A year after rainouts, Baltimore Harbor swim to return Sunday

After persistent rains dashed plans for Baltimore’s popular Harbor Splash last summer, the event is scheduled to return Sunday, the first of multiple swims organizers hope to hold in the coming months.

The first event in which people can jump in the harbor and swim around is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday at the Bond Street Wharf in Fells Point.

Organizers with Waterfront Partnership are trying a different approach to the organized harbor swim in response to last summer’s rainouts. Instead of scheduling swims far in advance, the organization expects to hold a series of “pop-up” events announced just days ahead of time. Waterfront Partnership accepts reservations on a rolling basis, and residents can sign up for updates and priority access through the organization’s Harbor Splash newsletter.

The downtown booster group has pushed for more than 15 years to make Baltimore’s harbor swimmable, even teasing the possibility of a permanent, roped-off swim area.

It launched the swims in June 2024 to demonstrate progress in cleaning up the harbor and reduce the stigma associated with swimming there.

At the inaugural swim, Mayor Brandon Scott and other top officials joined some 150 people who jumped into the water at Fells Point. Most just jumped in and splashed around before quickly climbing out.

Around 200 people signed up to participate last summer before storms canceled their plans.

So far, around 50 people have signed up for Sunday’s swim, Waterfront Partnership Vice President Adam Lindquist said Friday, and spots are available.

He hopes people stay in the water longer this time.

Baltimore continues to struggle with sewage overflows and stormwater runoff, and water quality tends to dip dramatically after heavy rains. Some environmentalists, including those with the water quality watchdog group Blue Water Baltimore, remain skeptical about the campaign to promote swimming in the harbor.

Sunday’s event would come in the wake of rains earlier in the week and over Memorial Day weekend.

Lindquist said Waterfront Partnership took water samples Friday morning in Fells Point and sent them to a lab for testing, a process that typically takes 24 hours. Because Baltimore hasn’t seen rain in the last 48 hours, though, Lindquist is confident water quality will meet health standards Sunday morning.

In fact, he said in a text message, he planned to go for a swim Friday afternoon.