Upcoming
Events
Saturday, August 22 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Wharton Canal Day
A free day of live music, food, and family fun along Wharton's historic canal corridor
Join the Borough of Wharton for Canal Day, an all-day celebration on West Central Avenue honoring the town’s roots along the historic Morris Canal. From 10 AM to 5 PM, the street comes alive with live music, local food trucks, and a marketplace of vendors and makers.
Bring the whole family for kids’ activities throughout the day, and unwind in the beer garden once you’ve explored.
Whether you’re a longtime resident or visiting for the first time, Canal Day is a relaxed, welcoming way to spend a late-summer Saturday in Wharton.
Admission is free — we’ll see you on West Central Ave.
Sunday, August 30th · 10:00 – 4:00
Canal Road Walk and Roll
Griggstown Causeway to Route 518, Rocky Hill
Canal Road will be closed from Griggstown Causeway to Route 518 in Rocky Hill. Enjoy a day with friends and family along the scenic D&R Canal with no cars!
Sunday, September 27 • Noon to 4:00 PM
Boonton Day 2026
Main Street comes alive — live music, food, and local business
Boonton Day returns to Main Street on Sunday, September 27, from noon to 4:00 PM. Presented by Boonton Parks & Recreation, this annual celebration brings residents, families, and local businesses together for an afternoon of live music, food vendors, craft and business booths, and activities for every age.
Come out, connect with your neighbors, support the organizations that keep this town running, and celebrate everything that makes Boonton such a special community.
Sunday, September 13th · 10:00 – 4:00
Canal House Challenge
East Millstone · Blackwells Mills · Griggstown · Kingston · Port Mercer
Five of the historic locktender and bridgetender homes will be open to the public. Pick up a passport at your first stop and have it stamped. If you visit all five buildings in one day, you will receive a small prize. Visitors will be invited to tour the homes in East Millstone, Blackwells Mills, Griggstown, Kingston, and Port Mercer (addresses will be provided in the August newsletter). The friends group in charge of each home will welcome visitors and provide a tour and history of the building.
Upcoming 2026 Program Meetings
35 Waterview Boulevard, Parsippany, NJ
Friday, September 18th, 2026
A History of Inventing in New Jersey, from Thomas Edison to the Ice Cream Cone
Presented by Linda Barth
Linda Barth has been a fan of New Jersey for a long time. A lifelong resident of the Garden State, Linda has written two books on the D&R Canal and three children’s picture books, Bridgetender’s Boy, Hidden New Jersey, and Alice Paul: Champion of Women’s Rights. She has also authored A History of Inventing in New Jersey: From Thomas Edison to the Ice Cream Cone and New Jersey Originals. With her husband she has published The Millstone Valley Through Time and Somerville Through Time. She has also contributed to the Encyclopedia of New Jersey.
Linda Barth spent 45 years in the Bridgewater-Raritan School District, teaching fourth grade and then substituting after retirement. She is the executive director of the League of Historical Societies of New Jersey and president of the D&R Canal Watch, a friends organization of the D&R Canal State Park.
Friday, November 20th, 2026
Speaker & Details Coming Soon
Saturday, September 19 · 10AM – 3PM
Olde Suckasunny Day
Main Street, Succasunna, NJ
Main Street comes alive for Olde Suckasunny Day, a free community celebration in Succasunna on Saturday, September 19th from 10AM to 3PM. Enjoy food, local vendors, crafts, games, live performances, and the library book sale — all while marking America’s 250th Anniversary and Roxbury Township’s Revolutionary history. Bring the whole family.
Details
- When: Saturday, September 19 · 10AM – 3PM
- Where: Main Street, Succasunna, NJ
- Cost: Free
- Info: Roxburylibrary.org/osd
Sunday, September 20th
Young Patriots Day
Princeton Battlefield State Park, NJ
Young Patriots Day is an annual, interactive educational event held at Princeton Battlefield State Park in New Jersey, celebrating 18th-century American history for children and families. The 2026 event features Revolutionary War reenactments, historical figures, and hands-on colonial activities. The Canal Watch will staff a table at this event. Volunteers are welcome.
Saturday – Sunday, October 10th – 11th · 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sat · noon to 4:00 p.m. Sun
Somerset County’s Journey Through the Past
East Millstone Bridgetender’s Home & Station
Canal Watch members will open the East Millstone bridgetender’s home and station (and the historic outhouse, for observation only). Bob Barth, 201-401-3121, bbarth321@aol.com. (To see the many other historic sites that will be open, Google “Journey Through the Past, Somerset County, NJ.”)
Sunday, October 18th · 10:00 a.m.
Bike Ride on the Feeder Canal
Starting / ending point to be determined
Helmet required. SAVE THE DATE. Tim Roth, fastlanetim@yahoo.com, 609-462-5812.
Saturday, October 24th · 10:00 a.m.
Geology Hike
Prallsville Mills · Route 29, Stockton
During this geology walk, participants will learn about the four geologic units of the Newark Basin along the D&R Canal. Walk led by Pierre Lacombe, retired USGS geologist.