Tall Ship Festival sails in L.A.

LOS ANGELES – The Port of Los Angeles will welcome tall ships during the summer’s Tall Ship Festival, Aug. 20 to 24. A quarter of a million people are expected to visit the waterfront during the five-day event.

A parade of sail will kick off the event that features day sails, food vendors, and of course historic vessels. Live music will be provided by various bands with styles ranging from rock, jazz, sea shanty, big band and Latin.

At “Sail Away Village,” guests will be able to board ships, grab a place to sit or stand to watch the ships and they come and go. They will also catch a glimpse of Florentijn Hofman’s Rubber Duck project, which will make its West Coast debut during the festival on Aug. 20. The port is the first on the West Coast to host the internationally acclaimed duck and only the second North American city to do so

The Los Angeles Maritime Institute will host a Build a Boat Fundraiser, Aug 23, where teams will build plywood boats and race them. The institute will also have its brigantines on display for tours.

Tall ships scheduled to be present at the event include the Irving Johnson, Exy Johnson, The Twin Brigantines, the schooner Fred B, Curlew and many others.

Cannon demonstrations, sword fighting, knot tying demonstrations, and sail training are only some of the activities scheduled for the event.

For more information on the port’s Tall Ship Festival, visit tallshipsfestivalla.com.