Ahoy, me hearties, if ye be wantin’ some free shipside fun, then swagger down to the Maritime Fest this weekend.
OK, the cheesy pirate talk stops here, but the fun doesn’t. Tacoma’s annual festival of all things boaty is on again this weekend, meaning tall ships, boat rides, train rides, spectacles, music and other free activities for all ages.
While some things are different this year – paddle board races rather than dragon boats, for instance, and a whale skeleton inside the Foss Waterway Seaport building – some beloved things stay the same.
One of the best things about the festival are the visiting ships and boats, most of which are available for walk-on tours. In Tacoma this year are two tall ships: the brig Lady Washington (it portrayed the English ship in “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl”) and the topsail ketch Hawaiian Chieftain, hosted by a crew in 18th-century costumes. They also offer sails, which aren’t free. Other boats include the Verite (the Sea Scouts’ replica of an 18th-century French longboat), the Scouts’ motor vessel Charles M. Curtis, oil skimmer The Plover, boom boat The Coot and various historic skiffs and tugs, as well as emergency and police boats.
Two fun races to watch are the stand-up paddle board race on Saturday and the Quick-and-Dirty Boat Building, where teams compete with the same supplies to build the fastest or wackiest home-made boat in just six hours.
Kids will love the radio-controlled boats and Seaport hands-on areas (check out the gray whale skeleton) as well as the train and port boat tours.
Here’s the schedule:
SATURDAY
9 a.m.: Stand-up Paddle Board race at Thea’s Park, 701 Dock St.
Noon: Canoe and kayak demonstrations
10 a.m.-2 p.m.: Tacoma Rail train rides from 2601 state Rounte 509/N. Frontage St.
1 p.m. and 3 p.m.: Ally Oop storyteller and performer, on esplanade outside Seaport
11 a.m.-4 p.m.: Tall ships tours ($3 donation requested)
SUNDAY
10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.: Port tours on the Good Time II from Dock Street Landing Restaurant dock, 735 Dock St.
11 a.m.-4 p.m. Lady Washington tours ($3 donation requested)
4:30 p.m.: Quick-and-Dirty Boat Building Competition parade and race
BOTH DAYS
Toy boat building, radio-controlled boats, exhibits and live boatbuilding at the Seaport museum
Live music and roving entertainers between Seaport and Thea’s Park
Beer garden and food vendors in Thea’s Park
Rosemary Ponnekanti: 253-597-8568 rosemary.ponnekanti@thenewstribune.com
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.