US Coast Guard Eagle to lead New York's 250th birthday tall ship parade

The US Coast Guard cutter Eagle will lead New York Harbor’s July 4 International Parade of Sail, taking the front position in a procession that will bring up to 48 tall ships from 20 foreign nations under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, past the Statue of Liberty and up the Hudson River toward the George Washington Bridge. Ships are expected to move about six minutes apart, stretching the parade to roughly 2.5 hours.

The parade is the centerpiece of Sail4th 250, a July 3-8, 2026 celebration of America’s 250th birthday. More than 120 aircraft are expected in an International Aerial Review led by the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels. The day is also set to end with Macy’s 50th Anniversary Fourth of July Fireworks and a separate Jersey City fireworks display.

The organization projects about 6 million spectators along 15 miles of waterfront and expects 15,000 U.S. and foreign sailors in port. It also places the celebration’s total projected economic impact at $2.85 billion, with $730 million in net new economic impact for New York City. Live national coverage on July 4 is scheduled from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET on NBC, Telemundo and Peacock.

Governor Kathy Hochul said New York is the natural place to mark the nation’s semiquincentennial, pointing to the state’s central role in the fight for independence. She said July 5-7 will bring sightseeing cruises and free tours of the tall ships at Brooklyn Bridge Park, South Street Seaport, Sail City and Stapleton Park on Staten Island.

The Coast Guard has built Eagle’s 2026 schedule around Sail250 port calls in New Orleans, Norfolk, Baltimore, New York City and Boston. Capt. Kristopher Ensley, Eagle’s commanding officer, said the voyage is both training for future Coast Guard officers and a way to share America’s maritime heritage with the public. The event’s lineage runs to Operation Sail 1964, endorsed by President John F. Kennedy, and to later tall-ship milestones in 1976, 1986, 1992, 2000 and 2012.