Chicago River Day
Thank you for a terrific 34th Annual Chicago River Day!
Check out some great pictures from the day here!
Every year since 1992, Friends of the Chicago River partners with community leaders, municipalities, and landowners to host our largest volunteer stewardship day of the year, Chicago River Day. Volunteers built community and improved our rivers and public spaces by cleaning up harmful litter, mulching trails, and removing invasive plants. At this watershed-wide cleanup, over 2,800 community members, families, and companies worked in and along the 156-mile Chicago-Calumet River system at 88 locations throughout the city and suburbs. After the event, volunteers came together to swap stories and celebrate their hard work at after parties at Burning Bush Brewery and the Ford Calumet Environmental Center at Big Marsh Park.
Featured River Animal
Every year we feature a river animal to help us connect to the animals who rely on us to care for and protect this important river system. The 2026 featured animal is the Virile Crayfish.
The Virile Crayfish is one of four crayfish species native to the Chicago region, and is the most common of the 23 crayfish native to Illinois. They live along the banks of rocky creeks and rivers, making them one of the species directly benefiting from our In-stream planting projects. The river’s health has rebounded significantly since 1979 when Friends started, making a more welcoming habitat for these amazing creatures. Our Chicago River Schools Network has crayfish curriculum available here.
Here are a few of the many fantastic stories about Chicago River Day 2026 in our local media:
While there is much to celebrate about the river’s renaissance over the past 40 years, litter continues to be a persistent problem, especially in the form of plastics from food and product packaging. Chicago River Day is the flagship event for Friends’ Litter Free Chicago-Calumet River initiative which is dedicated to reducing and eliminating litter in and along our river system through public policy and on the ground action. Interested in helping clean up throughout the year? Check out other Litter Free opportunities here.
Save the Date for May 8, 2027 for the next
Chicago River Day!
Sponsorship
Friends of the Chicago River invites you to sponsor this cherished watershed-wide community cleanup.
Your sponsorship support allows Chicago River Day to be free and accessible for everyone, ensuring all volunteers have the support and supplies for a successful cleanup. Find more details on sponsorships in the package below. To learn more or to submit your sponsor commitment form, call or email Becky Lyons at (312) 939-0490, ext 23, or blyons@chicagoriver.org.
