For nearly three decades, Hudson River Park has been remaking Manhattan’s far West Side, turning a once-deteriorated waterfront into green spaces, piers and a marine sanctuary. On Thursday, October 8, the Park’s supporters will gather at Pier Sixty to celebrate that transformation at Hudson River Park Friends’ annual gala, “Hudson River Park: Made in NYC,” and this year the party is going back to the 1970s.
According to the organizers, this year’s gala draws on 1970s fashion, music and art to celebrate the revitalization the Park has brought to the West Side. The dress code says it plainly: cocktail attire or 1970s vintage elegance.
The Honorees
Hudson River Park Friends will honor three names tied to the waterfront’s growth.
- Citi
- Gansevoort Square Partners, led by Douglaston Development with team members Kinwood Partners, CetraRuddy and MVRDV
- Ryan Serhant, Founder and CEO of SERHANT
Martha Stewart and Daisy Toye are among the expected guests, with more names to be announced, according to the event’s media alert.
The People Behind the Night
The gala co-chairs are Diana L. Taylor and Michael R. Bloomberg, Kara and Patrick Dennis, Emily Yoder and Morgan Johnson, Sarah and Sean Lambert, Erica and Sam Martini, and Krista and Mike Nickols.
The Honorary Committee includes Matt Bomer and Simon Halls, Andy Cohen, Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy, Lea DeLaria, Hugh Jackman, Lucy Liu, Desi Lydic, Hannah Pham and Ronny Chieng, Martin Short and Martha Stewart.
The Host Committee includes Susanna B. Aaron and Gary Ginsberg, Anthony Borelli, Kaija and Peter Braus, Ben Brown, Euxhenia Hodo, Mark Krivelevich, Brandon Price, Julia E. Schmidt, Haley and David Schwartz, Ronald A. Treveloni, Jr. and David Zussman.
The gala has a long guest list behind it. Past performers, hosts and honorees named by the organizers include Michael R. Bloomberg, Alan Cumming, Claire Danes, Robert De Niro, Hugh Jackman, Padma Lakshmi, Jay Leno, Lucy Liu, Seth Meyers, Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, Kyra Sedgwick, Kevin Bacon, Martha Stewart and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson.
Why the Money Matters
Hudson River Park is not a city-run park. It is a public-private partnership: New York City and New York State resources fund the design and construction of the Park, while private money, from businesses inside the Park and from individual donors, pays for its operations, maintenance and more than 400 free public programs.
That makes the gala one of the most important nights on the Park’s calendar. Hudson River Park Friends works alongside its public counterpart, the Hudson River Park Trust, and says that with the Park so close to completion, its focus is on keeping all four miles of land, piers and water clean, green and beautiful for the millions of people who visit.
What those visitors find today is a long way from the 1970s: green spaces, athletic facilities, eateries, playgrounds and a 400-acre marine sanctuary, a stretch of waterfront that, as the organizers put it, has helped create some of the city’s most dynamic neighborhoods.
Then and Now
To set the mood, the gala’s website includes a “Then and Now” gallery that pairs 1970s-era photographs by local West Side artists with present-day views of the same places, including the Greenwich Village esplanade, Pier 97, Pier 25, Chelsea and Piers 45 and 46. The before-and-after images make the case for the Park better than any speech. The gala also features an auction.
The Details
- When: Thursday, October 8, 2026. Arrivals and cocktails from 6 to 7 PM, followed by dinner and the program at 7 PM
- Where: Pier Sixty, Chelsea Piers, New York
- Dress code: Cocktail attire or 1970s vintage elegance
- Hosted by: Hudson River Park Friends
Tables and Tickets
Support levels listed on the gala’s tables and tickets page:
- Underwriter Table, $100,000: two premier tables (20 seats) and customized event recognition
- Patron Table, $50,000: one premier table (10 seats)
- Steward Table, $35,000: one preferred table (10 seats)
- Benefactor Table, $25,000: one table (10 seats)
- Contributor Table, $17,500: a half table (5 seats), limited availability
- Patron Ticket, $5,000: one premier seat
- Benefactor Ticket, $2,500: one seat, limited availability
Table levels include a listing on the gala’s digital invitation, program and website. The organizers also encourage guests to check whether their employer has a matching gift program, which may be able to double their support. Tables and tickets are available at hrpkgala.squarespace.com, and questions go to gala@hudsonriverpark.org.
For a park that pays for its own upkeep, a night of disco-era glamour at Pier Sixty is more than a party. It is how the West Side keeps its waterfront green.
Image: Courtesy of Hudson River Park Friends. Event details are from Hudson River Park Friends and its gala media alert, distributed by APEX PR.
See all sources
- Hudson River Park Gala 2026: Made in NYC, Hudson River Park Friends
- Tables and Tickets, Hudson River Park Friends
- Then and Now, Hudson River Park Friends
- Hudson River Park Friends 2026 Gala media alert, APEX PR
