The 550-acre Hudson River Park is the largest public recreation area in Manhattan after Central Park. It was created in 1998 in part to "enhance the ability of New Yorkers to enjoy the River." Credit: Gina LeVay/Smithsonian Magazine

Free opportunities to learn rowing, kayaking, paddle-boarding and more are also offered at the region's biggest harbor festival

Contacts:

Mary Habstritt, Museum Director, Lilac, P: 917-709-5291

Dave White, New York Sea Grant's Recreation and Tourism Specialist, E: dgw9@cornell.edu, P: 315.312.3042

Helen Cheng, New York Sea Grant's Jamaica Bay Specialist, E: helen.cheng@cornell.edu, P: 718.951.5415

New York, NY, July 5, 2017 - Get out on New York City and New Jersey's waterfront-and on the water- with the Waterfront Alliance's 10th annual City of Water Day. This free, family-oriented celebration, held on Saturday, July 15th, has grown into the region's biggest harbor festival.

Highlights of the day include free boat tours on all kinds of vessels—from tall ships to tugboats; free rowing, kayaking, paddle-boarding. There's also a kayak race and waterfront activities fair on Governor's Island.


Free opportunities to learn rowing and kayaking are offered on City of Water Day. Credit: Ian Douglas / Waterfront Alliance

In addition to the Alliance's main events on NYC's Governors Island, where New York Sea Grant and others will have table displays, the organization's partners are hosting their own City of Water Day "In Your Neighborhood" events across the five boroughs, Yonkers, and New Jersey.

From kayaking to fishing to seining, there is something for everyone in the whole family. Events are free and open to all. The interactive map features all local events. And for more details, see The Waterfront Alliance's "Guide to City of Water Day."

To further whet your appetite for a day on the water, check out Smithsonian Magazine's May 2017 cover story, "How New York City Is Rediscovering Its Maritime Spirit" and the Vialogues' "Seen in NY: City of Water Day" video.



For regular updates, including announcements about boat tours and other festival information, see The Waterfront Alliance's Web site, and follow them social media via the hashtags #CityofWaterDay and #OurWaterfront on Twitter and Facebook. City of Water Day—including boat tours—is held rain or shine. On-water activities will be postponed or suspended only in the case of thunder and lightning.

Sea Grant Dives Into City of Water Day 2017


New York Sea Grant's "The Great Shipwrecks of NY’s ‘Great’ Lakes" exhibit is currently wrapping up a extended stay at the museum ship Lilac, which is docked at Hudson River Park's Pier 25 in TriBeCa.

Created by Sea Grant for the 2014 New York State Fair, this collection of panels and memorabilia on shipwrecks found in, among others, Lakes Ontario, Erie, Champlain and George, was first received by The Lilac Preservation Project just before the Memorial Day holiday weekend and was originally scheduled to end its inaugural New York City run on July 4th.

For more, including a video discussion on the traveling display by NYSG Recreation and Tourism Specialist Dave White, see "NY’s ‘Great’ Lakes Exhibit Makes a Splash in NYC."


Credit: Hudson River Park

NYSG's Jamaica Bay Coastal Resilience Specialist Helen Cheng (pictured above) will be on Governor's Island for the Waterfront Alliance's City of Water Day with a table display showcasing resources for resilience in New York City.

Cheng's most recent initiatives—a monthly podcast and a climate forum series—were recently featured in two Cornell University magazines. An article written by NYSG's Web Content Manager Paul C. Focazio was also featured on several of Cornell's social media platforms.

In Photos: Scenes from City of Water Day 2016

As the many partners of the Waterfront Alliance demonstrated once again this past July 16, City of Water Day has grown into a true citywide festival, with with more than 60 In Your Neighborhood sites dotting the waterfronts of the metropolitan region.



On last year's ninth annual City of Water Day, Waterfront Alliance president and CEO Roland Lewis (pictured above, at right) visited several far-flung In Your Neighborhood sites by speedboat. “It was a remarkable tour of City of Water Day,” he said, “just a small sample of the dozens of locations around the region. I saw a huge festival in Coney Island, a waterfront arts celebration in the South Bronx, all kinds of activity in Hoboken—people were on the water everywhere! We are a city of water!”

Here are a few visual highlights from the day, courtesy of The Waterfront Alliance. There are hundreds more to peruse via Flickr ...


Hoboken Cove Boat House. Credit: David Gonsier


Young professionals taking part in the annual kayak race. Credit: Ian Douglas


Schooner Pioneer. Credit: Ian Douglas


Kayakers near Governor's Island enjoying NYC's waters and skyline, the latter of which shows One World Trade Center in the distance. Credit: Ian Douglas


There's paddle-boarding and much more awaiting ferry goers traveling to Governor's Island on City of Water Day. Credit: David Gonsier

More Info: New York Sea Grant

New York Sea Grant (NYSG), a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York, is one of 33 university-based programs under the National Sea Grant College Program (NSGCP) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The NSGCP engages this network of the nation’s top universities in conducting scientific research, education, training and extension projects designed to foster science-based decisions about the use and conservation of our aquatic resources. Through its statewide network of integrated services, NYSG has been promoting coastal vitality, environmental sustainability, and citizen awareness about the State’s marine and Great Lakes resources since 1971.

New York Sea Grant maintains Great Lakes offices at SUNY Buffalo, the Wayne County Cooperative Extension office in Newark and at SUNY Oswego. In the State's marine waters, NYSG has offices at Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Manhattan, in the Hudson Valley through Cooperative Extension in Kingston and at Brooklyn College. 

For updates on Sea Grant activities: www.nyseagrant.org has RSS, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube links. NYSG produces a monthly e-newsletter, "NOAA Sea Grant's Social Media Review," via its blog, www.nyseagrant.org/blog. Our program also offers a free e-list sign up via www.nyseagrant.org/coastlines for its flagship publication, NY Coastlines/Currents, which is published 1-2 times a year.