Yo ho, it’s Maritime Gig Festival!

Ahoy, Mateys! Get Ready for Maritime Gig Festival

Gig Harbor’s annual summer kick-off celebration blusters to the waterfront this weekend — with a pirate’s booty of fun for the whole family.

With pancakes, parade and pirates aplenty, the Maritime Gig Festival gets under way June 2-3 along the downtown waterfront. The annual event organized by the Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce is a celebration of community, the harbor’s rich history and traditions, and offers a treasure chest of fun for everybody.

Maritime Gig Festival’s Yo Ho Harbor Grande Parade

After the Kiwanis’ annual pancake breakfast, served in front of 7 Seas Brewing, get ready for Gig Fest’s signature event on Saturday morning, the Yo Ho Harbor Grande Parade, beginning at 10 a.m.

The Yo Ho Harbor Grande Parade Always a Crowd Pleaser

Find a viewing spot anywhere along Harborview Drive and be on the lookout for our own parade entry: Gig Harbor Marina & Boatyard’s van pulling Senior Yard Advisor Mark Lindeman’s beautiful all-wood Fletcher 19.

Mark Lindeman in his modern classic Fletcher 19 with his wife, Jaye, poodle mix Pip, and Jaye’s mother, Claire.

The stunning, richly-grained modern classic inboard is based on a vintage Chris Craft shape, designed and built by Fletcher Boat Works in Port Angeles. As of blog posting time, the boatyard was still working on who might be riding in the Fletcher, so be sure to watch the Yo Ho Parade and find out!

Also be sure to stop by the Trolley @ the Boatyard during the weekend’s festivities and treat yourself to one of our mouth-watering Maritime Gig Festival specials. Eat in our patio area or take your food to go as you stroll along the harbor.

Try Delicious Gig Festival Specials at the Trolley @ the Boatyard

Stop by the Trolley @ the Boatyard for tasty specials during Maritime Gig Festival, June 2-3. The Trolley will be open from 9 a.m. to dusk during Gig Fest weekend.

We’re offering our outstanding Crab Rolls, Fish & Chips, Shrimp Tacos, Kopachuck Dogs, Narrows and Round Rock burgers and Clam Chowder at our red food trolley next to Skansie Brothers Park and the heart of all the action. The meals come with your choice of fries, coleslaw, fruit or chips on the side.

Check out the Schedule of Events for the 2018 Maritime Gig Festival

Click above for the complete schedule, but highlights-at-a-glance include:

Saturday, June 2

• 8:00 a.m. – Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast
• 8:45 – Family Fun Run
• 10:00 – Yo Ho Harbor Grande Parade
• Noon – Food and business vendor booths open; Children’s Fair opens
• 12:15 p.m. – Entertainment begins
• 7:00 – Sounds Like Dolores concert

Sunday, June 3

• 10:00 a.m – Skansie Net Shed Foundation Activities; Entertainment and Concerts begin
• 11:00 – Wheels on the Water Car Show; Animal Adoption Event
• 1:00 p.m. – The Blessing of the Fleet
• 3:30 – The Shy Boys concert

Blessing of the Fleet a Rich Harbor Tradition

Clergy from St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Gig Harbor will perform their annual Blessing of the Fleet in the harbor at 1 p.m. on June 3. In rich fishing community tradition, fishing boats are lined up and blessed with sprinkled holy water and memorial wreaths set in the water before setting out for the summer fishing season.