Community Traditions
A village that loves a celebration
Middleport is noted locally for its festivities and parades — especially on Memorial Day and the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. Throughout the year the community also hosts the Canal Duck Derby, a fall art and craft show, the National Day of Prayer observance and a Christmas tree lighting, with the Middleport Community Choirs a familiar presence at many of them.
Dates and details shift a little from year to year. For confirmed times and any changes, check with the Village at middleportny.gov or local community groups such as the Royalton-Hartland Business & Professional Association (RHBPA).
Through the Year
Middleport events calendar
Spring
Feb–Mar: Lenten dinners hosted by the Masonic Lodge.
Mar–Apr: Rotary Club Easter Egg Hunt and the Community Choir spring concert.
Late April: Arbor Day celebration.
May
Community Yard Sale (first Saturday), the National Day of Prayer observance (first Thursday), and the Memorial Day parade and ceremony at the veterans’ memorial — followed by the ever-popular Canal Duck Derby.
Summer
July: Independence Day parade in neighboring Gasport with an evening fireworks display, plus Music in the Park — wine, music and food at Rotary Park (typically the third Sunday), hosted by the RHBPA.
Fall & Winter
Labor Day weekend: Saturday festivities and a Classic Car Cruise.
October: children’s Halloween party and the Fall Craft Show at the Fire Hall on Main Street.
Nov–Dec: Veterans Day observance and the Christmas tree lighting.
Signature Event
The Canal Duck Derby
One of Middleport’s best-loved traditions, the Canal Duck Derby sends a flotilla of numbered rubber ducks bobbing down the Erie Canal after the Memorial Day ceremonies — a fitting bit of fun for a village whose story has always been tied to the water.