Join us on Saturday, July 25 for the 19th annual City of Water Day, a day of free, family-friendly events on or near the waterfront. City of Water Day is organized by the Waterfront Alliance and New York–New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program (HEP) to champion a climate-resilient New York and New Jersey harbor.
Now in its 19th year, City of Water Day — taking place this year on Saturday, July 25 — is a region-wide day organized by Waterfront Alliance and New York–New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program (HEP), to champion a climate-resilient New York and New Jersey harbor.
Dozens of communities across all five boroughs, Westchester and Rockland counties, and New Jersey will host events on and near the water that celebrate the importance of a resilient and equitably shared waterfront. From free kayaking to rowing to hands-on workshops, these events offer community members opportunities for fun, education, and access to their local waterfront. Be sure to check out the main City of Water Day website for other events in the region.
City of Water Day 2026 celebrates what it means to live with water: being on it, near it, and connected to it. From rivers and bays to creeks and canals, our waterways are central to community life across New York and New Jersey. By getting people out on the water via kayaking, boating, learning, and exploring, we build deeper connections to the waterways that shape our region and bring communities together.
This year’s theme highlights water as a source of joy, belonging, and resilience, welcoming new communities to experience and care for their local waterways. City of Water Day 2026 will prioritize on-water and near-water activities, educational experiences that engage directly with water, and opportunities to connect and volunteer with partners advancing waterfront access across the region.
Ke Aloha Outrigger will be hosting a variety of events at Hoboken Cove to celebrate City of Water Day in Hoboken, New Jersey.
All are welcome to join our event which will begin at 9:00AM on Saturday, July 25 with a beach and shoreline cleanup of Hoboken Cove and Maxwell Place Park. We will provide the bags and cleanup equipment. Just be sure to wear sturdy shoes for the rocky areas and your reusable water bottle for hydration.
Following the beach cleanup, will be the opening of our Na 'Ohana O Ke Kai Festival (Families of the Ocean) from 10AM to 4PM featuring Hawaiian and Pacific Island themed arts and crafts, educational programming, hula and outrigger canoeing inspire the Pacific Islanders who thrive on their waterways.
The event is free but we welcome contributions to the donation jar to help support the program. This event is in partnership with Hoboken Cove Community Boathouse, Fund for a Better Waterfront, and Resilience Paddle Sports who will also feature a variety of activities in Hoboken's Maxwell Place Park.
9AM-10AM: Shoreline Cleanup
Join us to help clean up the beach and surrounding shoreline at Maxwell Place Park. We work in conjunction with Planet Patrol, a global movement of water enthusiasts with an emphasis on litter removal and data collection to bring awareness to the type and amounts of plastics that are found in local waterways worldwide.
10AM to 4PM: Na 'Ohana O Ke Kai Festival.
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander culture has deep roots in the ocean. It is seen as a means of support, survival and social well-being. The family ('ohana) and the ocean (ke kai) are the main pillars of that Polynesian spirit and are meant to be cherished and protected.
Ke Aloha Outrigger will offer our Na 'Ohana O Ke Kai (Families of the Ocean) Festival, a variety of family oriented activities aimed at bringing awareness to the health of our local waterways through the eyes of Pacific Islander culture. Focus will be on educating and teaching families to become aware of the importance and health of our local waterways through the context of the ocean-centric viewpoint of the Hawaiian/Pacific Islander culture.
Activities will include Hawaiian/Pacific Islander arts and crafts, hula, lei-making and eduational activities that bring awareness to the power of nature that surrounds us that requires our help to thrive.
1PM-3PM: Outrigger Canoe Sessions
All are welcome to join us in our protected Hoboken Cove for kayaking, stand up paddling (SUP), outrigger canoe and more. Our embayment day programs are open to people of all abilities age 13 and up. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. We provide the gear. Just come dressed ready to get wet. Come experience outrigger paddling on the Hudson River and discover the spirit of our estuary and waterways. Involvement is on a first come-first serve basis. Just check in at the registration desk..
City of Water Day 2026 at Hoboken Cove would not be possible without the backing from our supporters.
HCCB/Ke Aloha Outrigger's festival programming on City of Water Day is supported by a generous grant from the NY/NJ Harbor and Estuary Program. The New York - New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program (HEP) brings the benefits of the Clean Water Act to the people who live, work, and recreate on our shared waterways. Created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the request of the governors of New York and New Jersey, HEP is an ongoing effort to develop and implement a consensus driven plan to protect, conserve and restore the estuary. HEP decisions and activities are carried out by staff and partners organized through the committees and work groups.
After more than a decade of leading the charge in how the New York metropolitan region views and uses its harbor, and with more than 1,000 Alliance Partners committed to bringing real change to our region’s 700+ miles of coastline, in 2018 the Waterfront Alliance stepped into a new and critical leadership role to define New York Harbor’s response to sea level rise and coastal storms. Their crucial, long-term focus on increasing waterfront accessibility for all, along with their efforts to advocate for a working waterfront that is a vital source of business activity and well-paying jobs and educating the next generation of waterfront stewards, continue as essential pillars of their work to create a well-adapted and resilient New York Harbor.