at 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

Music acts, tours

Each afternoon and evening will include musical performances, including LP Vinyl and Tim Gleason Band on Friday and School of Rock, Crooked Country Blues, Righteous Hillbillies, Fletcher Rockwell and Bostyxx on Saturday. Sunday’s lineup before the fireworks includes Joliet Police Pipe & Drums, World Dance Spectacular, Blackbird Academy of Irish Dance, Lockport Swing Thing, Grupo Folklorico Monte Carmelo de Joliet, Johnn Russler & Beach Bum Band, Simple Remedy and 7th Heaven.

During the day several tours through historic Lockport will also be offered to guests, including a new offering Saturday. According to the Chamber of Commerce, the Lockport Powerhouse will be open for tours from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, “giving the community a rare chance to learn about the important role it played in the history of the Chicago region while also gaining a behind the scenes look at this innovative facility.”

All ages are welcome on the 45-minute tour, but wearing sturdy shoes is strongly advised. Guests will need to sign up for the tour when they arrive and take a bus from the Old Canal Days Heritage Village to the facility. No parking is available at the powerhouse, which is the oldest hydroelectric plant in Illinois and helps control flooding in the area.

“The powerhouse usually doesn’t allow the public in, so we’re very excited about this,” Parker said. “We were able to work with them to offer this tour for the first time in 15 years.”

Two other tours will be available during the weekend: a tour of the historic Lockport Cemetery, which will be offered at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday. Trolley tours of downtown Lockport will be offered every half hour between 1 and 5 p.m. with the final tour starting at 4:30 p.m.

The cemetery tour will start at the mausoleum on 6th Street and guests should park at Milne Grove School. Trolley tours – which are air conditioned – will depart from Heritage Village and can be accessed from the main festival grounds.

Vendors and parking

Other activities throughout the weekend include shopping from local vendor booths, Heritage Village programs, a petting zoo and shows from Big Run Wolf Ranch and Crosstown Exotics, bingo, face painting, presentations by the Will County Model Railroad Association, and duck races.

A full schedule of activities and information about carnival passes can be found on the Old Canal Days website.

Parker noted that there is “ample parking” available at the site, and access should be easier in 2024 than past years since the city recently paved a portion of the parking area and festival grounds, making walking to the vendor areas and handicapped access easier.