Hands Along the Canal

Saturday, May 9th at 10 a.m.

This year marks the 175th anniversary of the Delaware and Raritan Canal. To celebrate the Park and raise awareness of this important recreational resource, the Kingston Historical Society and East Coast Greenways are sponsoring Hands Along the Canal —a bold undertaking that will attempt to line thousands of hand-holding park users along the historic towpath from Millstone Aqueduct to Rocky Hill.

Those of you who love and use the D&R should mark your calendars, register at the website and plan to be a part of this show of support for the park!

Participants will link hands at 10 am, and you must plan to arrive early, in order to be in place at this time. If you plan to be a part of this "human chain", please register ASAP at the East Coast Greenways website (www.greenwaynj.org) so the organizers can keep track of where everyone will enter the park. The registration form is also available at the D & R Canal State Park website (www.dandrcanal.com/programs.html#hands).

Because there is limited parking at the entrances to the D&R Canal, organizers are asking bicyclists and runners to park a distance away and bike or walk/run to the park entrance of their choice (Rocky Hill at Rt. 518; Rockingham Historic Site at Rt. 603/Laurel Ave; Kingston Lock at Rt. 27; D&R Canal State Park/Mapleton Preserve at 145 Mapleton Road; Millstone Aqueduct and Footbridge at Mapleton Road). These locations highlighted in yellow on the map in the April 2009 newsletter at www.fpnl.org.

If you plan to enter the Canal at the Kingston Lock on Rt. 27, parking is limited. However, ample parking will be available at Mapleton Preserve/D&R Canal State Park at 145 Mapleton Road in Kingston – those who park there can follow a trail to the canal. Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands will be at the Preserve to provide directions to the Canal.

After the event, there will be a special bluegrass concert from ~11-1 at the Headquarters for the D&R Canal State Park (D&R Canal State Park/Mapleton Preserve, 145 Mapleton Road, Princeton, NJ 08540) by Riverside, Central New Jersey’s favorite bluegrass band. Its free, and all are welcome.