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Riverside Park’s most beloved (and hungriest) summer staffers are hoofing it back to Harlem for their sixth seasonal residency—and this time, they’re kicking things off with a side of showbiz.
On Saturday, July 12, the Riverside Park Conservancy will welcome five invasive-plant-gobbling goats back to the West 143rd Street slopes. But before they clock in to clear mugwort, poison ivy and other green pests, they’ll face off in an unprecedented battle of the bellies: The Great Goat Graze-Off, New York City’s first-ever professional eating competition between goats.
Hosted by none other than George Shea of Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest fame, the free event promises 2.5 hours of pure goat-fueled chaos, complete with brass band fanfare from Nice Brass, photo ops with the herd and enough leafy greens to make a vegan jealous. The showdown will take place on the lawn just north of Ten Mile Playground (at West 151st Street and the West Side Highway) from 11 am–1:30 pm. RSVP is encouraged here.
This year’s roster of ruminant athletes includes returning favorites like Romeo (a total snugglebug) and Mallomar (quiet but mighty), plus flashy newcomer Butterball, regal Rufus and Kash, a cashmere goat with serious model energy. Together, they’ll munch through knotweed and kudzu with a level of determination most New Yorkers reserve for rush-hour commuting.
Why goats? These four-legged landscapers are cute and crucial. With steep park slopes too treacherous for human crews, goats excel at chewing down hard-to-reach invasive species. They eat constantly, can consume 25% of their body weight in a day and even improve the soil as they go. It's eco-friendly, cost-effective and deeply entertaining.
Last year, the herd cleared a particularly gnarly patch near 143rd Street, transforming it from an overgrown jungle into a lush, plantable slope. This summer’s work continues that restoration as part of the Conservancy’s larger North Park Initiative to revitalize under-resourced areas of the park.
In Riverside Park, weed control has never been this cute—or this competitive.