Harbor Splash returns May 31 with first pop-up swim of summer

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Baltimore residents can enjoy a swim in the Inner Harbor as Harbor Splash makes its return on Sunday, May 31, marking the beginning of the summer’s first pop-up event.

The Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore is bringing back Harbor Splash in a new pop-up format after two consecutive years of sold-out events, aiming to create more opportunities for people to safely swim in the Inner Harbor under controlled conditions. Future pop-up dates will be announced on a rolling basis depending on weather and water conditions.

A limited number of participants from around Baltimore will take part in the organized public swimming event to show support for a “swimmable, fishable” Baltimore Harbor and to experience the waterway in a new way.

The Waterfront Partnership launched the Healthy Harbor Initiative after the Inner Harbor was described as litter-strewn and polluted in 2010. The organization says the Inner Harbor has seen measurable water quality improvements over more than a decade of work by the Waterfront Partnership and a coalition of partners, including nonprofits, educational institutions, local government, business leaders, citizen volunteers and a family of Trash Wheels.

The Waterfront Partnership says routine monitoring during the recreation season has found the harbor meets Maryland’s standard for swimming when it has not rained within 48 hours, similar to swimming beaches throughout the Chesapeake Bay and consistent with the Maryland Department of the Environment’s recommendation that people avoid swimming in open water within 48 hours of a rain event.

While water quality continues to improve, the public is discouraged from swimming from the promenade outside of planned events because of concerns about boat traffic, polluted sediment and a lack of professional supervision.

Swimming in the harbor is recommended only during scheduled events such as Harbor Splash.

Remarks from the Waterfront Partnership are scheduled for 1:00 p.m., followed by the Harbor Splash kick-off jump at 1:15 p.m. on Sunday, May 31, 2026.