The phrase “fun in the sun” meets “last one in is a rotten egg.”
The Jamaica Bay Festival is on Saturday, July 13, starting at 8:30 am. (Don’t worry. That’s just the first event. The fun goes on all day and into the night.)
Hosted by the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, this seventh annual extravaganza is free, fun, and family-friendly. (It also coincides with City of Water Day.)
Events take place on the Brooklyn and Queens sides of the Gateway National Recreation Area – i.e. Canarsie Pier, Floyd Bennett Field, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Shirley Chisholm State Park — as well as the Rockaway peninsula.
Here’s the schedule or click here for a map.
Painting on the Bay at Canarsie Pier, 8 am to 3 pm
Learn to Play Pickleball at Beach 104th Street, 8:30 am to 10:30 am
Black Surfing Association Kayak Parade, 9 am to 11 am
Yoga on the Beach, Beach 32nd Street, 9 am to 10 am
Critters of Jamaica Bay, 9 am to noon
Ryan Visitor Center Open Hours, 9 am to noon
Stay Fit at Idlewild with Yoga, 9:15 am to 10:45 am
Stand Up Paddle Board Adventure, 10 am to 2 pm
Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, 10 am to 4 pm
Bayside Bird and Nature Walk, 10 am to noon
Bike at Shirley Chisholm State Park, 10 am to 4 pm
Beach and Shoreline Cleanup, 10 am to 1 pm
Marine Park Ecology Tour, 10 am to 1 pm
Birds and Butterflies of the Refuge, 10 am to 1 pm
Kayaking and Rowing on Jamaica Bay, 10 am to 2 pm
Active Outdoor Fun for Kids, 10 am to 6 pm
Whiz Kidz: Fun Learning Activities, 10 am to 11 am
View the Sun with AAA Astronomers, 10 am to 2 pm
NYCHA in Nature Birding at Beach 40th Street, 10 am to 11 am
Yoga on the Rockaway Hotel Sun Deck, 10:30 am to 11:30 am
Water Wise Activities at Canarsie Pier, 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Scavenger Hunt at Beach 95th Street, 11 am to 2 pm
Kayaking and Cleanup at Shirley Chisholm State Park, 11 am to 1 pm
Community Boathouse Open Paddle, 11 am to 3 pm
Farmer’s Market at Canarsie Pier, 11 am to 3 pm
Reaching the Sky, Hangar B, 11 am to 3 pm
Rockaway Artists Alliance Exhibit, 11 am to 2 pm
Cardio Punch, Beach 60th Street, 11 am to noon
City of Water Day at Spring Creek, 11 am to noon
Garden by the Bay Fun in the Sun, 11 am to 4 pm
Labyrinth Walk, Beach 94th Street, noon to 1:30 pm
Sailing on Jamaica Bay, Beach 92nd Street, 1 pm to 3 pm
Jamaica Bay Open Kayaking, Beach 43rd Street, 1 pm to 3 pm
Marine Park’s History, 1 pm to 3 pm
Festival on the Boardwalk, 4 pm to 6 pm
Times and activities are subject to change.
Editor’s note: The Jamaica Bay Festival is made possible through a partnership with government agencies, nonprofits, and local businesses. The main sponsors are Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, the Waterfront Alliance, NY/NJ Harbor Estuary Program, the Hudson River Foundation, conEdison, and NYC Ferry (official transportation partner).
