US Coast Guard Eagle to lead largest tall ship parade in New York
The Coast Guard’s 295-foot Eagle will lead a record tall-ship parade past the Statue of Liberty, with 40 nations, 2.5 hours of spectacle and millions expected on shore.
The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle leads a July 4 tall-ship parade through New York Harbor, with vessels from 40 nations set to pass under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, sail past the Statue of Liberty and turn near the George Washington Bridge. Sail4th 250 calls it the largest ever assembled.
The Eagle, roughly as long as a football field and 15 stories high, fronts a formation of more than 30 Class A and 30 Class B tall ships.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said New York is the right place to mark the nation’s semiquincentennial because of the state’s role in the fight for independence. Speaking at the South Street Seaport Museum, she said the July 3-8 celebration will include family-friendly sightseeing cruises, ship tours, an international aerial review and fireworks, with the Blue Angels leading the aerial review on the morning of July 4.
The full maritime spectacle will last about 2.5 hours. Public ship tours run July 5-7 from noon to 6 p.m., with reservations strongly recommended. The Eagle’s 2026 schedule lists New York City as one stop in a Sail250 tour that also includes New Orleans, Norfolk, Baltimore, Boston, Portland, Newport, Greenport and New London.
State and event planners expect about 20,000 sailors in New York City, and Sail4th 250 projects the broader celebration will involve 32 countries and about 15,000 sailors. A New York City Economic Development Corporation analysis projects $2.85 billion in economic activity and $730 million in net new economic impact for the city.
Eight million to 10 million spectators are expected along the 15-mile New York-New Jersey shoreline, with crowds around New York Harbor, the Port of New York and New Jersey, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Stapleton Park in Staten Island and other waterfront viewing points. New Jersey Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way said the region is eager to welcome tens of thousands of tourists and showcase its role in the nation’s founding. The celebration will also feature an anchored fleet of U.S. and allied military ships in the Hudson and the Queen Mary 2 positioned in New York Harbor for viewing.
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