Get Your Early-bird Tickets Now: 2027 Chicago-Calumet River Swimming Summit

Photo credit Chris Costoso.

Join Friends of the Chicago River on Thursday, January 28, 2027, for the Chicago-Calumet River Swimming Summit: Jumping Back In. Building on the momentum of the historic return of river swimming, next year’s Summit will explore the policies, infrastructure, partnerships, and investments needed to expand safe, equitable access to the Chicago-Calumet River system while continuing to improve river health for people and wildlife.

Early-bird Tickets

The Chicago-Calumet River Summit is Friends' flagship policy forum, bringing together policymakers, scientists, agency leaders, advocates, practitioners, and students to tackle the most pressing issues facing our waterways. Together, we will examine the next chapter of the river renaissance and chart a path from decades of water quality progress to a future where more people can safely connect with the river.

Next year’s Summit builds on Friends’ longstanding leadership in river swimming advocacy, following our 2016 Summit, which focused on making the Chicago-Calumet River system swimmable. Friends is also part of the international Swimmable Cities movement to make urban waterways safe and accessible for swimming, recognizing the many benefits of river swimming, including improved public health, climate resilience, access to nature, recreation, and stronger connections between people and their rivers.

Whether you're interested in public policy, water quality, climate resilience, recreation, public health, or environmental justice, the River Swimming Summit offers an opportunity to learn from leading experts, engage in meaningful dialogue, and help shape the future of the Chicago-Calumet River system.

Registration is now open. Reserve your seat today and join the conversation that will help define the next era of our river system’s progress.

Please sponsor the Chicago-Calumet River Summit by contacting Annie Hanrahan at (312) 939-0490, ext. 19 or ahanrahan@chicagoriver.org

Purchase your early-bird tickets now.