Partnership for the Delaware Estuary

Open Streets Wilmington Events, April 26 to Aug. 16
2025-08-16 13:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | DE
Join the party!
PDE and other partners are working with Open Streets Wilmington to bring you some special Saturdays from spring to fall.
These events close streets to all motor traffic, creating space for people of all ages and abilities to get outside and play!
They offer:
Giveaways, children’s activities, live music, outdoor fitness classes, free bike rentals, information and resources, and more!

Dates, times, and locations:
April 26, 1 – 4 p.m.: N. Walnut Street between 10th and 16th streets
May 31, 1 – 4 p.m.: New Castle Ave between Pearl Street and A Street
June 28, 1 – 4 p.m.: W. 4th Street between Broom and Lincoln streets
August 16, 1 – 4 p.m.: N. Market Street between 18th Street and Vandever/Concord
Visit the Open Streets Wilmington website for more information!

2025 Marcus Hook Pirate Festival
2025-09-20 11:00 - 18:00 | 4 East Delaware Street, Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, 4 East Delaware Street, Marcus Hook, PA, United States
Marcus Hook Pirate Festival
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 20
WHERE: 4 East Delaware Street, Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania
The Marcus Hook Pirate Festival returns to port with a full pirate encampment, demonstrations, wares, firearms, cannons, and beer making. Ye be games, food, live pirate music, noy rides, a petting zoo, face painting. All funds raised from the event go toward the restoration of the historic Plank House, also known as Blackbeard’s Mistress’ House.
Visit the website for more information.

Celebrate National Estuaries Week with PDE, Sept. 20-27
2025-09-20 11:00 - 2025-09-27 16:30 | DE
Celebrate National Estuaries Week with PDE! Look for online and in-person activities from the Marcus Hook Pirate Festival on Sept. 20 to the Delaware River Festival on the 27th. We’ll have fun quizzes and information about how to help the estuary this fall at our public shell bagging events.

Gardening for Clean Water
2025-09-23 18:00 - 19:00, 2025-09-24 18:00 - 19:00 | Scout Cafe, 2316 Baynard Blvd, Wilmington, DE, 19801, United States
Join us for a cup of coffee and learn about gardening with native plants and how it’s connected to clean water.

What to expect: A great evening to learn about native plants, good company, and maybe take away a free plant (while supplies last).

2025 Delaware River Festival
2025-09-27 10:00 - 16:00 | Penns Landing, Philadelphia, PA, United States
Save the Date: Saturday, Sept. 27, Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia and Wiggins Park in Camden
FREE family fun at the Delaware River!
Join us at Penn’s Landing in Philly and Wiggins Park in Camden for a fantastic day of games, sights, activities, and more from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 27. Visit the website for more information and updates.

Thank You for Joining Our Experience the Estuary Celebration
2025-10-09 17:00 - 20:30 | Vie, 600 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA, 19130, United States
We can’t wait to see you next year.
Thank you to all who attended our Experience the Estuary Celebration on Oct. 9 in Philadelphia. Your attendance helped make our year complete. Click HERE for photos from the evening.

CANCELLED: Nov. 1 Shell Bagging Event
2025-11-01 13:00 - 15:00 | DE
Nov. 1 Shell Bagging Event CANCELLED

Hey there! Looks like we’ve bagged our oyster shells for the season. Our Nov. 1 public shell bagging event in Wilmington is CANCELLED. If you already signed up, you should have received a notification via email.

Don’t worry, we’ll let you know when the next shell bagging event comes around. We’ll need you! Thank you for all your help this year.

Delaware Trash Into Treasure Art Contest - NO MORE CANVAS REQUESTS
2025-11-17 09:00 - 2026-02-13 15:00 | DE
NO FURTHER CANVAS REQUESTS ACCEPTED

Due to overwhelming demand, we can no longer accept any further requests for canvases to enter the Delaware Trash Into Treasure Art Contest.
HOWEVER, if you have already received a canvas or received word that a canvas is on its way to you, you have until Friday, Feb. 13, to submit your finished artwork for judging and to have your work displayed live and online.
Thank you for your interest in our contest, and we look forward to seeing your work next year!
This contest is associated with the annual Christina River Watershed Cleanup, scheduled for April 11, 2026.

Kids Art Workshop, Paschalville Library
2026-02-12 15:30 - 16:30 | Paschalville Library, 6942 Woodland Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19142, United States
Fun for Kids in Philly! POSTPONED TO FEB. 12
(This event was originally set for Thursday, Jan. 29, but postponed due to weather.)

We all play a role in making sure trash goes in the right place. This protects our waterways and the creatures that call them home.
Join the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary and Philadelphia Water Department for a fun afternoon learning about reusing trash through art!
What to Expect:

Together, we’ll read excerpts from What a Waste by Jess French,
Explore art from our 2023 Trash Free Waters Art Contest, and create our own art using recycled materials.

This program is intended for children 5 to 10 years old, but is open to all.

2026 RASCL Summit
2026-03-05 09:00 - 16:00 | Private: Del-One Conference Center, 100 Campus Drive, Building 700 ETB, Dover, DE, 19904, United States
SAVE THE DATE: 2026 RASCL Summit
9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday, March 5
Del-One Conference Center, Dover, Delaware

Seats are limited! Register today by visiting: www.derascl.org

Dine Out & Support PDE!
2026-03-24 11:30 - 21:00 | Big Fish Grill, 720 Justison Street, Wilmington, DE, 19801, United States
Dine Out and support PDE on March 24! Help us celebrate our 30th anniversary and make your meal out twice as nice! Visit Big Fish Grill on the Riverfront in Wilmington from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and 15% of total net sales from your lunch or dinner will benefit Partnership for the Delaware Estuary. What a delicious way to celebrate!

SAN Scrub & Pub
2026-03-26 14:30 - 17:00 | DE
Join Us!
2:30 – 5 p.m., Thursday, March 26
Upper Merion Township, Pennsylvania
Join the Schuylkill Action Network (SAN) for some spring cleaning in Upper Merion Township. Volunteer a little of your time to clear clutter from the area that winds up in our waterways.
For more information, visit the SAN website.

Planting for Clean Water
2026-04-08 18:30 - 19:30 | Route 9 Library & Innovation Center, 3022 New Castle Avenue, New Castle, DE, 19720, United States
Discover how amazing plants can help keep our water clean and healthy. Plant your own seeds and watch them grow at home!
This program is intended for children 6 to 10 years old, but is open to all. Registration is required.
Register online at https://delawarelibraries.libcal.com/event/16348100
Call (302) 655-4990 for more information.

Date: Wednesday, April 8th 2026
Time: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Venue: Route 9 Library & Innovation Center
3022 New Castle Ave New Castle, DE 19720

2026 Christina River Watershed Cleanup
2026-04-11 09:00 - 12:00 | DE
Join the Cleanup Crew and Volunteer!
The Christina River Watershed Cleanup returns Saturday, April 11. Save the Date!
For more information, visit www.christinarivercleanup.org.
