Will Brig Niagara be back in Erie for nation’s 250th? That’s the goal but not a promise

The U.S. Brig Niagara is typically a fan favorite every three years at the Tall Ships Erie festival.

But the Niagara, a wooden reproduction of the ship that helped win the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812, won’t be able to sail in this year’s festival to be held Aug. 21-24.

The Niagara is on the way to Maine where it’s expected to spend the next year being repaired and refitted.

The Niagara will have to skip plans for both the Tall Ships Erie festival as well as a celebration of the U.S. Navy’s 250th anniversary that will be held in August in Philadelphia.

Jim Hall, site administrator for the Erie Maritime Museum, where the Niagara is docked, said he’s hoping that the Niagara will be back in Erie to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration in 2026.

But the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission isn’t making promises, spokesman Jay Losiewicz said.

“Our goal is to be in shipyard for about a year,” he said. “Things can change. That is the current goal. I won’t put a firm date on it. There is no guarantee to it, but that is our goal.”

Reporting by Jim Martin, Erie Times-News / Erie Times-News