PERINTON, N.Y. — ​Perinton is celebrating 200 years of the Erie Canal in Fairport. The 363-mile canal means a lot to the village and they’re planning a party to honor the landmark waterway.

The bicentennial celebration is going to be at Perinton Park Saturday, Sept. 17. It is also Fairport homecoming weekend, so there will be plenty of football, food, music and even a flotilla to enjoy.

Nancy Ragus grew up in Fairport. She knows the canal is the heartbeat of the village and loves to show it off. 

“We are reaching out to our neighbors to invite them to be on the canal and we’d love for any local people to also light up their boats. It’s a really nice way to recognize the impact that the canal has had on our community. The economic impact and just that people come to town and feel like they’re on vacation,” said Nancy Ragus from Fairport Perinton Partnership.

So far they’ve got a tug boat, fire boat and Fairport’s beloved Colonial Belle leading the flotilla with live music onboard. The party takes place on Sept. 17, 5 - 8 p.m. The flotilla begins at 7 p.m. near the Parker St. bridge.

If you'd like to be a part of the flotilla, you can register your boat online.