Second Annual Raritan Bay Festival

Parks is joining The Conference House Park Conservancy and Kayak Staten Island to celebrate the Staten Island waterfront at Conference House Park. Spend the day at the festival, and enjoy music, outdoor sports, games, and plenty of fun!

The festival starts with Hands across the Sand, a worldwide gathering of people dedicated to a clean energy future. Starting at noon, festival-goers hold hands for 15 minutes on the beach in solidarity with others on beaches around the planet. Meanwhile, on the beach, Kayak Staten Island will invite both children and adults to learn how to kayak. Also on the beach will be fishing demonstrations.

Young naturalists (and their parents) will be interested in the horseshoe crab walking tours. Walk the Raritan Bay shoreline with Staten Island Museum naturalist Seth Wollney to learn about the life history, ecology, and anatomy of these pre-historic creatures and their contributions to human medicine. Learn about other species that depend on horseshoe crab eggs and how you can help monitor and survey our local populations. Walks start at 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. and will run about 45 minutes; there is some beach walking.

Other events include local musicians on two stages, crafts, exhibitions from maritime organizations, and historic societies, and plenty of entertainment for children, including a petting zoo and water rides. Come celebrate a full day on the waterfront!