The Sail4th 250 event maritime celebration in New York Harbor through Thursday, July 9, 2026, in honor of the 250th birthday of the United States is anchored by the Saturday, July 4 grand Parade of Tall Ships sailing up the Hudson River from the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge to the George Washington Bridge, accompanied by an International Naval Review and an International Aerial Review.
Broadcast coverage for the maritime and aerial celebration is scheduled to begin at 7 AM; the six-hour live broadcast will cover the International Parade of Sail, the International Naval Review, and the International Aerial Review. Spectators planning to view the event from the shore are advised that prime locations are expected to reach capacity by 8 AM.
People will be required to go through an airport-style security screener and have their bags checked at the six designated viewing points: on the West Side Highway at West 55th, West 44th and West 24th Streets, and on West Street at West 11th, Christopher and Laight Streets.
The full Sail4th event is the largest gathering of tall ships and naval vessels in the city’s history, featuring over 30 international tall ships and 32 military gray hull ships, From July 5 through July 8, the public is invited to visit various Class A and Class B tall ships docked at locations throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn, including Pier 15 and Pier 17, for free public tours. The celebration concludes on July 9 with the Five Sisters Cup Tall Ship Race, where four of the remaining five sister ships will compete in a race to Boston.
