Vote for RISE!

Monday, July 22, to Monday, September 30, 2024

We are honored and excited to announce that we have been chosen to participate in a special charitable giving campaign, sponsored and funded by Target. You have the chance to help direct a portion of its donation to us!

Now through September 30, vote for Rockaway Waterfront Alliance, Inc. d/b/a RISE Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability and Equity through the Target Circle program to help determine how Target's donation will be divvied up.

Please help us make the most of this incredible opportunity, and thank you!

Rockaway Market Street @ Beach 60th

Saturday, July 27, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Beach 60th Street & Rockaway Freeway, under the elevated A-train tracks

Spend the first part of your Saturday at Rockaway Market Street @ Beach 60th. It is the third season for the only outdoor farmers market on the Rockaway peninsula. Johnny Cuomo will be the musical performer on July 27.

Outdoor Chair Yoga

Monday, July 29, 10:30 am to 11:00 am
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard

Join Cynthia Carrion, certified yoga instructor, in outdoor chair yoga! For thirty minutes, she will lead you in a gentle form of yoga that is done while seated or using a chair for balance. The practice is a good, safe workout for beginners and focuses on the same core principles of yoga: focusing on your breath, paying attention to your thoughts, and staying in the moment.

Rockaway Honeyworks & NYC Honey Fest

Saturday, September 14, 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
Boardwalk at Beach 106th Street

Rockaway Honeyworks, a RISE initiative, will table at the 15th Annual NYC Honey Fest. Student interns from Shore Corps helped to raise and care for the bees and to extract honey, which will be on sale in eight-ounce, four-ounce, and 1.5-ounce containers. Bee the Change T-shirts, tote bags, lapel pins, and lip balm also will be available for purchase.

All proceeds support RISE's youth programs: Environmentor, Living Classroom, Shore Corps. Drop by to say hello and taste of some of the best honey in New York City!

Native Plant Nursery Planting

Saturday, September 21, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Arverne East Welcome Center, 190 Beach 44th Street, Far Rockaway, NY 11691

Join us for this special event establishing the new RISE Native Plant Nursery at Arverne East. 

Participants will learn to collect seeds from the native coastal plants and help to set up and plant the raised beds for the inaugural season. 

People of all ages are invited to participate. Students seeking community service hours are welcome to attend. Dress accordingly for outdoor conditions. Registration is encouraged.

Special thanks to the Booth Ferris Foundation, City Parks Foundation NYC Green Fund and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Climate Week NYC Dune Planting

Saturday, September 28, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Beach Front Road & Beach Way, Arverne, NY 11692

Join RISE and Surfrider Foundation for hands-on dune restoration as part of "Greater Rockaway" Coastal Resilience Plan during Climate Week NYC.

The initiative, led by RISE and supported by Surfrider's Climate Action Program, focuses on long-term enhancement and maintenance of coastal dunes to mitigate climate impacts.

Families, friends, and neighbors are welcome to help plant native plants and shrubs to build and restore a natural protective buffer along the east end of the Rockaways. Students can receive community service hours. This event is rain or shine, so please dress accordingly. Registration is encouraged, in case of changes on the day.

Daffodil Bulbs Giveaway

Saturday, October 5, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

It's almost planting time! Don’t miss out on New Yorkers for Parks 2024 Daffodil Project, a citywide living memorial, stewardship opportunity, and catalyst for transformative investment in our beloved parks and open spaces.

A living memorial to the victims of 9/11 and the largest civic effort in city history, Daffodil Project gives away bulbs to plant in public spaces across all five boroughs. RISE will be hosting one of the Queens distribution sites.

Bulb supplies will be distributed on a first-come-first-serve basis. Register to reserve your FREE daffodil bulbs!

Foraging Tour with "Wildman" Steve Brill

Saturday, October 5, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

"Wildman" Steve Brill will lead a FREE session on plant identification, the natural habitat of the Rockaways, and all the best wild foods of the seashore.

The sandy soil limits tree and grass growth, but it benefits other species that can take advantage of the sun and nutrient-poor soil. Wild greens and dozens of species thrive here.

This event will happen rain or shine. Registration is required.

Special thanks to City Parks Foundation NYC Green Fund. 

Sandy Anniversary Cleanup & Planting

Saturday, October 12, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
190 Beach 44th St / Boardwalk

For the twelfth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, RISE is bringing people of all ages together to care for our shoreline and create a natural protective barrier for the Rockaway community.

As we learned from the hurricane, the natural vegetation and dunes that exist off our shores serve as a buffer to the homes and businesses in the area. Many of these dunes are compromised by storms, shoreline erosion, and human disturbance, including marine debris and trash, so they need to be cared for to be effective.

Families, friends, and neighbors are welcome to participate in this shoreline cleanup and beach grass dune planting. Students can receive community service hours. This event is rain or shine, so please dress accordingly. Registration is encouraged, in case of changes.

Special thanks to National Sea Grant Marine Debris Community Action Coalition, City Parks Foundation - NYC Green Fund, and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

11th Annual Hip-Hop Halloween & Harvest Celebration

Saturday, October 19, 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Join RISE for the 11th Annual Hip-Hop Halloween & Harvest Celebration, as we celebrate with family and friends in Rockaway Hip-Hop Community Garden. Come and take part in decorating pumpkins, face painting, music, dancing, festive food, and more.

This event is FREE and open to all!

Rockaway Thanksgiving Feast

Saturday, November 16, 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

RISE is hosting a special Thanksgiving meal to give thanks and to celebrate our amazing community of family, friends, and neighbors. This FREE sit-down meal is for attendees who register in advance (no more than three per household).

The meal includes all the Thanksgiving favorites, prepared by local Rockaway partners:

• Batesy's BBQ
• Cassey's Cookies & Cobblers
• Cuisine by Claudette
• Goody's BBQ Chicken & Ribs
• La Cevicheria
• Rockaway Beach Bakery
• Rockaway Food Initiative