POTTSTOWN PA – Registration opens Thursday (May 7, 2026) for the Philly Phlotilla, an 8-mile kayaking event that will help observe America’s 250th birthday during July.
The event was announced this week by the Schuylkill River Greenways Association (SRG), headquartered in Pottstown.
More than 100 kayakers are expected to take to the river July 11 (Saturday) at 9:30 a.m., the SRG reports, “for a one-of-a-kind paddling event and festival.” It recognizes “the unique historical significance of the Schuylkill River, and Fort Mifflin on the Delaware,” the organization adds.
Kayakers will launch from the Walnut Street dock in Philadelphia, and then paddle through the heart of the city. Participants will be “decked out in red, white and blue, creating an amazing spectacle for visitors and residents to view and cheer on the flotilla,” SRG says.
Led by experienced river guides, the Phlotilla will travel the eight miles to Fort Mifflin on the Delaware, 6400 Hog Island Rd, Philadelphia. Food, beverages, ice cream, tours, and a cannon firing, await paddlers and guests at the fort.
Those not interested in paddling the route can still join the fun, SRG notes. They will be able to register for “the dinner portion of the Phlotilla!”
The registration page offers all details about the Phlotilla trip, and options available to kayakers.
Photo from Getty Images on Unsplash+, used under license
The Fort That Saved America
Mifflin is known as the “Fort that Saved America.” Its Revolutionary soldiers held the British navy at bay on the river, so Gen. George Washington’s troops could arrive safely at Valley Forge.
“On the frozen, marshy ground within the walls of (the) stone and wood fort, the American Revolution produced a shining moment,” a history of the fort explains. “Cold, ill and starving, the young garrison … at Fort Mifflin refused to give up.” The battle “escalated into the greatest bombardment of the American Revolution and one that many say changed the course of American history,” it notes.
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