Celebrating the return of the Hudson's migratory fish
July 1, 2026
Riverkeeper Team
From Yonkers to Newburgh, the 2026 Riverkeeper Fish Migration Celebration brought together communities, artists, paddlers, and river lovers for a daylong tribute to one of the natural world's most remarkable — and most overlooked — spectacles: the annual migration of millions of fish through the Hudson River Estuary.
We are deeply grateful to everyone who joined us.
Video loading...The day began at Habirshaw Park in Yonkers, where Owl Smith of the Ramapo Munsee Nation offered a ceremonial welcome that set the tone for everything that followed, a reminder that this river and its fish have been honored and stewarded by people on these banks for generations.
Rhiannon Catalyst, Big Nazo, and the Honk Family Band turned a riverfront park into something electric. The Parade of the Fish had people of all ages marching, dancing, and singing along. The golden sturgeon created by Greg Corbino and outfitted on the Schooner Apollonia was a showstopper, and watching it lead the flotilla out onto the water was a moment none of us will forget.
The crews of the Apollonia, the fireboat John J. Harvey, and both Riverkeeper boats the Bob Boyle and R. Ian Fletcher carried the spirit of the migration from Yonkers all the way to Newburgh, making the invisible visible for every community along the way. There is something profound about tracing the same route the Atlantic sturgeon, striped bass, American shad, river herring, and American eel have followed for thousands of years.
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At Unico Park in Newburgh, visitors prepared for the arrival of the flotilla by engaging in fish advocacy activities led by a coalition of community-focused environmental organizations, including Riverkeeper partners Newburgh Clean Water Project, Quassaick Creek Watershed Alliance, and Greater Newburgh Parks Conservancy. Local musicians Lisa Pellegrino and Callie Mackenzie sang inspiring tunes as visitors made their own fish hats and puppets to join the parade.
The day closed with a celebration and parade accompanied by Unicorn Band, welcoming the fish home. Kayakers representing a school of river herring launched from the Newburgh Waterways Center to join the final leg of the journey, offering a perfect ending to the day.
None of this happens without partners, volunteers, and the communities who lined the banks and showed up at the parks. Thank you. The Hudson's ecological recovery is the direct result of decades of advocacy, legal action, and community stewardship, and days like this are a reminder of what that work is for.
The fish are coming home, and we'll keep fighting to make sure they always can.
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