Harbor Days

Ride the Wave to Olympia Harbor Days Maritime Festival 2023, presented by South Sound Maritime Heritage AssociationLabor Day weekend starting Friday, September 1st at 3PM and closing Sunday, September 3rd at 6PM.

The maritime heritage festival takes place along Olympia’s Downtown Budd Inlet Waterfront Boardwalk from historic Percival Landing to the Port of Olympia’s Port Plaza Park. Highlights include the vintage tugboat races Sunday at noon along with historic ships, tribal activities, four makers’ markets, live entertainment, kids’ activities and two food G’Alleys, all weekend.

Lady Washington, Washington State’s Tall Ship, will be arriving mid-week and the historic Mosquito Fleet Steam-Ship Virginia V should be cruising the South Sound arriving Friday in time for the start of the festival. Both ships will offer dock-side touring and harbor sailings and tours of Budd Bay. Other wooden and hand-crafted boats will also be moored at the docks and local small craft recreational clubs will have their crews on hand and will offer on-water experiences.

Visitors can count on an amazing and fun time shopping the unique makers’ markets, international food vendors including seafood (of course!), informational and demonstration maritime booths as well as mini-tug and remote-controlled displays. Tugboats will also be created in sand, stone and wood by some of  Olympia’s creative sculpture teams.

Kids engage in hands-on activities including a LEGO Harbor Build, marine science area with a touch tank offered by the Puget Sound Estuarium, a tugboat make-race-take activity with the award-winning Olympia Hands on Children’s Museum, puppet shows and more.

More information about the festival, maritime activities, and where to stay can be found at www.MaritimeOly.org and www.HarborDays.com. Questions? Please email info@HarborDays.com.

Olympia Harbor Days Festival:  Friday, September 1, 5pm-8pm;  Saturday, September 2, 10am-7pm;  Sunday, September 3, 10am-6pm