Photo : Milo Hess

The North River Historic Ship Festival is returning for the sixth year to Hudson River Park’s Pier 25 in Lower Manhattan from Friday, June 20 to Tuesday June 24.  The festival will offer 500 free boat rides aboard historic vessels, hands-on tours of museum ships, a showboat circus, fishing on the pier, a party on a wooden barge, and more!  The festival will welcome thousands of people to Hudson River Park’s Pier 25 at N. Moore Street and the Hudson River to celebrate the Summer Solstice. The historic vessels and their salty captains will help tell the story of what was once a busy commercial riverfront. To learn more, click here.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

FRIDAY, JUNE 21

5–8 p.m. Free dockside ship tours: Lehigh Valley Barge No. 79, Pegasus and Lilac

SATURDAY, JUNE 21

12–5 p.m. Free dockside ship tours: Lehigh Valley Barge No. 79 and Lilac

12–5 p.m. Free boat trips on the Hudson River: Fireboat John J. Harvey, tug Pegasus and schooner Pioneer. Trips take place on Saturday only. Visit www.nrhss.org for ticketing information.

SUNDAY, JUNE 22

1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Showboat Circus: Lehigh Valley Barge No. 79. Two performances of “DeadPan Alley,” a one-hour, one-man performance of physical comedy, verbal wit and expert skill, starring Will Shaw. Order tickets at www.nrhss.org.

1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Fishing, river critter exploration and knot-tying: alongside and onboard Lilac. Learn about the Hudson River through fishing, touch tank explorations, and plankton activities. Lilac crew will offer lessons in the maritime art of knot-tying. The photography exhibit is also open.

1–5 p.m. Free dockside ship tours: Lilac and Pegasus

TUESDAY, JUNE 24

6–8:30 p.m. Closing Night Gala: Great food and great spirits (liquid and otherwise) aboard Lehigh Valley Barge No 79, honoring 2014 Historic Ship Champion Helena Durst, VP of the Durst Organization and President of New York Water Taxi. Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer will say welcoming words. Purchase tickets at www.nrhss.org.