2027 will mark 200 years since the first boat traveled on the Ohio & Erie Canal. Canalway, the nonprofit that serves as a catalyst for projects and programs within the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area in Cuyahoga County, will recognize that 200-year milestone on March 13, 2027, when it hosts its sixth annual Towpath Trail Lantern Parade.

Artist Jim Dotson's 2025 lantern.To prepare for the March event, Canalway has issued a call to artists to create large-scale lanterns from recycled materials for the celebration of light, creativity, and sustainability that welcomes spring to the banks of the Cuyahoga River.

As the Ohio & Erie Canal marks a milestone, Canalway's director of communications Meghan Paynter is asking artists to draw inspiration from the canal's history, the people and ideas it moved, and its environmental, recreational, and industrial impact on Ohio.

“As we mark this 200^th anniversary, we want people to learn how the Ohio & Erie Canal connected people, how it moved ideas that modernized our culture, and how the history still impacts us today,” says Paynter. “We hope artists can be inspired by these ideas and weave them into their lantern designs to help us share the history with the community in a fun, bright way.”

At the Towpath Trail Lantern Parade, the commissioned artists will display their illuminated creations and carry them carry them with other community members in the parade. The parade route follows a 1.4-mile stretch through Scranton Flats.

'The Towpath Ribbon: People, Places, and Passage,' by Shannon Marie Timura.Interested artists should submit a statement of interest, a proposed lantern design, and images of previous work. The deadline is Monday, Jan. 4, 2027.

Selected artists will be notified by Tuesday, Jan. 12, and will receive a $1,000 stipend. View the complete Call for Artists and learn how to submit your application.

Hosted by Canalway, the Towpath Trail Lantern Parade is supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a project support grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.

Paynter says anticipation is building for the 2027 parade and the new creations it will showcase.

“We’re excited to reflect on the 200^th anniversary of the first boat on the Ohio & Erie Canal,” says Paynter. “The canal impacted Cleveland, Akron, and Ohio in so many ways. It transformed the way people and products moved across the country, but more than that, it modernized culture and connected people and communities.

“The canal fueled population growth and propelled industry into the area—it was more than a transportation route; it was a conduit for ideas and changes,” Paynter continues. “We’re looking for artists who find inspiration in any piece of the past and highlight in a beautiful creative way.”