Illuminating Spring: Canalway’s annual Towpath Trail Lantern Parade in photos

Bob Perkoski Tuesday, March 10, 2026
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Canalway's annual Towpath Trail Lantern Parade—a celebration of light, creativity, and sustainability that welcomes spring to the banks of the Cuyahoga River with a 1.6 mile round-trip walk—avoided rain on Saturday, March 7 as local artists and community members gathered for the popular event at Sokolowski’s Overlook in the Tremont neighborhood.

Canalway commissioned five local artists to create illuminated art that celebrates the history and culture of the Ohio & Erie Canalway, using recycled and upcycled materials. Featured artists this year were Shannon Timura, Jim Dotson, Connor Riva, Mark Schatz, and The Rabbit Hole Art Fanatics collaborative.

Community members were invited to join the parade by making their own lanterns at a free lantern-making workshop, held at the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Community Arts Center in Clark-Fulton and led by Upcycle Parts Shop. The artists made lanterns out of plastic jars, using recycled materials and a battery-powered light.

Photographer Bob Perkoski was standing by to capture the celebration and welcome Spring to Northeast Ohio with this photo essay.
Bob Perkoski
Bob Perkoski

About the Author: Bob Perkoski

Bob is managing photographer with FreshWater as well as a Cleveland freelance photographer. His photographic approach is rooted in the art of storytelling. Whether freezing the energy of an event, encapsulating the magic of a performance, or astutely anticipating the decisive moments, his work displays an innate ability to distill the essence of any scene or subject into a single frame or series of work. In addition, Bob is the official photographer for LAND studio and Holden Forest and Gardens and has worked with various Cleveland organizations. In 2019 he published a book of his photos Rust Belt Burlesque. He's had work published in other books like LGBTQ Cleveland by Ken Schneck, Rust Belt Chic: The Cleveland Anthology, Rust Belt Chic: The Pittsburgh Anthology and Moon Cleveland by Douglas Trattner. Previously he was co-founder/art director for Balanced Living Magazine. You can view his versatile portfolio of work, which includes news coverage, portraiture, architectural and fine art at Perkoski Photography. Originally from Conneaut, Ohio, Perkoski now lives close to the city in Parma. He has been Fresh Water's managing photographer since the publication's September 2010 inception.

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