COSHOCTON, Ohio — On Aug. 21, 1830, residents gathered along the banks of the Ohio & Erie Canal to watch the canal boat Monticello glide into their village. That arrival connected the community—then known as Caldersburgh—to trade routes stretching from the Great Lakes to the Hudson River and sparked an economic boom that would transform the village, soon renamed Roscoe, into the fourth-largest wheat port on the canal system, attracting merchants, craftsmen, hotels, mills and new businesses.
Fresh from receiving the National Mural Award-winning New Horizons mural with residents of Altadena, California, following the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, internationally acclaimed muralist Dr. Benjamin Swatez will invite visitors of every age to help create a permanent Community Mural celebrating Coshocton County’s Indigenous heritage, canal era and beyond.
Swatez has led collaborative mural projects in more than 35 countries, and the mural he creates here will travel throughout Historic Roscoe Village as a lasting reminder that history is strongest when a community tells its story together.
He’ll bring that same spirit to Historic Roscoe Village, where nearly two centuries after the canal boat Monticello first arrived, visitors are invited to return to those same canal banks for Canal Day Celebration: Brushstrokes & Boat Songs, a free, family-friendly festival Saturday, Aug. 22, from noon to 5 p.m. at the Canal Boat Landing at Lake Park, 23140 State Route 83 North, Coshocton, Ohio, roughly 75 miles east of Columbus and 100 miles south of Cleveland. As part of Historic Roscoe Village’s America 250-Ohio programming, the event blends history, music, art and hands-on experiences that invite guests to experience the story that shaped one of Ohio’s best-preserved canal towns.
Admission, the community mural experience, live music, 1830’s games, snacks, hands-on crafts, and historic interpreters are free. Canal boat rides aboard the horse-drawn Monticello III are $10 per person.
“Nearly 196 years ago, people gathered here because a canal boat was arriving,” said Sharon Kinkley Bucey, Executive-in-Residence of the Roscoe Village Foundation. “This celebration brings people together once again—not only to experience history, but to help tell the story of an entire community. Every brushstroke adds another voice to a mural that celebrates the people, cultures and history that make Coshocton County unique.”
Event Highlights
- Free admission from noon to 5 p.m. on August 22, 2026
- Community mural painting with Dr. Benjamin Swatez
- Horse-drawn canal boat rides aboard the Monticello III ($10 per person)
- Live performances by Ohio singer-songwriter Barefoot McCoy
- Historic interpreters and family-friendly activities throughout the day
Proceeds and donations from Canal Day Celebration support the preservation of the Ohio & Erie Canal experience, including restoration of the Monticello III canal boat, care of the draft horses that power each journey, restoration of the canal itself, and the preservation of one of Ohio’s most authentic living history experiences for future generations.
Full event details and schedule are available at roscoevillage.com.
About Roscoe Village Foundation
Roscoe Village Foundation stewards Historic Roscoe Village, a preserved 19th-century canal district located in Coshocton, Ohio. Inspired by the restoration vision of Edward and Frances Montgomery in the 1960s, the Foundation carries forward the canal-era values of commerce, connection, and community through preservation, interpretation, and strategic partnerships. Today, Historic Roscoe Village serves as a cultural and economic anchor for the region and a distinctive destination for immersive canal-era experiences.
Contact:
Sharon Bucey
Executive-in-Residence, Roscoe Village Foundation
sbucey@roscoevillage.com | (630) 945-1787
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