Charles River Herring Festival Returns For 2025

WATERTOWN, MA — The Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) will host its 2025 Herring Festival on Sunday at the Watertown Dam.

It's a family-friendly event celebrating the annual migration of fish from the ocean into the Charles River, officials said.

The event is free to attend and will feature communal art making, food trucks, indigenous speakers and dancing, guided tours of the Watertown Dam, a live fishing demonstration and more.

Each spring, the Charles River becomes a vital spawning ground for numerous fish species such as the Alewife, Blueback Herring and American Shad, officials said. These fish and their annual migration hold cultural significance to the Massachusett, Wampanoag and Nipmuc Nations.

This is CRWA’s second annual Herring Festival and is part of the nonprofit’s 60th Anniversary Meet Your Watershed event series.

"Through the steadfast support of dedicated citizens in the watershed, CRWA has made great strides toward a healthy and resilient Charles River since its formation in 1965," officials said. "Throughout 2025, CRWA is celebrating 60 years of progress through a series of events across the watershed."

The event runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 64 Pleasant St., in Watertown. Register for the event here.