A Parade to the Plunge on Beach 108th

Brave plungers marched down Beach 108th on New Year’s Day with a New Orleans-style party vibe thanks to The Rockaway Hotel. Keeping spirits warm, the Hot Hand Band and the infamous Paddy Tubz led the charge from the Hotel toward the beach, parading dippers toward their fate of facing the brutal cold before jumping into the ocean just after noon last Thursday.

Some plungers took advantage of The Rockaway Hotel’s pre-plunge party, complete with a breakfast buffet, cocktails, entertainment and more. And others opted for the Hotel’s post-plunge event with their first New Year’s Day Pool Party, giving all access to the heated pool and saunas, food, a DJ and more to help warm up afterwards. And others were welcome to just joined in for the main event, the polar plunge, starting off 2026 with a classic Rockaway tradition.

Photos by Katie McFadden.