Photo: Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal

The Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance is hosting its seventh annual City of Water Day festival this Saturday, July 12th, at multiple locations in New York Harbor.  Festivities will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  This year Hoboken is joining in the fun, hosting free kayak and ferry rides, along with a multitude of children’s activities, concerts and boat tours at Maxwell Place Park.  A free ferry between Maxwell Place Park, Paulus Hook in Jersey City and Governors Island will make five round-trip journeys throughout the day. No tickets are required, but all passengers must disembark at every stop.

On Pier 25 in Manhattan, the historic buoy tender Lilac will be open for tours. John Skelson’s photo exhibit “Tugboats – Workhorses of NY Harbor” will also be on display on the Lilac.   Joining Lilac for the celebration at the pier will be the schooner A. J. Meerwald, and the tug Pegasus and fireboat John J. Harvey.  The FDNY fireboat Three Forty Three and the schooner Sherman Zwicker which will also be open for tours.

On Governor’s Island here will be a variety of family events as well as the ever-popular cardboard kayak race.

There will also be boat trips and tours on the schooner Adirondack,  the Circle Line Brooklyn, the schooner Clipper City, the tug Pegasus, the fireboat John J. Harvey, and the schooner Pioneer.  Click here for locations and ticketing information.  The boat tours are are completely free of charge. There is, however, a fully refundable reservation fee of $5 to hold your spot.