Wetland Wednesdays
2025-07-09 14:30 - 16:30, 2025-08-20 14:30 - 16:30, 2025-09-10 14:30 - 16:30, 2025-10-08 14:30 - 16:30 UTC | Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh
Drop in to explore the Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh during Wetland Wednesdays!
The salt marsh is one of our most beloved natural areas, and is a vital ecosystem that protects nearby areas from flooding and erosion and creates habitats for many different species of animals.
From 2:30-4:30PM on the second Wednesday of every month, the marsh pathway gates on the boardwalk will be open and members of RIPA’s Natural Areas Team will be on site to answer questions, share interesting facts and show off some of the unique species of plants and animals that call this amazing and dynamic ecosystem home!
Location: Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh
For inquiries about accessibility, to request accommodation, or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

City of Water Day
2025-07-12 11:00 - 14:00 | Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh
Join us at Randall’s Island Park for a fun-filled afternoon of kayaking and salt marsh exploration! Now in its 18th year, City of Water Day is a region-wide day of appreciation and recreation centered around the unique and priceless shared-resource that is the greater NYC/New Jersey waterfront.
RIPA’s Natural Areas team will be hosting an event open to the public all about exploring one of the crown jewels of our park’s waterfront; the Little Hell-Gate Salt Marsh! Drop in for free kayaking in partnership with HarborLAB, and engage our team to learn all about this amazing ecosystem and its role in our greater NYC Harbor Estuary.
Location: Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh Boardwalk
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Waterfront Festival
2025-07-19 12:00 - 15:00 | East River Picnic Area
Celebrate summer at the annual, free Randall’s Island Waterfront Festival! At the peak of summer, we’re bringing you a family-friendly, interactive day of fun centering water as a natural and refreshing resource. Experience the joy of summer, the excitement of science, and connection of community.
We’ll have water-themed everything including games, crafts, snacks, face paint, and live performances, set against the confluence of the Harlem and East Rivers and the city skyline. We hope you’ll join us to celebrate our appreciation for the water that surrounds and nourishes us as well as our relationship with one another.
There will be a free bike valet for the duration of the festival provided by Transportation Alternatives by the East River Picnic Area. Please check in your bikes with Transportation Alternatives staff at the festival!
Location: East River Picnic Area
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Femme Fishing
2025-08-02 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-09-06 13:00 - 15:00
Join Randall’s Island Park Alliance for an afternoon of fishing for women, femme, and gender-nonconforming folx. Grow your own fishing skills, share with other folks in and around the NY/NJ Harbor Estuary, on our serene shoreline at the meeting of the Harlem and East Rivers. We strive to make spaces where other educators and anglers can hang out, build community, and create a vibe that works for us in what is a typically male-dominated activity. All supplies are provided.
We ask that all folks please register for the Recreational Marine Fishing Register (free) before the event.
Location: East River Picnic Area Green
For inquiries about accessibility, to request accommodations or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Postponed: Wetland Wednesday
2025-08-13 14:30 - 16:30 | Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh
UPDATE: The Wednesday, August 13, Wetland Wednesday event has been postponed to next Wednesday, August 20.
Drop in to explore the Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh during Wetland Wednesdays!
The salt marsh is one of our most beloved natural areas, and is a vital ecosystem that protects nearby areas from flooding and erosion and creates habitats for many different species of animals.
From 2:30-4:30PM on the second Wednesday of every month, the marsh pathway gates on the boardwalk will be open and members of RIPA’s Natural Areas Team will be on site to answer questions, share interesting facts and show off some of the unique species of plants and animals that call this amazing and dynamic ecosystem home!
Location: Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh
For inquiries about accessibility, to request accommodation, or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Sorghum Saturday: A Sweet Day on the Urban Farm
2025-09-13 13:00 - 15:00 | Urban Farm
Join us for a sweet experience as we discover the art of sorghum pressing at Randall’s Island Park Alliance’s Urban Farm! Whether you’ve harvested sorghum yourself or are unfamiliar with this corn-like crop, you’ll have a joyful day on the farm!
Participants will learn all about this amazing plant grown right here on the island. During this hands-on experience, you will juice sorghum with a hand cranked press, taste fresh sorghum juice, sample boiled-down sorghum syrup, and snack on popped sorghum grain—you can eat it like popcorn! We can’t wait to celebrate this delicious and culturally significant crop with you!
Location: Urban Farm
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

City of Forest Day
2025-10-04 09:00 - 11:00 | Icahn Stadium
Join RIPA’s Natural Areas team in celebrating the 2025 City of Forest Day! The Alliance is taking part in Forest for All NYC’s fourth annual City of Forest Day, which features a day of activities across the city to raise awareness of the importance of the New York City urban forest, and the essential role New Yorkers play every day in caring for the “lungs” of our city.
Renowned NYC Naturalist Gabriel Willow will lead a fun-and-fact filled guided walking tour highlighting Randall’s Islands feathered friends and fall foliage. Open to all ages. Registration not required but preferred. Register here!
BYOB-Bring your own binoculars (RIPA will be able to loan out a limited number binoculars for the event on a first come first serve basis)!
Location: Icahn Stadium
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Fungus Festival
2025-10-05 11:00 - 15:00 | Urban Farm
Get ready for our third Fungus Festival, organized by the New York Mycological Society in partnership with the Randall’s Island Park Alliance. We are excited to celebrate the city’s mycelial network, and showcase the breadth of mycological creativity here in New York City.
Come explore diverse displays and programs at the intersection of community art and science, including identification tables of wild mushrooms from the New York area, art and cultivation workshops and activities, lectures, tastings, urban farms, food vendors, costume corner, games and so much more.
This festival is free and open to all! Register for your free tickets here!
Registration to receive updates and for specific workshops coming soon.
For more information on the 2025 Fungus Festival, check out the event’s webpage.
Location: Urban Farm & Fields 62/63
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Wild Oyster Survey
2025-11-05 14:00 - 16:00 | Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh
Wild oysters are a key indicator of ecosystem health in the New York Harbor. Randall’s Island Park Alliance is partnering with the Billion Oyster Project to conduct a wild oyster survey in the Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh! Volunteers will have the opportunity to identify oysters and take multiple parameters to determine the abundance, size, and health of the wild oyster population.
Registration is required here.
Location: Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Fall Cleanup
2025-11-08 09:30 - 12:00 | Icahn Stadium
Join the Randall’s Island Park Alliance and our Natural Areas Team for one last push to cleanup the park while the weather is still agreeable. Volunteers will not only help with picking up litter and debris but also remove invasive species, clean walking trail paths and other duties to put us on a good path for the winter months.
Gloves, tools and instructions included.
All participants must sign a Waiver of Liability. Teens aged 16 and 17 years old may volunteer without adult supervision but they must bring a waiver found at this link, signed by a parent or guardian.
Minors under 16 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian or adult and bring the attached waiver signed by a parent or guardian. This waiver should be given to those at the registration table.
Please find a Liability Waiver for minors here: General Volunteer – Randall’s Island
Registration is required here.
Location: Meeting at Icahn Stadium
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Winter Wreath Workshop
2025-12-13 12:00 - 14:00 | Icahn Stadium
Celebrate the season with a cozy, hands-on wreath making workshop! Guided by our Horticulture team, you’ll create your own one-of-a-kind wreath using seasonal greenery, dried flowers, and natural materials foraged from the Park’s landscape. All materials and instruction are provided. No experience necessary!
Registration is required here.
Location: The Classroom at Icahn Stadium
For inquiries about accessibility, to request accommodation, or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

The 126th Annual Christmas Bird Count
2025-12-14 09:00 - 12:00 | Icahn Stadium
Join the NYC Bird Alliance at Randall’s Island Park for this popular and accessible community science tradition, conducted across North America every year since 1900. The long-term data collected by Audubon Christmas Bird Count volunteers provides a fundamental way to understand the long-term health of bird populations—and has contributed to several recent impactful reports on bird decline in North America.

The Christmas Bird Count is a way that everyone can contribute to scientific knowledge that can help us protect birds. Participants range from expert ornithologists to beginning birders, following established protocols to ensure consistent data collection. Kids are welcome!

Learn more and REGISTER HERE through the NYC Bird Alliance

Location: Icahn Stadium

Dress warmly and don’t forget your binoculars! For more information, email communityscience@nycbirdalliance.org.

For inquiries about accessibility, and to request an accommodation, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Please note that lunch will not be provided, so please bring your own!

Let's Go Birding Together (LGBT)
2026-03-28 10:00 - 11:30 | Icahn Stadium, East Entrance
Join an experienced guide from NYC Bird Alliance for a free spring birding tour at Randall’s Island Park! Let’s Go Birding Together is open to anyone who loves birds, is curious about them, or simply wants a fun outdoor experience. Participants can borrow binoculars and enjoy spotting seasonal feathered friends while contributing to real scientific research through our Park-as-Lab program. All are welcome, especially the LGBTQIA+ community, allies, families and all who want to connect with nature!
REGISTER HERE!
Location: Icahn Stadium East Entrance
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org

Seining Kickoff Party!
2026-04-09 11:00 - 13:00
Looking for something fun and educational to do with students during spring recess? Visit Randall’s Island and help us kick off our seasonal seining program! Grab a pair of waders and help us as we drag a 30-foot-long seining net along the shore of the Harlem River and discover the amazing biodiversity found in our waterways. Students and adults alike can learn how to seine, identify common organisms such as fish, crabs, and jellyfish, and participate in some water themed crafts and activities! All equipment is provided, wear clothes you don’t mind getting wet! You must be 12 years or older to seine, but all are welcome to come and observe.
Location: Water’s Edge Garden
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Pressed Botanicals Workshop
2026-04-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Icahn Stadium
Join us for a relaxing, creative, free workshop where you’ll learn how to press and arrange flowers and leaves to create beautiful works of art hosted by RIPA’s Horticulture Team at Randall’s Island Park!
Whether you’re an experienced botanist, or someone who appreciates the beauty of a flower, this workshop is for you. We’ll provide all the materials you need, including a selection of plants harvested from the gardens around the park, and guide you through the process of making your own unique piece of botanical art to take home.
Registration is required; opens Saturday, April 4 at 1 PM
Location: Icahn Stadium Classroom
For inquiries about accessibility, to request accommodation, or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

CANCELLED Earth Day Festival
2026-04-25 12:00 - 15:00 | Urban Farm
This event has been cancelled due to inclement weather.

From Marsh to Meadow: A Spring Nature Walk Through Randall's Island Park
2026-05-01 13:00 - 14:30 | Icahn Stadium, East Entrance
This tour is a part of the 2026 Jane’s Walk NYC festival. Learn more about other available walks on their website at janeswalk.org. Join us for a guided nature walk of NYC’s largest salt marsh and our award-winning waterfront garden, where budding trees, blooming flowers, and returning wildlife mark the changing season. Begin at Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh to see how this vital ecosystem supports biodiversity, mitigates climate change, and serves as a nursery for local species. Learn about the island’s rich natural history and encounter some of the creatures that call it home. Then continue into the Waterfront Garden, where spring is in bloom. Explore a vibrant mix of native and ornamental plants alive with butterflies, and other pollinators. Experience the sights and sounds of spring as the island transforms into a thriving landscape.
From Marsh to Meadow: A Spring Nature Walk Through Randall’s Island – The Municipal Art Society of New York
Location: East Entrance of Icahn Stadium
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Bird Bonanza
2026-05-09 10:00 - 13:00 | Urban Farm
Take flight at Randall’s Island Park’s annual Bird Bonanza, our celebration of World Migratory Bird Day! Spend the day exploring all things feathered with hands-on crafts, lively games, educational activities, and a guided bird tour with expert Gabriel Willow.
Discover local birds and Spring’s migratory visitors passing through NYC, and see how Randall’s Island provides a haven for birds of every kind. From herring gulls soaring over the Salt Marsh to songbirds flitting through the Urban Farm, we’re celebrating them all!
Schedule:

10 – 11:30 AM Spring Migration Bird Tour with Gabriel Willow: Discover the migratory birds that pass through the Island and explore how the park serves as a year-round haven for bird species in every season.
11 AM – 12 PM Educational Bird Presentation from Ravensbeard Wildlife Center: Get up close with birds of prey during this exciting meet-and-greet, and learn about their unique behaviors and habitats. Hear from Ravensbeard Wildlife Center about their vital rehabilitation work and the inspiring stories of how each bird came into their care.
12 – 1 PM Storytime Stretches with Lofty Heights Movement: Bird themed storytime stretches with Jazy

Registration for the bird tour is recommended but not required via Eventbrite.
Location: Urban Farm
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation, or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Big Truck Day
2026-05-16 12:00 - 15:00 | Asphalt Pad
Strap on your seatbelt and head over to Randall’s Island Park for our free, annual Big Truck Day celebration!
Get a close-up view of the large vehicles that keep New York City clean and safe. Learn how garbage truck drivers, police officers, farmers, and other big truck operators use these vehicles to drive our city forward. Visit each truck and learn from the operators themselves about how they use their truck every day. You might have the chance to sit in the front seat and pose for a photo!
Last year we had trucks from the FDNY, NYPD, NYC Parks, and many others! There will also be story time, snacks, games, and other truck-related activities.
Location: Asphalt Pad – Next to Icahn Stadium
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

World Fish Migration Day
2026-05-30 14:00 - 16:00 | Water’s Edge Garden
Join the Randall’s Island Park Alliance’s and seine for fish in the Harlem River to celebrate world fish migration day, part of the Columbia Climate School Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory’s Lower Hudson & Harbor Fish Count!
Learn about the many different species of fish found in the river and help us in the fish monitoring process by counting and measuring fish we capture in the net. All fish will then be released back into the river. Swing by any time between 2 and 4 PM!
Location: Rock Dock along Water’s Edge Garden
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Salt Marsh Saturday
2026-06-13 09:00 - 12:00, 2026-07-25 09:00 - 12:00, 2026-08-08 09:00 - 12:00
Drop in to explore the Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh during Salt Marsh Saturdays! The salt marsh is one of our most beloved natural areas, and is a vital ecosystem that protects nearby areas from flooding and erosion and creates habitats for many different species of animals. From 9 AM – 12 PM, the marsh pathway gates on the boardwalk will be open and members of RIPA’s Natural Areas Team will be on site to answer questions, share interesting facts and show off some of the unique species of plants and animals that call this amazing and dynamic ecosystem home!
Location: Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Pollinator Palooza
2026-06-27 12:00 - 15:00 | Urban Farm
Celebrate Pollinator Week at the Randall’s Island Park Alliance’s Pollinator Palooza!
Buzz over to the Urban Farm for a colorful afternoon of pollinator-themed afternoon of activities, games, crafts, and garden tours. Learn from our expert Horticulturalists about the work they do to plant and maintain the park’s gardens, and stroll through the Urban Farm on a self-guided tour of what’s growing.
Location: Urban Farm
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Catch & Release: Fishing Series (Morning Event)
2026-07-11 09:00 - 11:00 | Living Shoreline
Join the Randall’s Island Park Alliance for a morning of fishing along our peaceful shoreline!
Whether you’re brand new to fishing or looking to brush up on your skills, this hands-on event will introduce the basics while exploring the ecology of the NY/NJ Harbor Estuary. Learn about local fish species, urban waterways, and how our harbor supports diverse wildlife—all while enjoying time by the water. All supplies are provided.
Please register with the Recreational Marine Fishing Registry prior to the event; we are also available to help register people on site.
Registration is required; opens June 27 at 9 AM
Location: Living Shoreline/Ferry Dock
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.

Waterfront Festival
2026-07-18 12:00 - 15:00 | East River Picnic Area
Celebrate the height of summer at the annual, free Randall’s Island Waterfront Festival at Randall’s Island Park! Enjoy a fun, family-friendly day along our scenic waterfront with water-themed educational activities, crafts, games, face painting, live performances, and more.
With something happening all day long, there’s plenty to explore, learn, and enjoy for all ages. Join us in celebrating summer, water, and the community that brings us together.
Location: East River Picnic Area
For inquiries about accessibility, to request an accommodation or for event information, please email publicprograms@randallsisland.org.
