MWA Contact: Roland Lewis, MWA President and CEO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MWA Contact: Roland Lewis, MWA President and CEO – Office: (212) 935-983; Cell: (917) 696-3139; or [email protected]

Hudson River Park Contact: Ann Clark, Edelman – Office: (212) 704-8296 or [email protected]

HUDSON RIVER PARK TO HOST WATERFRONT PROGRAMS FOR CITY OF WATER DAY

HUDSON RIVER PARK IS ONE OF 15 “CITY OF WATER DAY IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD” EVENTS IN HARBOR WIDE FESTIVAL On the water, for the water—July 14, 2012

New York, NY (July 9, 2012): On Saturday, July 14th, Hudson River Park (http://www.hudsonriverpark.org) will host various waterfront-related activities as part of the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance’s fifth annual City of Water Day Festival. Members of the press are invited to join the public in the following activities:

From 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m, Floating the Apple will be providing free rowing lessons at Hudson River Park’s Pier 84 Boathouse. Those interested in learning how to row 19th Century-style, 25-foot Whitehall Gigs are welcome to join the Floating Apple staff for what is sure to be an entertaining day.

From 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m, the staff aboard the Historic Lighthouse Tender Lilac, which is docked at Hudson River Park’s Pier 25, will present “The Butterfly Effect,” a project by artists Pedro Cuevas, Joaquin Goldstein, and Sol Storni, who have been living on board since July 6th to create art inspired by the ship and the experience of cultural displacement. Visitors will be invited to work with the artists to launch boats made of newspaper on the Hudson. The Lilac will also be open for ship tours and an art exhibition.

From 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m, the public is welcome to participate in free tours of the Pegasus Tugboat, which is also docked at Hudson River Park’s Pier 25.

“With more than 520 miles of shoreline, New York City is in a unique position to demonstrate the potential of waterfront development for recreation, education and jobs,” said Madelyn Wils, President & CEO of the Hudson River Park Trust. “As the first project of its kind, Hudson River Park provides an

241 Water Street, 3rd Floor Ÿ New York, NY 10038 Ÿ (p) 212-935-9831 Ÿ (f) 212-935-3193 Ÿ www.waterfrontalliance.org exciting glimpse at what the future holds for all of the City’s waterfront parks, and there’s no better way to enjoy everything it has to offer than through the City of Water Day Festival.”

Presented by the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, the City of Water Day Festival is a free, day-long festival celebrating all that the New York-New Jersey harbor and waterways could be. At its heart is MWA’s Waterfront Action Agenda, a program of clear and achievable steps to a healthy, accessible, and dynamic waterfront.

“We are thrilled that waterfront leadership organizations like Hudson River Park are bringing City of Water Day home to people in their communities,” said Roland Lewis, MWA president and CEO. “We are all awakening to the great potential that lies at our water’s edge. Working with the Hudson River Park and our 650 other alliance partners throughout New York and New Jersey we aim to make every day City of Water Day.”

In addition to those participating in the events at Hudson River Park, over twenty-thousand City of Water Day Festival participants are expected at Governors Island, Liberty State Park in New Jersey, and 14 other locations throughout the region for the day’s activities. They will enjoy a day of fun and educational waterfront activities, including free boat tours on historic, educational, and working vessels, a Waterfront Action Fair, live music, delicious food from local vendors, and a full slate of children’s activities.

For more information about the event or to volunteer, please visit www.cityofwaterday.org, or contact the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance at (212) 935-9831 or [email protected]. To volunteer for Hudson River Park’s In Your Neighborhood event, please email [email protected].

About Hudson River Park Hudson River Park, the longest waterfront park in the United States, has transformed five miles of decaying piers and parking lots along the west side of Manhattan into a premier New York City destination. Attracting 17 million visits each year, the Park offers myriad recreational and educational activities for local residents and visitors alike and plays a critical role in protecting the Hudson River ecosystem. The Hudson River Park Trust is the city-state entity overseeing the design, construction and operation of the Park, working in partnership with the Friends of Hudson River Park, which helps ensure the Park’s sustainability by serving as its primary fundraising, advocacy and support partner. For more information, please visit www.hudsonriverpark.org or call the information line at 212-627-2121.

About the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance MWA works to transform the New York and New Jersey harbor and waterways to make them clean and accessible, a vibrant place to play, learn and work, with great parks, great jobs and great transportation for all. www.waterfrontalliance.org

241 Water Street, 3rd Floor Ÿ New York, NY 10038 Ÿ (p) 212-935-9831 Ÿ (f) 212-935-3193 Ÿ www.waterfrontalliance.org 241 Water Street, 3rd Floor Ÿ New York, NY 10038 Ÿ (p) 212-935-9831 Ÿ (f) 212-935-3193 Ÿ www.waterfrontalliance.org