Editor's Note: The Neponset Day event set for June 3, 2023 has been postponed. Organizers said: "Our apologies, but the weather forecast for this Sat., June 3 isn’t looking good and we made the tough call to postpone the Neponset Day event at DCR Neponset Park in Dorchester. While we appreciate rain for our River, plants & wildlife, it’s not ideal for boating or outdoor fun, and the predicted high winds are not safe for paddling."

Stay tuned for a rescheduled Neponset Day! More information can be found at www.neponset.org/NeponsetDay

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As the school year comes to an end, Dorchester students are encouraged to turn in their pencils and notebooks and pick up their bathing suits and oars to begin summer with the Neponset Day celebration. 

The Neponset River runs throughout a number of towns in Massachusetts on its way from its headwaters in Foxborough to Dorchester Bay, where its mouth sits between Quincy and Dorchester.

Neponset Day, the free public family event, will take place at the Neponset II Park, at the corner of Granite Avenue and Hill Top Street. It was set for June 3, but postponed due to inclement weather.

Down the river, residents will be invited to celebrate the community’s diversity while appreciating the natural habitats and wildlife. Food trucks, music, and vendors will be scattered near the marshlands.  

Whether it’s roaming around freshwater wetlands as a part of environmental exhibits, kayaking with a free rental along the river, or cooling down on the spray pad, there is something for everyone to do at this event.  

There is limited parking at the location, but additional parking can be found at Pope John Paul II Park less than a minute away. As the event celebrates the natural environment around Dorchester, residents are encouraged to take public transportation to Mattapan or Ashmont and then transfer to a train or bus to complete the rest of the journey. 

Neponset Day is sponsored by the Neponset River Watershed Association and continues to look for volunteers and participants. Additional information can be acquired via email with NepRWA Greenways Director, Andres Ripley, ripley@neponset.org.