After Inner Harbor public swim events made a major splash the past two years, their organizer is expanding opportunities to enjoy the water with a new pop-up series.
Instead of a single Harbor Splash event, this year the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore will host a series of pop-up swims with event dates announced about a week in advance.
As always, the events will depend on whether water conditions are safe enough to swim.
“As we’ve seen over the past two years, the enthusiasm for Harbor Splash speaks volumes about how far the Harbor has come and how eager people are to engage with it in new ways,” said Dan Taylor, president of Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, in a statement. “At the same time, we’ve learned that flexibility is key. This new format allows us to adapt to changing conditions while expanding access for people to safely experience the water.”
Organizers decided to shift the Harbor Splash to a “pop-up” format due to the quickly changing nature of weather and water quality conditions, as well as the desire to hold a greater number of events so members of the public can participate throughout the season.
In 2025, demand was so high for the second annual Harbor Splash that registration spots filled up within 24 hours of the link going live.
However, runoff from a storm the night before last year’s original Harbor Splash date prompted organizers to postpone the event. The rescheduled event ended up being canceled due to rain that week too.
“The Harbor is one of Baltimore’s most important assets, and Harbor Splash is helping people experience it in a new light,” said Adam Lindquist, vice president of the Waterfront Partnership. “This new format builds on overwhelming demand, with previous Harbor Splash events selling out in minutes.”
Registration will open on a rolling basis throughout the summer.The Waterfront Partnership is encouraging would-be participants to sign up for the Harbor Splash newsletter in order to receive updates on pop-up swims and priority access to registration.
