All The Info. On NYC's Tall Ship Parade July 3-8

HIGHLANDS, NJ — The tall ships will sail into New York City for Independence Day and they'll be anchored right off Sandy Hook on July 3.

Here's what you need to know:

This is being billed as the largest maritime and aerial gathering in U.S. history, featuring 80 ships and 150+ aircraft. Here's info about free, ticketed access to board the tall ships; free spectator anchorages on the water; prime viewing spots along the July 3 and July 4 tall ship parade routes; six hours of live national TV coverage; and real-time online tracking of the visiting tall ships.

Full Schedule of Events: July 3–8, 2026

July 3: A preliminary tall ship parade down the East River, 1:00–4:00 p.m.; Media preview of Class A tall ships at Sandy Hook, NJ, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Press conference with visiting captains, government officials, and dignitaries at 1:30 p.m.

July 4: International Naval Review 250 (7:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.) and Grand Parade of Sail (9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.). International Aerial Review, led by the Blue Angels (10:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.). Six hours of live coverage on NBC, Telemundo, NBC News NOW, and Peacock (7:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ET). Macy's 50th Anniversary Fourth of July Fireworks and Jersey City fireworks display at around 9:25 p.m.

July 5–7: Free public access (timed, ticketed) to visit the tall ships in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island. Reserve tickets at https://sail4th.org/tall-ship-tours.

July 8: Class A tall ships depart for Boston. Four of the five surviving "Five Sisters" — USCGC Eagle (U.S.), NRP Sagres (Portugal), Mircea (Romania), and Gorch Fock (Germany) — race for the International Perpetual Challenge Cup into Boston Harbor on July 9.

Get on board a tall ship — July 5, 6 and 7

For three days following the July 4^th Grand Parade of Sail, the public will have the rare opportunity to step aboard visiting tall ships berthed at multiple locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island. Admission is free — though timed tickets should be reserved in advance. They will be available for visitation from 12 Noon to 6:00 pm (exact times vary per ship).

Free timed-entry tickets and other details are available here: https://sail4th.org/tall-ship-tours

On land - Public viewing locations July 3 and 4

Spectators are invited to view the events anywhere along New York and New Jersey’s 15 miles of New York and New Jersey waterfront over the course of July 3 and 4.

July 3 — Class B Tall Ship Parade Down the East River (1:00–4:00 p.m.)

On July 3, a preliminary parade of 24 private and foundation-owned tall ships will sail down the East River from Long Island Sound, pausing at South Street Seaport before proceeding to anchorages in Gravesend Bay off Brooklyn. Prime viewing locations include Manhattan's Upper and Lower East Side waterfront and the South Street Seaport district.

July 4 — The International Parade of Sail up the Hudson River (9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.)

The centerpiece of the week is the Grand Parade of Sail on July 4. A fleet of 43 tall ships — 21 Class A vessels ranging from 161 to 378 feet in length, joined by 22 Class B ships — will sail under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, past the Statue of Liberty, and up the Hudson River to the George Washington Bridge. USCGC Eagle always leads the parade. The passage takes approximately 2.5 hours at any fixed point, with six-minute intervals between ships.

Simultaneously, the International Naval Review 250 features 37 U.S. and allied naval vessels from 22 nations at anchor in the Hudson River. The International Aerial Review — 150 to 185 aircraft led by the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels — overflies the parade starting at approximately 10:15 a.m. The day concludes with the 50th Anniversary of Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks (at 9:25 p.m.) and a separate Jersey City display.

ON THE WATER — Free Anchorages July 4

For boaters, Sail4th 250 and the U.S. Coast Guard have designated free spectator vessel anchorages in New York Harbor for the International Naval Review, the International Aerial Review, and the Grand Parade of Sail. Anchorages are open from 3:00 p.m. on July 3 through 8:00 a.m. on July 5, on a first-come, first-served basis. Vessels must be in place before 6:00 a.m. on July 4.

Registration is free and strongly encouraged — though it does not guarantee a reserved space — so that event organizers and the Coast Guard can share important updates, including emergency notifications, and plan logistics effectively. Each participating vessel must register individually. New York State requires a Boater Safety Card to operate a vessel.

Due to security protocols, on-the-water movement will be restricted on July 4 between 6:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. and again from 3:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Vessel operators must anchor only within designated zones, maintain a continuous anchor watch, and keep AIS active and transmitting where equipped, monitoring AquaMap (see below) and VHF Channel 16 continuously while on the water.

Vessel length determines which anchorage zones a boat may enter; Zone 1 is reserved for commercial vessels only. Full event rules, registration, and the anchorage zone map are available at sail4th.org/spectator-anchorages, including the Spectator Anchorage Zone Map. USCG Regulations.

Follow Every Ship Live via AquaMap

Spectators on the waterfront or online can track every participating vessel in real time through AquaMap, Sail4th 250's official vessel-tracking partner. Available on iOS, Android, and in any browser at aquamap.app/sail4th-250, the platform displays ship positions, identifications, and routes as vessels transit from their home ports into New York Harbor — an unprecedented live window onto the parade for spectators everywhere.