Fleet Week, celebrating Maryland's rich Naval history, underway at Baltimore's Inner Harbor
BALTIMORE - Thousands of visitors are expected to come to Baltimore's Inner Harbor throughout the week to celebrate Maryland's rich Naval history.
Maryland Fleet Week, starring fleet, flyovers and festivals, kicked off Wednesday and will continue through June 18.
The festivities, which take place in Baltimore every two years, attract many from near and far, with anticipation of providing a huge economic boost.
Women in the military will be highlighted, highly-trained military dogs will be showcased and the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard Drill Team will perform. Not to mention, there will be military aircraft and Navy ships.
The kick-off event on Wednesday featured two ships at the Inner Harbor, with more sailing in on Thursday.
These ships will be docked at the Inner Harbor, North Locust Point and Fells Point, while planes will be stationed at Martin State Airport.
"I have never been to Fleet Week with all my time in the Navy, so I wanted to just come out and support and see what the week looks like," said Roman Moran. "I'm a submarine guy, so to be able to go on and tour a destroyer, would be really awesome."
At it's core, Fleet Week is an opportunity for sailors to come off their ships, interact with the public and visit the sites in a port city.
"I think the biggest aspect is going to be the recruiting part of it, for people to see the different shifts that are available, see what the Navy looks like in the public sense and hopefully allow people to be interested to join," Moran said.
Fleet Week is also a celebration of Baltimore and its harbor.
Baltimore residents hope the excitement of Fleet Week reinvigorates this section of the city.
"I remember like when I was a little bit younger and this is where I used to hang out all the time, but I feel like post COVID things have changed so much," Vera Biles said. "So, I think in an effort to really just rebuild people's interest in Baltimore, it's really great to have events like this."
This week is a celebration of Maryland's strong naval history with its roots in Annapolis and a homecoming for sailors who've been protecting our nation.
"We have Annapolis next to us and we know that many of the kids who graduate from Annapolis Naval Academy will sail these beautiful ships, and they're protecting our country," said Marianna Gleber. "So it's a big honor to see them."
"A lot of these people are coming from deployment," Moran said. "They are coming from up to nine months out at sea. So asking the community to embrace the sailors here and make them feel at home would be a great thing."
For more information on Fleet Week, visit this website.