Trade your usual Saturday plans for something a little more colorful, where fish hats, river breezes, and a community paddle turn the Blackstone into the liveliest spot in Central Falls. On May 16, the fourth annual Community Fish Migration Parade and Paddle brings locals together for a day that pairs outdoor fun with a deeper purpose.
Held at Central Falls Landing, the event spotlights ongoing efforts to restore migratory fish like herring and shad to the Blackstone River, where they’ve been absent for more than two centuries. Organizers and partners are actively working to build fish passageways around the river’s lowest dams, reopening access to spawning grounds at Valley Falls Marsh.
The project supports local ecology while strengthening cultural ties and community pride. As organizers explain, the celebration aims to “raise public awareness of our shared work to restore migratory species” and reconnect the river to its natural cycle.
The morning sets the tone with hands-on fun and a welcoming, festival-like atmosphere. Guests can create their own fish-themed hats, enjoy face painting, and browse giveaways before gathering for a speaker series that brings the mission into focus. Indigenous-led drumming and flute music add a powerful sense of place, grounding the event in both tradition and storytelling.
By late morning, the energy shifts to the water as the paddling parade sets off. Participants can hop into kayaks, canoes, or board the Explorer riverboat for a relaxed, one-mile journey to Valley Falls Marsh, all set to live music from local performers. Those staying on land can line the shoreline and take in the river in motion.
Blending celebration with purpose, the parade offers a fresh way to experience Rhode Island’s waterways while supporting a long-term vision for the Blackstone River. For more information, visit blackstonecollaborative.org.
10:30 am
Check in, craft your own fish hat, enjoy face painting, and browse giveaways, including RI Football Club tickets, local gift baskets, and more.
11 am
A speaker series featuring the Narragansett Indian Tribe, Hassanamisco Nipmuc Band, local municipalities, and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management highlights the importance of restoring migratory fish to the Blackstone River.
11:30 am – 12:30 pm
The floating fish parade takes to the water for a one-mile paddle from Central Falls Landing to Valley Falls Marsh, with live music aboard the Explorer.
1 pm
Event wraps up.
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