MACHIAS — The Cattaraugus County Museum’s “Summer at the Stone House” event series continues its 2025 schedule Thursday with a performance by Rochester-based musician and educator Allen Hopkins, featuring music of the Erie Canal.

Hopkins has been a regular participant in the museum’s summer programming for several years and never fails to entertain the crowds. For over 40 years, he has been playing for a wide variety of audiences. Primarily a folk musician, he is fluent in American traditional, Celtic instrumental, blues, bluegrass, old time and contemporary.

Allen Hopkins

Included in Hopkins’ musical repertoire are guitar, banjo, mandolins of all sizes, Autoharp, English concertina, harmonica, bass (acoustic and electric), Dobro, Appalachian dulcimer, ukulele, and other odd instruments from tiple to kalimba.

This program is the first of two presentations the museum will host on the topic of the Erie Canal, which is celebrating its bicentennial this year. On Aug. 14, a representative from the Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse will be present to give a talk on the famous waterway.

The program will begin at 7 p.m. and will take place under a tent on the museum lawn, rain or shine. Some seating will be available, but attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs if they wish. This event is free and open to the public.

For those unable to attend in person, this event will be live-streamed on the museum’s YouTube channel. A link to the live-stream will be posted on the museum’s Facebook page nearer the date of the event.

The Cattaraugus County Museum is located in the Stone House, 9824 Route 16, in Machias. For more information, visit www.cattco.org/museum or call (716) 353-8200.