Come Celebrate the 100th Canalaversary

The engineering marvel called the Cape Cod Canal had its grand opening on July 29, 1914. With days of festivities and celebrations leading up to the July 29, 2014 event, the Cape Cod Canal Celebration Committee has gone all out to make this party historic! Commemorations are between 1-4 p.m. at Buzzards Bay Park, and the "Canalaversary" is between 4-9 p.m. with a huge pyrotechnic display launched off the landmark railroad bridge at 9 p.m.

An impressive tug boat parade starts at 4 p.m. from the Mass Maritime Academy and goes the full length of the canal and then turns and comes back. It's viewable from the banks of the canal. There will be tours of tall ships and the Charles W. Morgan, food, music, and special speakers. Check for times of events at www.capecodcanalcentennial.com.

The Cape Cod Canal is seven miles long and technically changed Cape Cod from a Cape to an island! At one time, it was a toll canal at $16 either way and shaves 132 miles off a trip from where Buzzards Bay used to end to Sagamore Beach. At the beginning, the canal had problems. It was only 100 feet wide and barely 25 feet deep. Today, the canal is 480 feet wide and 32 feet deep. It is spanned by the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge and two highway bridges—the Bourne and the Sagamore.