Erie Information: Tickets, Venues, Events and More

Industrial city of ‘Erie’ is situated on the shore of Lake Erie in Pennsylvania State of the USA. This city is named after a lake and an American tribe residing along its southern shore. It is the fourth largest city after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Allentown.

This city is a seat of government for Erie County. It is famous for heavy industries and manufacturing of plastics and locomotive building. The city is in the heart of rust belt. It is famous for being the Flagship City due to the presence of flagship Niagara of Oliver Hazard Perry. It is also called Gem City due to its ‘sparkling’ lake. The renowned Fort Presque Isle near present day Erie was built by the French in 1753. It was built as part of their effort to garrison New France against the encroaching English. It was their last post west of Niagara after the abandonment of this fort by the French in 1760.

Today’s Erie would have been situated in a disputed triangle of land that would be claimed by the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Brig Niagara had crucial role in the history of this city that ultimately became part of Pennsylvania on March 3, 1792 after Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York.

James Madison built a naval fleet at Erie for controlling Lake Erie from the British during the 1812 War. Shipbuilders Daniel Dobbins and Noah Brown led the construction work of four schooner rigged gunboats and two brigs. This city was renowned as a railroad hub in the mid 19th century but its importance faded gradually with the closure of lake trade and commercial fishing. So did its population.

The 2000 census estimates that this city has 103,717 inhabitants, 40,938 households and 24,480 families. International Institute of Erie was founded here in 1919. The institute helps resettlement of refugees from Bosnia, Eritrea, Ghana, Iraq, Kosovo, Liberia, Somalia, Sudan, the former Soviet Union and Vietnam since 1990. Inclusion of refugees in Erie's community showcases religious diversity in its cultural festivals.