![\"Brooklyn,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-094_2025-01-01_EricaPrice.jpg\")
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Registration is now open for the 2026 Coney Island Polar Bear Plunge. <\/p>\n
File photo by Erica Price<\/p>\n
\t\t Search our comprehensive guide to things to do in Brooklyn<\/a> for more local events \u2014 or submit your own<\/a>!<\/p>\n It\u2019s not too early to start planning for 2026, and registration is officially open to bring in the new year the Brooklyn way \u2014 at the Coney Island Polar Bear Plunge.\n<\/p>\n Thousands of people are expected to join the Coney Island Polar Bear Club for their annual New Year\u2019s Day swim in the frigid Atlantic Ocean. The event is free and open to the public, and swimmers can sign up online<\/a> through New Year\u2019s Eve or in-person on New Year\u2019s Day, but advance sign-up and donations of at least $30 are encouraged. While supplies last, participants who raise more than $50 will receive a limited-edition Polar Bear Plunge beanie.\u00a0<\/p>\n Money raised at the Plunge is donated to local nonprofits \u2014 last year, the event raised $60,000<\/a> for seven groups, including the New York Aquarium, Coney Island USA, and the Coney Island library.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe Plunge is more than a tradition; it\u2019s a lifeline,\u201d said Cindy Vourderis, public relations manager for the Alliance for Coney Island, in a statement. \u201cEvery dollar raised helps support things like free public programming, youth education, job training, and other initiatives that keep Coney Island thriving. We depend on the generosity of our plungers to make this impact possible.\u201d<\/p>\n The Coney Island Polar Bear Plunge has been a beloved local tradition since 1903. While the Polar Bears plunge year-round, most of their events are closed to the public, and the New Year\u2019s Day swim is the only time New Yorkers can join them. Though the weather in recent years has been warmer-than-average, ocean temps usually hover around 40 degrees Fahrenheit \u2014 well below the temperature usually considered comfortable<\/a> for a dip in the sea.\u00a0<\/p>\n Below-freezing temps don\u2019t dissuade dedicated swimmers, who flock to the beach in thousands every year, many dressed up in costumes and festive attire. The cold waves are a good way to \u201cwash off the old year\u201d one swimmer, Laura, told Brooklyn Paper in 2023<\/a>. It can also mark new beginnings in a new year.<\/p>\n \u201cThis year I want to be kinder to myself so that I can also be kinder to others,\u201d another 2023 swimmer, Jose, told Brooklyn Paper at the time. \u201cI think [the Polar Bear Plunge] is a good way to start that since I\u2019m doing something fun for me but also I donated to the charities as well.\u201d<\/p>\n For some, the Plunge is just good clean fun.\n<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a really good time,\u201d said 2024 swimmer Joshua North<\/a>. \u201cEveryone was in good spirits having a good time just enjoying themselves and no one seemed to be too cold or struggling with it. I definitely think it\u2019s going to be a new tradition.\u201d<\/p>\n Online registration is open now, and will remain open up until New Year\u2019s Day. In-person check-in and registration begins at 10 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2026, on Stillwell Avenue near the Riegelmann Boardwalk. Swimmers of all ages and experience levels are open, though participants under age 18 must have a completed waiver signed and have a parent or guardian present at check-in. As of Dec. 1, one month before the plunge, more than 1,000 people had signed up, per the Polar Plunge website<\/a>, and had raised $11,103 of the event\u2019s $150,000 fundraising goal.<\/p>\n \u201cIn legendary NYC tradition, the Coney Island Polar Bear Club will once again open our den to the public for our New Year\u2019s Day Plunge,\u201d said Jarred Lustgarten, President of the Coney Island Polar Bear Club, in a statement. \u201cWe invite all weird and non-weird folks to be baptized into 2026 with heart-pounding fun in the frigid Atlantic. No experience needed, just bring a towel, a friend, a stranger\u2026 anyone! Expect live music, hot cocoa, and epic vibes. And don\u2019t forget to dig that paw deep in your wallet to support local charities. Swim safe, smile big!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Registration is now open for the 2026 Coney Island Polar Bear Plunge. 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Last year, the plunge raised more than $600,000 for seven local nonprofits. File photo courtesy of the Alliance for Coney Island<\/p>\n![\"couple](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/010_2025-01-01_EricaPrice.jpg\")
Swimmers often don costumes and festive attire for the frigid swim. File photo by Erica Price<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/075_2025-01-01_EricaPrice.jpg\")
Thousands of people take part in the swim each year. File photo by Erica Price<\/p>\n