Tacoma’s working waterfront will be celebrated Sept. 13 and 14 at the 13th annual Commencement Bay Maritime Fest. Held along Dock Street and Thea Foss Waterway at the water’s edge of Commencement Bay, the two-day event offers free fun for the whole family.
Maritime Fest is a project of Youth Marine Foundation, a local non-profit that sponsors the Puget Sound chapter of Sea Scouts, which offers educational marine programs on land and sea to Washington’s youth ages 14 to 21 and to the public.
The SeaFair pirates will be there along with a fireboat from Tacoma Fire Department, police boats, and the Coast Guard will be doing sea/air rescue demonstrations. The 44-foot Bermuda yawl “Resolute” will be sailing up from its homeport in Olympia, and many other watercrafts will be there to ride, tour and view as well.
Here is a rundown of featured events:
ART SHOW
The Maritime Fest Juried Art Show has been in full swing at Foss Waterway Seaport Museum since the exhibit opened Aug. 21. On display and for sale are more than 90 works of art by Pacific Northwest artists in all manner of media - oil, acrylics, watercolors, color pencil, and graphite as well as sculptural media.
There are stunning paintings of tall ships, sentimental scenes of sleepy seaside villages, seamen at the helm of their watercraft, along with depictions of quiet skiffs and dainty dinghies. Exhibitors compete for $800 in cash prizes, which have been awarded, and visitors can see for themselves which ones took the blue ribbons.
The exhibit is free with regular Seaport admission: $6 adults, $3 children, students and seniors 62 and over, and $15 for a family of up to five members. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days of the fest.
DRAGON BOAT RACES
The eighth annual Dragons on the Foss Corporate Challenge happens at the beach at Thea’s Park, South Fourth and Dock streets, on Sept. 13. Watch corporate teams furiously paddle their 20-person boats down the race course, making their best effort to win through teamwork, coordinated effort and blended energies.
The pre-race Eye-Opening Ceremony, which includes a blessing, kicks off the event at 9 a.m., and races begin at 10. This colorful race draws thousands of spectators to see the 2,400-year-old Chinese sport, which boasts 50 million annual participants worldwide, being carried on today.
QUICK & DIRTY BOAT BUILDING
The annual Quick & Dirty Boat Building Competition pits up to 10 three-person teams against each other in a bid to build a seaworthy boat in six hours using limited materials: four sheets of plywood, 100 screws, six 2x4s, two tubes of caulk, and a surprise mystery material to be supplied on competition day. Teams provide their own tools and are allowed to spend $17.04 of their own money on materials.
The finished crafts are powered solely by their team members in a race on Foss Waterway, and festivalgoers can vote on their favorite boat for the People’s Choice Award. A stunning one-of-a-kind trophy will be presented for Overall Winner, and other awards will be handed out as well.
It all starts at 9 a.m. running until 5 p.m. Sept. 13 at Thea’s Park, South Fourth and Dock streets.
PORT HARBOR TOURS
The free Port of Tacoma boat tours given Sept. 14 provide a close-up look at one of the largest container ports in the United States. New this year is that tours will depart right from the heart of Maritime Fest instead of from the Tideflats. Loading will be from the Dock Street Landing Restaurant dock at 535 Dock St. Departure times are 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Boarding is on a first come, first serve basis, and it is best to arrive 30 minutes prior to sailing times. For those who need special assistance with loading, the last tour at 4 p.m. has the highest tide and will make loading easier.
SEA SCOUTS BOAT RIDES
Sept. 13 and 14 festival-goers can see Tacoma from the water aboard a 78-foot retired Coast Guard cutter, a 90-foot sailing yacht or a 38-foot Bantry Bay rowing gig. Just show up at Thea Foss Dock and look for the Sea Scouts sign.
TACOMA RAIL TRAIN RIDES
Ride the rail around the Tacoma Tideflats Sept. 13 at Tacoma Rail’s open house and learn how Tacoma’s own freight-switching service supports the economic health of the Port of Tacoma and the Tideflats industries.
Besides free train rides, you can check out the track maintenance equipment displays, tour locomotives and see live demonstrations in the locomotive maintenance shops.
Tacoma Rail is located at North Frontage Road between Port of Tacoma Road and Milwaukee Way. Rides and tours are given 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
FOOD & MUSIC
Of course, food vendors will be open for business both days of the festival, as will the restaurants located along the waterway. A beer garden will be set up at Thea’s Park on both days of the event.
Live music will be playing throughout the day at Thea’s Park featuring a line-up of local performers including jazz and blues band Maia Santell and House Blend along with Loose Gravel & The Quarry playing original blues and classic rock.
GETTING THERE
Getting to the fest is easy, with ways to avoid spending time looking for parking. Take Sound Transit’s Tacoma Link light rail to downtown Tacoma then catch a free shuttle to the fest, which picks up passengers at South Ninth and Commerce streets. Parking is available at Tacoma Dome Station where you can take the light rail to the shuttle pick-up stop.
For more information on the fest, visit www.maritimefest.org.
