By Albert Amateau
The 12th annual Hudson River Park Day on Sun. June 6 will feature a full day of free events from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on the 5.5-mile waterfront park between Battery Pl. and 59th St.
Pier 40 at Houston St. will be the center of activities. From noon to 5 p.m. there will be free boat rides. For people who want to row their own, Floating the Apple will offer rides on replicas of historic 19th century wooden boats from noon to 4 p.m.
The Star of Palm Beach, a replica of a Mississippi River boat, will give rides at 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. and The Queen of Hearts, another replica, will take on riders at 1:30 and 3 p.m. on Pier 40. A Circle Line boat will leave for a sunset river cruise at 5 p.m. on Pier 40. Boat tickets are limited and will be given first-come, first-served.
Visitors will see a parade of boats beginning at noon from Pier 25 to Pier 54 south of 14th St.
The Hudson River Trapeze School of New York just north of Pier 26 near Harrison St. will offer children six and older and adults one free swing on the flying trapeze from noon to 5 p.m.
On Pier 25 near Harrison St. there will be open beach volleyball during the day and a mini-golf open with registration at 11:30 a.m. to noon. Kids Do Art, with instructors on printmaking, clay modeling and painting on hand to help happens from noon to 4 p.m. on Pier 25. The ferry, Yankee, built in 1885, one of the last Ellis Island ferries, will be hosting tours on Pier 25 between noon and 4 p.m.
Immediately north, on Pier 26, the third annual 5-kilometer walk and 10-kilometer kayak event gets underway at 10 a.m. and ends at Pier 63 Maritime at 23rd St. The River Project on Pier 26 will hold an open house between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., displaying Hudson River marine life. The Downtown Boathouse on Pier 26 will offer free kayaking from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Arm of the Sea, a children’s theater, will present “City that Drinks Mountain Sky” at 2 p.m. on Pier 26.
There will be fishing at Pier 45 at Christopher St. and at Pier 66a at 26th St. between noon and 4 p.m. with rod, reel and bait provided free.
On the Christopher St. pier, David Ippolito, the guitar man from Central Park, will play from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Fun for Kids, a children’s program, takes place just to the north on Pier 46 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. with juggling, face painting and storytelling. Disney-on-Broadway will offer temporary tattoos on Pier 46 and conduct a drawing for tickets for “Beauty and The Beast” and “Aida” on Broadway.
On Pier 63 at 23rd St., activities from noon to 5 p.m. will include food, live entertainment and tours of the lightship Frying Pan, the fireboat John J. Harvey and the tug Pegasus.
River Rocks, a night of music, takes place on Pier 54 at 14th St. from 5 p.m.-10 p.m. with the California-based group, Rooney, playing hits with special guests Straylight and Ozma.
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