On Saturday, July 15, head to the waterfront, wherever you are, and join the Waterfront Alliance for City of Water Day! The main event takes place on Governors Island from 10am–4pm (rain or shine). You’ll also find a slew of family-friendly events hosted by our Alliance Partners at waterfronts around New York and New Jersey, including boat tours; kayaking and rowing; art projects and science experiments; games and giveaways; music and food; and much more. Check out the guide below to help you plan your day. If you don’t see the information you need, visit City of Water Day online or email [email protected].
Activities
You’ll find lots of fun activities on Governors Island to entertain the whole family. Below are a few highlights; check out the whole list here.
– Arm of the Sea Theater: New this year! Presenting the Rejuvenary River Circus, an allegorical tale featuring masks and puppet characters, a bio-morphic set design, and live original music, performed at 12:30pm on Governors Island. Sponsored by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.
– Disney: Each year, Disney brings arts and crafts, games, and music to Governors Island, transforming Colonels Row into a kid mecca.
– I Fish NY: Go fishing with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
– New York City Audubon: Learn about the birds of the area with NYC Audubon.
Boat Tours
Free boat tours are held rain or shine on City of Water Day, with departures from Governors Island and a handful of piers throughout Manhattan and New Jersey. Reservations will open at the end of June with additional tickets available in early July. For exact timing of ticket opportunities, please check the Waterfront Alliance’s social media (Twitter and Facebook) or the City of Water Day website. A refundable reservation fee of $5 will be charged per passenger. If you take your tour, the $5 fee will be credited back to you, but if you do not check in for your tour, the fee will not be refunded. Please note that there may be a limited number of stand-by tickets available at each departure pier on City of Water.
Con Edison Cardboard Kayak Race
The fifth annual Con Edison Cardboard Kayak Race will take place at Governors Island during City of Water Day. At noon, 25 teams—including last year’s champion House of Cardboard Kayaks, plus squads from the Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse, Billion Oyster Project, and North Brooklyn Boat Club, as well as competitors from universities, high schools, and family groups—will gather on Kayak Hill to receive identical amounts of cardboard and tape. The teams will take two hours to design and build vessels, and then climb in and race their vessels against each other in heats beginning at 2:30pm. From start to finish, it’s a blast for spectators!
Ferry Service
What better way to get to a City of Water Day celebration than by ferry? Check the new NYC Ferry routes to see how close you can get to many In Your Neighborhood locations. If you’re heading to the City of Water Day hub on Governors Island, the ferry from Lower Manhattan departs from the Battery Maritime Building, adjacent to the Staten Island ferry terminal, starting at 10am. The ferry from Brooklyn to Governors Island starts at 11am and departs from Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Until 11:30am, the Governors Island ferries are free; after 11:30am, the cost is $2 per person.
In Your Neighborhood
At last count, 71 organizations had signed up to host their own City of Water Day activities at 42 In Your Neighborhood waterfront locations, in all five boroughs, Yonkers, and New Jersey, with more signing up every day. Use this interactive map to find an In Your Neighborhood location near you. This year, the Waterfront Alliance is introducing In Your Neighborhood anchor sites, including:
– Bronx River Alliance River House at Starlight Park (hosted by the Bronx River Alliance)
– Castle Hill Park on Pugsley Creek near Westchester Creek in the Bronx (hosted by the YMCA and Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice)
– Kaiser Park at Coney Island Creek in Brooklyn (hosted by the Coney Island Creek Beautification Project)
– Riverbank Park on the Passaic River in Newark, New Jersey (hosted by Riverfront Revival)
– Socrates Sculpture Park on the East River in Queens (hosted by Socrates Sculpture Park)
Manhattan Kayak Circumnavigation
On City of Water Day, look to the East, Hudson, and Harlem Rivers for the annual Manhattan Kayak Circumnavigation (aka Jerry and Steve’s Manhattan Circ). The “Circ,” as it is known, launches in several waves from Fort Lee, New Jersey and Inwood Beach around 6:30am. Look for kayakers to pass Pier 40 heading south on the Hudson River before 11am, round the Battery and pass Governors Island between 10:30am and 11:45am, hit Hallet’s Cove on the Queens waterfront between 12:45pm and 3:15pm, pass Swindler’s Cove on the Harlem River between 5pm and 6pm, and return to their starting points by 6:45pm. If the Circ is postponed to July 16 due to rain, times are advanced by one hour.
Social Media Campaign
We want people near and far to show us and tell us about their favorite waterfront, using the hashtag #mycityofwater. To participate, post a photo of your waterfront—the beach, a creek, a river, a lake, a bay, a wetland—to Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter using the hashtag #mycityofwater and let us know what makes your waterfront great. We’ll be sharing your photos on social media through July 15.
Volunteer
City of Water Day is a huge effort, and we welcome volunteers to help us pull it off. Welcome to the crew! Learn more and sign up here.
About the Waterfront Alliance
Now in its tenth year, the Waterfront Alliance works to protect, transform, and revitalize New York Harbor and the waterfronts of New York City and northern New Jersey. Since becoming an independent organization almost ten years ago, we have grown into a coalition of more than 950 organizations working together to bring about real change to our region’s waterways and 700 miles of shoreline. Learn more and join the Alliance.
