Dana Point Tall Ship Festival to be Held Starting Sept. 10

The Ocean Institute’s 37th Annual Maritime Festival is a three-day event celebrating a love of wanderlust and seafaring.

DANA POINT— The Ocean Institute will host the 37th Annual Maritime Festival, the Tall Ships Festival, presented by Toshiba, in Dana Point Sept. 10-12. The festival is a three-day celebration that immerses visitors in the culture and history of tall ships and seafaring.

“Over the course of three days, landlubbers and sea dogs alike can marvel at the impressive sight of tall ships dotting the horizon just off the coast of Dana Point,” said the Visit Dana Point website. “Get into the action as actors recreate battles, complete with the sound of cannon fire. The event also features plenty of fun for the entire family along with food, drinks, and entertainment to get you in the mood for some serious ocean exploration.”

The event will kick off on Friday night with a cannon battle, which allows visitors to climb aboard a historic tall ship to set sail off the coast of Dana Point for a mock cannon battle at sea, visitors can join the crews of the Bill of Rights, Irving Johnson, Curlew, Exy Johnson, American Pride, America, or just join the escort cruise aboard the R/V Sea Explorer.

After waging war visitors can enjoy craft beer and seltzer from several breweries in the area and live music from American Idol participant Casey Abrams.

Saturday opens up bright and early with a mermaid breakfast at 8 a.m. Throughout the day visitors can tour the tall ships and enjoy the various activities that are set up throughout the festival, including the Mermaid Swim Show and Cap’n Jack’s Pirate School, Sunday will follow a similar schedule.

The main part of the festival is the opportunity to explore the tall ships that are anchored at the Ocean Institute.

The Brig Pilgram is a full-size replica of the famous ship from Richard Henry Dana’s 1840 “Two Years Before the Mast.” The Brig Pilgram has called Dana Point Harbor home since the early 1980s and is accompanied by the Spirit of DanaPoint a battle-ready schooner replica of ships sailed in the American Revolution that has been docked in Dana Point since 1983 and features a 100-foot mean mast and total length of 118 feet.

There is free parking and shuttles available at Strands Vista Park: Selva Rd. right past Pacific Coast Highway on Sept. 10 from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Sept. 11 and 12 from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and at Dana Hills High School on Sept. 11 and 12 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

To learn more, see a full schedule of the festival, or buy tickets to the festival see https://oceaninstitute.org/maritime-festival/.

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