2026 Watertown Dam Herring Festival
When:
Sunday, May 17, 2026 11:00a -
3:00p
Sunday, May 17, 2026 11:00a -
3:00p
Where:
64 Pleasant St
64 Pleasant Street
Watertown, MA 02472
Admission:
FREE
Categories:
Festivals & Fairs, Kid Friendly, Nature
Event website:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-herring-festival-tickets-1985512091113
Each spring, the Charles River becomes a vital spawning ground for diadromous fish species such as the Alewife, Blueback Herring, American Shad, and Rainbow Smelt. These fish are key players in the local ecosystem and are a historical representation of Indigenous food sovereignty and cultural ways of life. Join us for our annual celebration of fish migration to honor the herring with an afternoon of free, family fun!
This year, we are also premiering a community artwork titled “River Run”, developed in collaboration with muralist Sophy Tuttle. This piece is inspired and informed by the Indigenous experience with dams, including Watertown Dam, and the negative impacts they caused. Additionally, it is shaped by the community contributions from Herring Festival 2025, and the fish scales attendees decorated and installed on the large-scale Herring poster. The project was made possible by Watertown’s Edible Watertown Grant - Expert Pairings program, and we look forward to sharing it with you all!
Enjoy the spring weather, watch the fish migrate up the fish ladder, participate in a community art project, and eat from local food vendors! This year we also encourage you to bring a cotton t-shirt, tote bag, or other clothes to make your very own print design at one of our art booths!
ACTIVITIES:
- Performances and talk from the Wampanoag singers and dancers
- Print your own clothes (Please bring cotton or canvas clothing to print on!)
- Make your own fish hats
- Face painting
- Fishing demonstration
- Local food from farmers’ market vendors
- Dam tours, hosted by CRWA River Restoration Director Lisa Kumpf, speaking to Watertown Dam and the challenges it faces.
SEEKING VOLUNTEERS:
We are seeking volunteers to help set up (morning shift) and break down (afternoon shift) the herring festival! Interested in volunteering? Click here, scroll down to the May 17 date, and sign up for your preferred time slot. Thank you to our partners, Watertown Helps Out.
PLEASE NOTE: We encourage patrons to walk or bike to the event as parking may be limited. To enter the Festival space, please navigate to DCR’s Dealtry Memorial Pool Parking.
ACCESSIBILITY: This area is partially accessible with paved primary walking paths and some stalls being on uneven ground or packed earth.
