The 8th Annual Tidal Schuylkill Boat Parade is Free and Everyone is invited! The parade will be Friday August 3rd, 7pm – 9pm.

This year’s parade is happening in conjunction with the on-land Bartram’s Garden Lighthouse Party.

Everyone may be part of parade. No registration is necessary. All you need is:
*something that floats
*a lifevest for yourself and everyone in your crew
*a light (flashlight, headlamp, bike light, etc)

Trophies with will be awarded to all parade boats.

Paraders with Boat(s): Load-in will start at 6:30 pm , under the train bridge at the intersection of 51st Street & Botanic Ave. Volunteers will be on hand to help you launch your float/boat/craft.
The entrance to the load-in and parade parking area is 51st Street and Grays Avenue.

Paraders without Boats: If you would like to be in the parade, but have no river craft, there will be free illuminated rowboats available on a first come, first served basis from the Public Dock located at the base of the Bartram’s Garden meadow. Excursions are limited to 20 minutes.

Spectators: The parade loves an audience! The parade is happening as part of the Bartram’s Garden Lighthouse Party, where there will be food, music, on land parade and more!  

Parade Route: There will be a procession at 7pm to begin, but after that – wherever you want, it’s your parade!

Questions?   Email Danielle Redden at danielle@bartramsgarden.org

The 7th Annual Tidal Schuylkill Boat Parade is Free and Everyone is invited! The parade is a part of the Bartram’s Garden River Fest and will be Saturday June 3rd 12pm – 2pm.

Everyone may be part of parade. No registration is necessary. All you need is a costume and something that floats. If you don’t have something, ask around. You’d be surprised who has an old canoe or raft or giant inflatable alligator in their basement.  Trophies with will be awarded for the most fabulous costumes,  leakiest boat and everything in between.

Paraders with Boat(s): Load-in will start at 11 am , under the train bridge just east of the intersection of 51st St & Botanic Ave. The entrance to the load-in and parade parking area is 51st Street and Grays Avenue. (SEE MAP) Wear shoes you don’t mind getting muddy, as the load in area is muddy. There will be volunteers on hand to help and there is plenty of room for parking (SEE MAP).. Bring some water to drink, it’ll be hot!

Paraders without Boats: If you would like to be in the parade, but have no river craft, there will be free rowboats and kayaks available on a first come, first served basis from the Public Dock located at the base of the Bartram’s Garden meadow. Excursions are limited to 30 minutes.

Spectators: Come! The parade loves an audience! The parade is happening as part of the Bartram’s Garden River Fest, 11am – 3pm, where there will be food, music, pony rides, a farmer’s market, free bike rentals, face painting, free kids activities and more!  If you are driving to the event, parking is $5. There is plenty of free bike parking and we’re located at the 54th Street stop on the #36 trolley line.

Parade Route: There will be a procession at 12pm to begin, but after that – wherever you want, it’s your parade!

Just some things you should expect to see at the parade:

Floating Ice Cream Parlor: Little Baby’s Ice Cream will be dishing out FREE ice cream to paraders from the water.

DJ Jay Plus will be playing parade tunes from the Wetlands Boat.

Floating Watermelon Stand!

A fleet of Philadelphia Waterborne rowboats will lead the procession. All the boats were handbuilt and handpainted by Philadelphia public school students.

Awards : The award ceremony will take place on water, from the Wetlands Boat at 2pm!

Important: This is a parade of friends and neighbors. The parade is YOU! So please help each other out, make it up as you go along, enjoy yourselves.

There are only TWO RULES.  (1)If you are on the river, you need a lifejacket. You need to have one for each person in your boat/floating piece of trash. We will have a few extras, however if you have them, bring them!   (2) No motorized boats, please!

Thanks everyone!! You’re great!!

Questions?   Email Danielle Redden at danielle@bartramsgarden.org

The 6th Annual Tidal Schuylkill Boat Parade will be held Sunday June 19th, 12pm – 2pm. 

The 2016 Tidal Schuylkill Boat Parade is Free and Everyone is invited! The parade is a part of the Bartram’s Garden River Fest.

Anyone can be in the parade. No registration is necessary. All you need is a costume and something that floats. If you don’t have something, ask around. You’d be surprised who has an old canoe or raft or giant inflatable alligator in their basement.  Trophies with will be awarded for the most fabulous costumes,  leakiest boat and everything in between.

Paraders with Boat(s): Load-in will start at 11 am at high tide, under the train bridge. The entrance to the load-in and parade parking area is 51st Street and Lindbergh Boulevard. (SEE MAP) Take 51st Street to the river. Wear shoes you don’t mind getting muddy, as the load in area is muddy muddy. There will be volunteers on hand to help and there is plenty of room for parking (SEE MAP).. Bring some water to drink, it’ll be hot!

Paraders without Boats: If you would like to be in the parade, but have no river craft, there are several floats & rafts available. Scroll down for more information on these floats……

Spectators: Come! The parade loves an audience! The parade is happening as part of the Bartram’s Garden River Fest, 11am – 3pm, where there will be food, music, pony rides, a farmer’s market, a pop up bike clinic, trick horse riding from Divers Stables, face painting, and more! So if you are boat-less, there is plenty to do. If you are driving to the event, parking is $5. There is plenty of free bike parking and we’re on the 36 trolley line.

Parade Route: There will be an procession at 12pm to begin, but after that – wherever you want, it’s your parade!

Just some things you should expect to see at the parade:

Floating Victorian-era Ice Cream Parlor: Little Baby’s Ice Cream will be dishing out FREE ice cream to paraders from  this float honoring late 19th century gardener Ann Bartram Carr.

DJ Jay Plus will be playing parade tunes from the solar powered Wetlands Boat.

A fleet of Philadelphia Waterborne rowboats will lead the procession. All the boats were handbuilt and handpainted by Philadelphia public school students.

The 114 year old Tug Jupiter.

Awards : The award ceremony will take place on water, from the Wetlands Boat at 2pm!

Important: This is a parade of friends and neighbors. The parade is YOU! So please help each other out, make it up as you go along, enjoy yourselves.

There are only TWO RULES.  (1)If you are on the river, you need a lifejacket – what we call in the nautical world a PFD (personal flotation device). You need to have one for each person in your boat. We will have a few extras, however if you have them, bring them!  Kids under 12 must wear lifejackets when on the river. (2) No motorized boats, please!

Thanks everyone!! You’re great!!

Questions?   Email Danielle Redden at danielle@bartramsgarden.org

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AVAILABLE FLOATS

If you are interested in borrowing any of the floats below, please email danielle@bartramsgarden.org

We have 2 floating platforms available for a 2 groups of potential boat paraders to decorate and make fabulous. One is 6X24ft and could fit up to 12 people and must be decorated in Victorian-era style, honoring gardener Ann Bartram Carr .  This float will also be serving up ice cream (a Little Babies staffer will be on board to do so) to the paraders passing by. Email me if you have a group that wants to take this float!

The other is 8X18ft and could fit up to 10. The other float is open for any theme. Email me your float theme idea, with descriptions of your decorations and costumes. The best idea takes the float!

Both these platforms live at Bartram’s Garden Community Boathouse, on the river, and you would have to some here to do the pre-parade decorating. You would supply all materials. We have some tools available on site for loan.

We have an 8ft diameter inflatable pizza up for loan to a group of 8 (one slice per person). It is required each person in the group dress up like their favorite pizza topping. Email me if interested in claiming this float for your group, with a list of your toppings.

We have 1 inflatable swan, 2  flamingos and 1 giant unicorn up for loan for individual parade enthusiasts. Again, you must be in costume to borrow the float. Email me you corresponding costume idea and preferred floating creature. Best ideas take the float!

The 2015 Tidal Schuylkill Boat Parade is Free and Everyone is invited! The parade is a part of the Bartram’s Garden River Fest.

The Parade starts at promptly at 12pm. This means you should be on the river by 12pm. The Parade will end by 2pm. With Award Ceremony to follow.

Anyone can be in the parade. No registration is necessary. All you need is a costume and something that floats. If you don’t have something, ask around. You’d be surprised who has an old canoe or raft or giant inflatable alligator in their basement.  Trophies with will be awarded for best costume & best river craft.

Paraders with Boat(s): Load-in will start at 10:30 am at high tide. The entrance to the load-in and parade parking area is 51st Street and Lindbergh Boulevard. (SEE MAP) Take 51st Street to the river. You may have to carry your craft as far as 100ft. Wear shoes you don’t mind getting muddy, as it will be muddy. There will be volunteers on hand to help and there is plenty of room for parking (SEE MAP). Feel free to take your boat out of the river whenever you like, however the Parade will officially end by 2pm. Bring some water to drink, it’ll be hot!

Paraders without Boats: If you would like to be in the parade, but have no river craft, there will be a few kayaks and rowboats available at the public boat dock at the bottom of the meadow (SEE MAP). Enter Bartram’s Garden at main entrance and follow signs for “Free Boating”. First come, first served. And expect a wait. If you are driving to the event, parking is $5. There is plenty of free bike parking and we’re on the 36 trolley line.

Spectators: Come whenever! The parade loves an audience! The parade is happening as part of the Bartram’s Garden River Fest, where there will be food, music, pony rides, a farmer’s market, petting zoo, a boat-hay-cart, Neighborhood Bike Works bike rodeo,  Sky Sister face painting, and more! So if you are boat-less, there is plenty to do. If you are driving to the event, parking is $5. There is plenty of free bike parking and we’re on the 36 trolley line.

Parade Route: There will be an procession at 12pm to begin, but after that – wherever you want! It’s your parade!

Floating Ice Cream Parlor: Little Baby’s Ice Cream will be dishing out FREE ice cream to paraders from a Floating Ice Cream Parlor.

A Floating Brass Band, Reverse Birds will be performing on the water!

Invisible River Dancers will be performing a choreographed dance on paddle boards.

A Rhododendron Flotilla will be reenacting John Bartram’s trip home from Berks County — via canoe — with the first example of the Rhododendron arborescens, discovered near the headwaters of the Schuylkill River.

A small fleet of Philadelphia Waterborne rowboats will be in the procession. All the boats were handbuilt and handpainted by Philadelphia public school students.

The Philadelphia Ship Preservation Guild will be showcasing the Gazella’s dories.

The Independence Seaport Museum will be bringing their harbor skiffs.

Boat Parade t-shirts & bandannas, silkscreened by Statement Silkscreen, and posters designed by Boat Parade alum Cecily Anderson, will be available for sale for cheap!

Rich Wexler Video and Karen Kirchhoff Photography will be documenting our event.

Awards will be given out to the most gussied-up parader, most flashy splash boat and such. The award ceremony will take place  at the Bartram’s Garden Boat Dock immediately following parade.

 

Important: This is a parade! Of friends and neighbors! The parade is YOU. So please help each other out, make it up as you go along, enjoy yourselves.

There are only TWO RULES.  (1)If you are on the river, you need a lifejacket – what we call in the nautical world a PFD (personal flotation device). You need to have one for each person in your boat. We will have a few extras, however if you have them, bring them!  Kids under 12 must wear lifejackets when on the river. (2) No motorized boats, please!

Thanks everyone!! You’re great!!

Questions?   Email Danielle Redden at danielle@bartramsgarden.org

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Love the river & want to get involved with the new community boathouse at Bartram’s Garden?  Find out more info HERE

This year’s parade was a smashing success! Thank you to Bartram’s Garden, all our volunteers, the hundreds of spectators who came out, and of course the brave and beautiful paraders! Check out how fantastic you look  – the photos are   HERE   and HERE

Have a question? Need a boat? Looking for a costume idea? Wondering where the Bartram’s Boat Dock is? Thinking about making a donation? Be in touch please!