Fleet Week New York 2017 kicks off with Parade of Ships

Here's your chance to meet and greet sailors, tour ships. New: Marine Day in Brooklyn

May 23, 2017 By Mary Frost Brooklyn Daily Eagle

The USS Bainbridge (left) and the USS Farragut docked in Red Hook's Brooklyn Cruise Terminal last year for Fleet Week. The USS Bainbridge was the ship that rescued Captain Phillips from Somali pirates. It was featured in the film 'Captain Phillips.' Eagle photo by Scott Enman

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Fleet Week New York kicked off Wednesday and runs through May 30. This awesome event is the city’s celebration of our country’s maritime services.

As part of Fleet Week, more than a dozen U.S. Navy ships, patrol boats, Coast Guard cutters — and a Royal Canadian Navy ship — arrived in the New York Harbor to participate in the Parade of Ships.

The ships could be seen along the Hudson River from Battery Park to just south of the George Washington Bridge. The flagship, Kearsarge, rendered a seven-gun salute as the ship passed Fort Hamilton in Bay Ridge. Fort Hamilton conducted a 15-gun salute in return.

Here’s your chance to talk with mariners from across the country. City streets will be flooded with sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen all week, and ships may be visited in Red Hook, Brooklyn and Manhattan.

There will be numerous exhibits, military band concerts and aviation demonstrations throughout the week. These include a performance by the USMC Battle Color Detachment at 2:30 p.m. in Prospect Park, and a simulated search and rescue of a mannequin by helicopter 12:30 p.m. at Homeport Pier on Staten Island.

Ship tours will be conducted in Manhattan at Piers 88 and 92, Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in the Red Hook Community, and Staten Island’s Homeport Pier from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ship tours on Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, Pier 86, will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

U.S. Marine Corps to host Marine Day in Brooklyn

The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) will host Marine Day at Prospect Park in Brooklyn on May 27, from 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. The event is free. This is the first time Marine Day will be held outside of Manhattan. The USMC is partnering with Prospect Park Alliance.

Schedule of Events:

• 8:30 a.m. | 5K run with the Marines

• 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. | USMC displays for public viewing to include: Vehicles, martial arts demonstrations, robot displays, military working dogs and other interactive displays.

• 1 p.m. | USMC Battle Color Detachment performance to include: The world famous Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon and Drum and Bugle Corps.

The theme for this year’s Fleet Week is “Celebrating the Sea Services and commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Seabees.” For 75 years, members of the Naval Construction Forces, known as the Seabees, have demonstrated their skills as fighters and builders.

Ship visitors should be prepared for extra security, such as searches of bags; adults must show ID.

Visitors should also avoid open-toed sandals, high heels, necklaces or other items that can get caught, as well as bags that are too heavy to carry comfortably. Sunscreen and sunglasses are advised. Strollers or baby carriages are permitted on the pier, but not allowed on the ships. Ships are not handicap accessible, though the piers are.

For up-to-date information on all FWNY events, visit the official website at www.fleetweeknewyork.com.