Hoboken Is Bringing Back the River City Fair — Free Waterfront Festival Sept. 26 With Two Live Stages

Hoboken is bringing back the River City Fair — a free waterfront festival on Saturday, September 26, with two stages of live music, food, vendors, and river education along Sinatra Drive.

The fair runs from noon to 5 p.m. along Sinatra Drive from Newark Street to Fifth Street. It revives a waterfront tradition that started in the 1970s when local advocates pushed to transform Hoboken’s working waterfront into public space.

“River City Fair is about bringing our community together and celebrating our people, our waterfront, and our incredible artists, musicians, businesses, and community organizations,” said Mayor Emily B. Jabbour.

Pier A Main Stage

The headliner is Cherokee Social, a Colorado-based indie-pop duo blending pop, soul, hip hop, and indigenous influences. The River City Fair is part of their nationwide Eeyoko Mataylë Tour.

• 12:00 PM — Bateria Fogo Azul (NJ’s women-led Brazilian samba drumline)
• 12:30 PM — The Maybes (local band, pop/folk/rock with deep Hoboken roots)
• 1:30 PM — Bass Envy with Jack Skuller (local rocker, foot-stomping grooves)
• 2:45 PM — Sed Marsh and Eazier Sed Than Done (Grammy-nominated drummer, played with Patti Labelle, Angie Stone, Donnell Jones)
• 4:00 PM — Cherokee Social (headliner)

Pier A will also have bounce houses and a guest appearance by Dinosaurs Arise from noon to 4 p.m.

Sinatra Youth Stage

• 12:15 PM — Interactive Storytime with children’s author Raakhee Mirchandani (sponsored by Hoboken Library Friends and Foundation)
• 12:55 PM — Garden Street Music dance performance
• 1:20 PM — All Saints Bold Dancers
• 1:45 PM — Hoboken Dance Academy
• 2:30 PM — School of Rock
• 3:15 PM — JAW (middle school indie band, Hoboken/Brooklyn)
• 4:00 PM — BTL / Between the Lines (The Hudson School’s rock band)

Food, Vendors, and River Education

A dedicated Food Alley on Sinatra Drive from First to Second Street will have lunch and snacks with waterfront views. Local Hoboken and Hudson County artists, crafters, makers, and vendors will be set up along the route.

The Hoboken Green Team, local nonprofits, and businesses will run river education programs about the Hudson River, its wildlife, ecology, and the importance of protecting the waterfront.

Details

What: River City Fair
When: Saturday, September 26, 2026 — 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Where: Sinatra Drive, Newark Street to Fifth Street, Hoboken
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Hoboken Business Alliance

Source: City of Hoboken