The City of San Francisco welcomes the return of Fleet Week to the Bay Area from October 5 to October 12.
The Blue Angels will once again return to the San Francisco waterfront to dazzle spectators at this year’s Fleet Week. Photo by Joel Williams
By BC Staff
Published: October, 2015
The City of San Francisco welcomes the return of Fleet Week to the Bay Area from October 5 to October 12. As the largest and most significant event of its kind in the nation, San Francisco’s Fleet Week is now recognized by the United States Department of Defense as the model for fleet weeks across the country.
Fleet Week became an annual event in 1981 when then-Mayor Diane Feinstein led the nation in celebrating America’s sea services. Since then, Fleet Week’s air show, parade of ships and many community events have become a significant and integral part of the city’s local culture and economy, with millions of residents and visitors celebrating San Francisco’s long history of naval service and maritime tradition.
This year’s events will include the return of the Blue Angels airshow and the Fleed Week Parade of Ships, and will also feature the Humanitarian Village. The Marina Green will host the Humanitarian Village, which will demonstrate the Marines’ ability to support the Bay Area and the world in response to natural disasters, with interactive demonstrations of U.S. military and civil capabilities.
The village will include an educational program for participants to learn about these capabilities. Guided by a “passport,” participants will explore four different theme camps and receive a stamp from each: mass care and shelter, power and utilities, community response and rescue, and environmental management and decontamination. Participants who turn in a completed passport with four stamps will be eligible for a prize drawing.
On Friday, October 10 at 11 a.m., the Fleet Week Parade of Ships will sail into the San Francisco Bay beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. Many of the participating ships will be available for public tours from Thursday, October 8 through Monday, October 12. Thousands of visitors can climb aboard amphibious carriers, destroyers and cruisers docked at the Embarcadero to get a glimpse into the day-to-day lives of the sailors serving in the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and Canadian Navy.
The Navy’s Blue Angels will be back to dazzle with their thrilling high performance maneuvers over San Francisco Bay. They will perform during full air shows on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 9 to 11, from 12:30 to 4 p.m. each day.
A variety of family-oriented special events will be staged along the waterfront from PIER 39 to Marina Green. “Fleet Week is the most important fun you’ll have all year,” said Lewis Loeven, executive director of the San Francisco Fleet Week Association. “We’re excited to bring this family-friendly event back to the San Francisco Bay Area.”
For more information on San Francisco Fleet Week events and activities, visit www.fleetweeksf.org. The event is free, and premium paid tickets are available with an unobstructed view from Marina Green. Spectators can tune in to KSFO 560 AM for live event narration.
Fleet Week Schedule of Events
(Subject to change)
Thursday, October 8:
Ship Tours - 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Blue Angel Practice - 12 – 4 p.m.
Friday, October 9
Parade of Ships - 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Air Show - 12:30 – 4 p.m.
Saturday, October 10
Ship Tours - 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Humanitarian Village - 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Bark at the Park / K9 Heroes at
Delores Park - 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Pier 80 Maritime Village - 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Air Show - 12:30 – 4 p.m.
Sunday October 11
Ship Tours - 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Humanitarian Village -10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Pier 80 Maritime Village - 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Air Show - 12:30 – 4 p.m.
Monday October 12
Ship Tours - 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
High School Band Challenge - 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
