This year’s event, sponsored by Rivers are Life, will bring hundreds of paddlers to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor to support the Healthy Harbor Initiative and those impacted by the collapse of the Key Bridge
Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore’s Healthy Harbor Initiative invites paddlers to get their show their Maryland pride at the 7th annual Baltimore Floatilla on Saturday, June 8, 2024 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. This year, in collaboration with Rivers are Life, Baltimore City Recreations and Parks and Ultimate Watersports participants will enjoy Baltimore-based band Cara Kelly & the Tell Tale performing live from a floating stage aboard Mr. Trash Wheel. A portion of proceeds will be donated to the Baltimore Community Foundation’s Maryland Tough Baltimore Strong Fund, which is dedicated to supporting those impacted by the collapse of the Key Bridge.
“Now more than ever it’s important for those who love recreating on the Baltimore Harbor to come together to demonstrate our resilience, show our support for a clean and accessible Harbor, and give back to those most impacted by this tragedy,” said Adam Lindquist, vice president of Waterfront Partnership.
On the heels of the Harbor Splash public swimming event announcement, the Baltimore Floatilla continues to celebrate and bring awareness to the progress made in the environmental restoration of the Inner Harbor, while also promoting it as a recreational resource for the community. As Waterfront Partnership moves forward with plans for the Baltimore Blueway and Harbor Splash festivities later this year, the Baltimore Floatilla remains a symbol of community engagement and the success of the Healthy Harbor Initiative.
“We invite all participants to show their love of Maryland, whether that means wearing your favorite Ravens or Orioles jersey, flying the state flag from your vessel, or showing your love of Mr. Trash Wheel,” continued Lindquist.
Registration for the Baltimore Floatilla includes a safe, fun and supervised paddle managed by Ultimate Watersports, an event t-shirt and a boxed lunch picnic at Canton Waterfront Park. Participants can bring their boats or reserve on-site kayaks and standup paddleboards with Ultimate Watersports for an additional fee. The public can register online at BaltimoreFloatilla.com until Thursday, June 6, 2024.
- Early bird: $35
- Regular: $40
Rental Pricing (Rentals are limited)
- Single kayaks: $55
- Tandem kayaks: $85
- SUPs: $65
“Rivers are Life was first connected to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor through one of our River Heroes, Mr. Trash Wheel, whose inspiring and innovative story we premiered last fall. We are honored to continue supporting and protecting this invaluable asset through our collaboration with the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore,” said Katie Horning, Rivers are Life’s Director of Marketing, Sustainability Brands. “Rivers are Life aims to inspire people to get involved in improving, protecting, and preserving rivers and we work alongside companies, governments, nonprofits, and institutions focused on education, water quality and ecosystem health, as well as solutions to address waste. We are proud to be a partner of the 2024 Baltimore Floatilla and be Maryland Tough Baltimore Strong together.”
The Baltimore Floatilla is a fundraiser for Waterfront Partnership’s Healthy Harbor Initiative, which works to restore and protect Baltimore’s Inner Harbor through the Trash Wheel Family, oyster plantings, environmental education, habitat enhancement projects and more. Rivers are Life and Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore are also teaming up to host a cleanup in advance of the Baltimore Floatilla, to ensure paddlers are greeted by a clean harbor.
Since 2016, the event has brought out hundreds of paddlers and raises thousands of dollars each year through sponsorship, registration and peer-to-peer fundraising. This year, a portion of funds raised will be donated to the Baltimore Community Foundation’s Maryland Tough Baltimore Strong Fund, which is dedicated to supporting those impacted by the collapse of the Key Bridge.
For frequently asked questions about the event and to register, visit baltimorefloatilla.com.
Waterfront Partnership’s Healthy Harbor Initiative works to restore and protect Baltimore City’s most valuable asset, the harbor. Through its growing list of projects, programs, and partnerships, the Healthy Harbor Initiative is educating the public about what lives beneath the surface and how we can all fight for the urban ecosystem through actions we take. For more information, visit healthyharbor.org.
Waterfront Partnership, in collaboration with our government, business, and community partners, creates a clean, green, safe, sustainable and thriving urban waterfront for all to enjoy. We’re lean, nimble and effective; the only organization that wakes up every day, rolls its sleeves up and gets to work on new ways we can make Baltimore’s Waterfront even more active, attractive and appealing. We’re the hosts who greet visitors, the creators of programs and promotions and managers of our beautiful parks. We encourage investment in Baltimore’s most celebrated asset so it can continue to grow, to serve as a place of pride and the place where Baltimoreans come together to recreate and to celebrate. For more information, visit waterfrontpartnership.org.
