Yonkers Riverfest 2025 Draws Record Crowds to the Hudson River Waterfront

Yonkers Downtown/Waterfront BID celebrated another unforgettable Yonkers Riverfest on September 13, 2025, welcoming over 18,000 attendees to the Hudson River waterfront for Westchester County’s largest one-day festival. The festival featured 160+ vendors, including local artisans, food, and community organizations, offering attendees a full day of live music, culinary delights, interactive activities, and cultural experiences.

Festival-goers danced, sang, and grooved to performances across three stages, each featuring five acts spanning rock, funk, salsa, jazz, R&B, and more. In addition, three DJs kept the energy flowing throughout the day, including a special Latin Corner curated by the Yonkers Hispanic Cultural Foundation.

“Riverfest continues to be a highlight of the Yonkers calendar, bringing our community together in celebration of music, art, culture, and family fun,” said Sara Brody, Executive Director of the Yonkers Downtown/Waterfront BID. “The 2025 festival set a new attendance records, and I am thrilled to see so many people enjoying all that Downtown Yonkers has to offer.”

Riverfest offered dozens of attractions for attendees of all ages. Highlights included:
• New rides and attractions: Mini golf, pony rides, and Gyro Extreme
• Family favorites: Petting zoo in the nature hub, mechanical bull in the waterfront area, and a 24-ft slide in the kids zone
• Festival performers: Stilt walkers, robotic performers, and live salsa dance band
• Nature Hub: The newly renamed environmental area engaged visitors with hands-on educational exhibits, a truck to play on and a DJ, too!

Visitors also flocked to the Science Barge, with 773 attendees, surpassing attendance from the previous three years of Riverfest combined. Additionally, Philipse Manor Hall, a historic museum dating back to the 1600s, had over 900 visitors, which also shattered previous Riverfest records of attendance.

Riverfest’s success was made possible by 37 sponsors, 12 Friends of Riverfest, and 6 in-kind vendors, supporting the city’s cultural, environmental, and entertainment initiatives.
2025 Sponsors:
• River St Stage: The City of Yonkers, Yonkers Economic Development Corporation, Yonkers Parks, Recreation & Conservation
• Main St Stage: Westchester Board of Legislators
• Gold Sponsors: NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester, Healthfirst, Great Point Studios, National Resources, MVP Healthcare, Win Waste Innovations, RXR Sawyer Place, Extell Development
• Bronze Sponsors: Liberty Lines Transit Inc., AMS Acquisitions, ShopRite, Con Edison, Main Street Lofts (66 Main), Chestnut Market, TD Bank, Municipal Credit Union, Arts Westchester
• Supporters: Affinity By Molina Healthcare, D.C. Ranieri Insurance Agency, Miroza Tower LLC, Rose Associates Alexander Crossing, St. John’s Riverside Hospital, Valley Bank, The Woodner Apartments, Yonkers Honda, Zarin & Steinmetz LLP, Rat Trap, Apex, Capital Wrecking, Delbello Donnellan Weingarten, Wellcare, Fidelis Care, American Christmas, Macquesten Construction Management LCC, Webster Bank
• Friends of Riverfest: White Plains Hospital, Cross County Center, Andrew Romano, Houlihan Lawrence, Fred Strauss Inc., C2R Management, Bass Consulting Group, Rising Development, Ridge Hill, Windy Farms, Etain, Erin Construction
• In-Kind Vendors: Food Lab, Hudson Park Apartments, National Resources and Kawasaki, Shop Fair, Westhab

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About the Yonkers BID:
The Downtown/Waterfront Business Improvement District, Inc. of Yonkers, NY, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that maintains the economic vitality of the district by providing the local business and residential community with a variety of services, such as beautification and maintenance, increasing visitors to the businesses and restaurants and new renters to our residential buildings by presenting year-round special events for the entire family and helps to bring new businesses and residential dwellings to the downtown area. For more information on happenings in Yonkers, visit www.YonkersDowntown.com.