Bronx River Alliance

We're still thinking about what a beautiful day it was for our 25th Anniversary Amazing Bronx River Flotilla and Golden Ball Celebration!

A huge thank you to our incredible sponsors and in-kind partners. Your support made this event possible and fuels our restoration work and free community paddle season from June through October, giving more than 1,000 Bronx children and families the opportunity to experience the Bronx River from the water each year.

Because of you, the Bronx River remains a place for recreation, environmental stewardship, education, and connection. We are so grateful. 💚

Join us Thursday June 4th for our second Bronx River Ecology Team meeting of the year! The Ecology Team is made up of scientists, local partners, students, and community members who are interested in learning about and supporting the ecological health of the Bronx River. Agenda items for this meeting include some preliminary data from the river, upcoming volunteer opportunities for 2026, and more. Everyone is welcome to bring their questions, ideas, or simply their curiosity! We hope to see you there!

Before the parks. Before the paddlers. Before the fish came back.

There were people who just showed up.

Scroll through to see some of the faces and moments that built this river. 👉

They waded into a polluted river to pull out motorbikes and debris. They fixed the riverbanks in the cold. They planted trees where none had ever grown.They came back the next weekend, and the weekend after that.

Over 25 years, thousands of volunteers, staff members, and community stewards have given their time, their energy, and their love to this river. None of what you see along the Bronx River corridor today would exist without them.

We are so grateful for every single person who has ever shown up for this river, and tomorrow, we are looking forward to welcoming volunteers at Flotilla! 💚

This year marks 25 years since the Bronx River Alliance was established, and this Saturday we're bringing our Golden Ball Celebration to a very special place: Hunts Point Riverside Park.

In 2004, our community gathered on what was once an abandoned street-end in Hunts Point to break ground on the first waterfront park in this neighborhood in over 60 years. Today, it's an oasis for over 20,000 Bronx residents and workers. Tomorrow, Hunts Point Riverside Park will serve as the finish line for our Amazing Bronx River Flotilla.

Paddlers will travel 5 miles down the Bronx River, one mile longer than usual, in honor of our 25th anniversary, and end their journey at the very park this community helped build together. 💚⁠

There's no better finish line than that.

Join us at Hunts Point Riverside Park for our FREE Golden Ball Celebration from 12pm to 5pm, with food, music, dancing, and more.

You can also support a paddler and help us keep the Bronx River free and accessible to more than 1,000 Bronx children and families each year. Visit the link to donate: bit.ly/2026-flotila-donate

Our Education Program supports youth every step of the way. Youth are given the space to create research questions, apply field methods, and turn data into meaningful insights. EELS interns earn stipends and college credit for their work while exploring their passion for the environment, while leading towards their future academic and career pathways.

This season, the Bronx River Forest is being activated by school groups. We partnered with a local school to help restore the forest by planting native trees. Students learned why native species matter, how root systems stabilize soil, and the critical role floodplain forests play in protecting water quality and surrounding communities. We also hosted a watershed model workshop so that elementary school students understand how pollution enters our waterways and the related hazards. To learn more about our programming visit www.bronxriver.org

The 2026 Amazing Bronx River Flotilla paddler registration is officially closed! Though Flotilla spots are full, you can still support our free community paddles by making a donation in support of our existing paddling teams.

You can also support us by donating your time to help at a portage during the Flotilla.

Last but not least, you can also join us at the finish line at Hunts Point Riverside Park for our FREE public Golden Ball Celebration from 12pm - 5pm.

Want to Donate? → https://fundraise.givesmart.com/vf/Flotilla2026

Want to volunteer? → https://bit.ly/2026-flotilla-volunteer-sign-up

Hope to see you there!

Join us for a day of fun and celebration with The POINT CDC and Rocking the Boat for our Golden Ball Celebration on Saturday, May 16th from 12pm – 5pm at Hunts Point Riverside Park. There will be free food, free community rowing, free art activities and more!

The Golden Ball celebration began as a multimedia art event connecting communities along the Bronx River, using it as both a metaphor and physical link. On April 24th, 1999, a 32inch golden ball traveled 10 miles from Bronxville to the South Bronx, symbolizing unity, life, and energy. Residents from the Bronx and Westchester walked alongside it, joined by artists, performers, and musicians, with community events held at various points along the river, including The Bronx Botanical Gardens and The Bronx Zoo.

The journey highlighted both the river’s potential as a shared public space and the challenges to accessing it. The project aimed to inspire long-term community involvement and river stewardship, with plans for annual events.

In later years, the Bronx River Golden Ball Festival expanded into a full-day event featuring nature walks, cleanups, restoration projects, and canoe events along the Bronx River. Overall, the event combines art, environmental action, and community engagement to encourage residents to reclaim, care for, and connect with the Bronx River.

Want to be one of a few lucky folks to participate in our unique and challenging 5 mile paddle - for free?

We're offering local community members a free seat to paddle the Bronx River Flotilla!

Fill out the form here to enter our raffle: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdaEhR2ZusYL0_WjI-Ic8GJeqB3FRo4IsiSo6d3FiGP3GMVNw/viewform

Only one entry per person, please!

We’re celebrating 25 years of the Bronx River Alliance - that’s 25 years of community-driven restoration, stewardship, and advocacy along the Bronx River! We work to keep the river accessible to over 1,000 Bronx children & families through our free and low-cost community paddling program.

If you’d like to DONATE a free community spot for Flotilla, email: [email protected]

Celebrate Earth Week with us at the 2026 Bronx River Open House! ⁠

Join us for a free, family-friendly day filled with:⁠
* Guided Nature Walks through Starlight Park⁠ at 1pm and 3pm
* Tour of the Bronx River House at 2pm
* Volunteer Park Cleanup
* Free Canoeing on the Bronx River⁠
* Free Farmer’s Market produce stand by ⁠ and
* Tree Giveaway by (registration required!) ⁠
* Compost Giveaway & Soil Testing⁠
* Tea Tasting with the Bronx River Foodway Team
* Free Bike Repair Stand by
* Kid-friendly educational & art activities⁠ by and Textile Tales
* Informational Tabling from local partners
* And more!⁠
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Come to connect with nature and community, to learn, and to celebrate the Bronx River! Visit the link in bio for more information! ⁠

It's Earth Week and there are multiple ways to celebrate and make a difference! 🌎🌱
From volunteer events such as tree plantings, gardening and park cleanups to artistic and educational events all across the Bronx!