Waterfront festival brings thousands to Pierce County. Plan for traffic
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Harborview Drive and Pioneer Way will be closed from 5:30 a.m. Saturday to 7 p.m. Sunday.
- Multiple streets will have timed closures Saturday morning and some closed through Sunday.
- Pierce Transit will run a free shuttle between Kimball Park & Ride and Judson Street.
Break out your lawn chairs, cameras and small-town pride: Gig Harbor’s biggest summertime festival returns this weekend.
The Maritime Gig Festival kicks off Saturday at 10 a.m. with its annual parade. This year’s parade theme is “Stars and Stripes,” to commemorate America’s 250th birthday, and will feature more than 80 participants including nonprofits, businesses, schools and other local groups, according to the website and press release from the Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce.
The festival typically attracts between 6,000 to 8,000 people each day of the two-day event, according to the festival website.
A chance of rain and possibly a thunderstorm after 11 a.m. may dampen the festivities on Saturday. Skies are expected to be mostly cloudy with temperatures peaking at 60 degrees that day, but the sun should return on Sunday, according to the forecast from the National Weather Service Seattle office.
In a change from past years, the judging stand will move to the beginning of the parade where participants are looking their freshest, and to help with overall flow, said Rosalyn Rochac-Finnegan, tourism director for the Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce.
Visitors can browse booths hosted by businesses, artists and nonprofit vendors after the parade. The festival schedule indicates that this year’s food trucks include Fisher Scones, Fusion Donuts, The Corndoggery, Puget Sound Pizza, Yummy8 Asian Kitchen, Wild Alaska Weathervane Scallops and Kona Ice of Olalla, plus sliders, sandwiches, chowder and more brought by Knights of Columbus on Sunday only.
Long-running traditions are also back this year: the Kiwanis Club of Gig Harbor will host a free pancake breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Saturday at Skansie Brothers Park, and the Blessing of the Fleet will happen at 1 p.m. Sunday. The Blessing of the Fleet is a ceremonial procession led by the St. Nicholas Catholic Church Knights of Columbus from the church to Skansie Brothers Park to “honor those lost at sea and to pray for a safe and bountiful catch,” according to the festival website.
The Wheels on the Water Car Show will begin at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, displaying an array of new and classic vehicles on Harborview Drive from Skansie Brothers Park to Direction Apparel Retail Shop, and up Pioneer Way to Tarabochia Street. The car show runs until 4 p.m. Sunday and judging begins at around 11 a.m.
There’s more fun for the family at the Kid Zone, with face painting, a bounce house, T-shirt decorating and more activities from 12 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and both days of the festival will feature live music from various performers.
Here’s what else to know about this year’s festival.
Road closures
The following roads will be closed during the festival, according to a city of Gig Harbor news release.
From 5:30 a.m. Saturday to 7 p.m. Sunday:
- Harborview Drive – Rosedale Street to 3026 Harborview Drive (Direction Apparel Retail Shop)
- Pioneer Way – Tarabochia Street to Harborview Drive
From 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday:
- Harborview Drive – Burnham Drive to Austin Street
From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday:
- North Harborview Drive – Harborview Drive to Burnham Drive
- Harborview Drive – Austin Street to Soundview Drive
- Soundview Drive – Harborview Drive to Judson Street
- Judson Street – Soundview Drive to Pioneer Way
Traffic will be restricted on parts of Stinson Avenue and Rosedale Street approaching the parade route. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, only residents impacted by the street closures who receive a parking/access pass from the police department will be able to travel north on Stinson Avenue or east on Rosedale Street past the roundabout at Stinson and Rosedale. The city will notify residents eligible for a pass directly, according to the city’s press release.
Drivers can follow detour signs around the closures.
“Visitors and guests should expect delays from crowds and should plan for traffic delays,” the city said in a press release. “Follow all posted detours and instructions from traffic control officers.”
The city advised drivers to exercise caution and use alternate routes to avoid delays.
The Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce website has maps showing the parade route and street closure.
Transit and parking options
Pierce Transit will offer a free shuttle from the Kimball Drive Park & Ride to Judson Street, running from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The schedule will be posted at the park & ride stop and at the temporary stop on Judson, according to the festival website.
Meanwhile, the Route 100 and 101 buses that typically serve Gig Harbor will take detours to avoid road closures during the festival. The maps and schedules are available from Pierce Transit.
Free parking is available at the Kimball Park & Ride and on residential streets near the downtown area. Drivers can also pay-to-park at United Methodist Church (7400 Pioneer Way) or St. Nicholas Catholic Church/School (3555 Edwards St.), according to the festival website.
