Watch Friday’s Parade of Sail in the video player above.
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – The 48th Annual Norfolk Harborfest returns to the Downtown Norfolk Waterfront June 7-9, 2024.
The three-day festival celebrates the area’s historic maritime and naval community on land and on the water. Enjoy nautical fun, food and music all weekend long.
Schedule
It will take place from Friday, June 7 to Sunday, June 9 at Town Point Park.
Here are the festival hours, below:
- Friday, June 7: noon to 11 p.m., Parade of Sail at noon & Drone Show at 9:30 p.m.
- Saturday, June 8: noon to 11 p.m. Fireworks at 9:30 p.m.
- Sunday, June 9: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Parade of Sail
The Parade of Sail begins on Friday, June 7 around noon as ships make there way down the Elizabeth River. Get there early and find your spot to watch along the waterfront. If you can’t make it in person, WAVY TV plans on providing a live stream with an aerial view of the ships pulling into the harbor.
Watch a variety of tall ships, Navy ships, public safety vessels, power cruisers, sail boats, military vessels and more. This year’s lineup of visiting ships includes:
- A.J. Meerwald, Bivalve, New Jersey, LOA: 115’, Draft: 6’, Beam 22’
- USACE Survey Vessel EWELL, Norfolk, Virginia, LOA: 61’4”, Draft: 3’4”
- Impossible Dream, LOA: 58’, Draft: 3.7’, Beam: 27’
- Kalmar Nyckel, Wilmington, Delaware, LOA: 93’, Draft: 12’5”, Beam: 12’11”, Rig Height: 105’
- American Rover, Norfolk, Virginia, LOA: 135’, Draft: 9’, Beam: 24’
- Schooner Virginia, Norfolk, Virginia, LOA: 121’10”, Draft: 12’3”, Beam: 24’, Rig Height: 112’
- USS Wisconsin, Norfolk, Virginia, LOA: 887’3”, Draft: 37’9”, Beam: 108’2”
According to the festival, personal watercrafts are permitted to follow the Parade of Sail into the Downtown Norfolk Harbor under the direction of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Find specific boating instructions and information at the link, here.
The featured video above is from the WAVY Archives of Harborfest 1983.
Ship Tours and Water Events
Then, get ready to board the ships and see them up close throughout the festival.
Visits will take place:
- Friday, June 7 from 3 to 6 p.m.
- Saturday, June 8 and Sunday, June 9 from noon to 6 p.m.
The tours are free and open to the public. For the tours, guests are encouraged to wear flat shoes to explore the vessels.
The festival will also feature Search and Rescue Demos, the Ultimate Build-A-Boat Contest & Race, Splash City Golf in partnership with Dick’s House of Sports, the Tug Muster and more. Click here to find the full list of water events.
Events in Town Point Park
The fun continues on land in Town Point Park along the river. There are events for the entire family from kids activities to live music and more.
Check out entertainment including:
- The XPogo Xtreme Show
- Circus Comedy & Juggling with the Amazing Colin Campbell
- The Defiant Crew Pirate School
- BMX & Skate Stunt Show
- Arts & Crafts with Chrystal
The Harborfest Arcade will be open for gamers of all ages. It includes classic boardwalk games like Pacman and Skee Ball. All games are free for festival guests.
The Harborfest Marketplace will be a shopping event featuring local and regional artisans, retailers, crafters, designers and more.
Listen to live music all weekend long from national headliners to local acts. Performances will take place on the Main Stage and the Boathouse Stage. Click here to see the full schedule.
There will also be a variety of food and beverage options. The Tastes of Harborfest will showcase cuisine from ice cream to BBQ to Philly steak subs and more. Click here to see the entire list of vendors. Adult beverages options on-site include, Virginia Craft Beer and Wine Garden, Cobbler Mountain Cellars and Zoll Vineyards.
And, don’t miss the new for 2024 “MargaritaChill” tropical paradise inspired by Jimmy Buffet.
Parking and closures
Planning to travel to Harborfest this year? You may want to consider your transportation and parking options. Take a look at the article here to find out.
Most road closures will take place from 10 a.m. Thursday, June 6, to 11:59 p.m. Sunday, June 9, unless otherwise noted.
The festival is free and open to the public. Visit festevents.org to find more information.