As a canal boater, Cavalcade is on my list of festivals to attend one year. Many of my boating friends are either involved in running the event or go as visitors.
BTW I must fly the flag for the few people still doing a bit of commercial carrying on the UK canals. Sadly it's mostly selling coal and fuel to other boaters and canal-side properties but there are one or two other cotracts including, I believe, moving some bulk materials for the 2012 Olympic site.
In Europe there's still quite a lot of commercial carrying on peniches in France canals.
Cheers
Guy