Fleet Week Returns As In-Person Event This September
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The Maryland Fleet Week and Flyover is set to return this September, bringing tall ships and thousands of sailors and Marines to the Inner Harbor.
Visitors will be able to tour vessels from the United States, British and Canadian navies, as well as ships from the US Coast Guard, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and Army Corps of Engineers.
The Danmark, a training ship run by the Danish Maritime Authority, will also be making an appearance.
"The Fleet Week provides an opportunity for the citizens of Maryland to meet our sailors and Marines and Coast Guardsmen as well as see firsthand the latest capabilities of today's maritime services," said Rear Adm. Mike Steffen, commandant of the Naval District Washington. "It's an opportunity for us to educate the public on our capabilities by showing them our ships and allowing the community to talk to our people."
On the weekend of Sept. 9-11, military aircraft, including F-18s and A-10s, will conduct hourly flyovers between 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Ted Carter, Baltimore's Deputy Mayor for Community and Economic Development, said thousands of tourists flock to the harbor for boat tours and flyovers from jets, displaying the city's nautical and maritime heritage.
"This represents the best of our history, our community, our economy, our region, and our nation, quite frankly," he said.
Baltimore is already home to four historic ships: the USS Constellation, one of the last sail-only warships used by the Navy; the USCG Cutter 37, often called the "The Last Survivor of Pearl Harbor"; the USS Torsk, a World War II-era Tench class "fleet boat" submarine; and the LV116 Chesapeake, which was completed in 1930 and helped guide traffic in the Chesapeake Bay.
In addition to the ships and flights, the event features a festival with vendors, local food and drinks, live music, and educational tours on Sept. 9-11 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m., said Chris Rowsom, executive director of Historic Ships in Baltimore and vice president of the Living Classrooms Foundation. The last in-person Fleet Week was in 2018.
Additionally, Martin State Airport in Middle River will host an open house on Saturday and Sunday, from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m., with displays, food, drinks and tours.
"This free and family friendly event will include the fleet, the flights and the festivals, as was done in 2018," said Rowsom.
Fleet week is scheduled for Sept. 7-13, at the Inner Harbor, Upper Locust Point, Fells Point and Martin State Airport. More information is available at mdfleetweek.org.
