CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland Tall Ships Festival on the Lake Erie waterfront is scheduled for Thursday to Sunday, July 7-10.
It’s the first time for the event since 2019.
The grand fleet – seven replica and restored ships from three countries – will be docked at North Coast Harbor near FirstEnergy Stadium:
United States: Appledore IV, Inland Seas, Pride of Baltimore II, U.S. Brig Niagara
Canada: Empire Sandy, St. Lawrence II
Spain: NAO Trinidad
HIGHLIGHTS
Thursday, July 7
Parade of Sail and Captain’s Reception is 4 p.m. Ships make their way to dock at the festival grounds via the majestic parade. The vessels are crewed, in part, by youth ages 13 to 25.
Friday, July 8 to Sunday, July 10
• Festival Village opens at 9 a.m. featuring tours, live music and food and beverage options at 101 Erieside Ave.
• Sail Aways, 10 a.m. daily. The 75-minute Lake Erie excursions are aboard the Appledore IV and Inland Seas.
• On-deck tours, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, Festival Village. Interactive and educational experiences include a chance to meet the captains and crew and learn the ships’ innerworkings.
• “Ask the Captain and Crew” forum, daily at the Festival Village’s Dinghy Stage. Captains and crew will discuss what it’s like to work during the Tall Ships Challenge.
• Tom Mason and the Blue Buccaneers are slated to perform daily.
• Activities and vendors 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at Harborside Marketplace include maritime-themed crafts, face painting, rope tying, local artisans, magicians and pirate characters.
• Enjoy a cocktail on the dock during happy hour at 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 8, at Festival Village. Note: Ships will not be available for boarding during happy hour.
• William G. Mather and USS Cod submarine tours are included with admission.
• Fireworks, 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 9, Festival Village. Live entertainment and kids’ activities will be held with fireworks at 10 p.m. Note: Ships will not be available for boarding during this event.
Getting there
• Rideshare services such as Lyft are available with drop-off locations on Erieside Avenue.
• Handicap and general parking are available at 101 Erieside Ave.
• Note: Lots are cash only.
Tickets
Tickets are $20, with discounts for seniors and kids offered. Three-day, early boarding and VIP fast passes are available. Separate tickets are required to attend the Parade of Sail and Captain’s Reception. Family four-packs are available via Discount Drug Mart and Great Lakes Science Center. Tickets can be purchased at the box office at 101 Erieside Ave. during the event.
Ships can be viewed for free from Wendy Park and Voinovich Park at North Coast Harbor.
The non-profit Tall Ships America organizes the Tall Ships Series, which is supported by Downtown Cleveland Alliance. Tall Ships America also manages scholarship programs to make sail-training experiences more affordable for young people.
More info
Email tallships@tallshipscle.com or call 844-253-8255.
Related coverage: See the tall ships that will be coming to Cleveland this summer
I am on cleveland.com’s life and culture team and cover food, beer, wine and sports-related topics. If you want to see my stories, here’s a directory on cleveland.com. Bill Wills of WTAM-1100 and I talk food and drink usually at 8:20 a.m. Thursday morning. Twitter: @mbona30.
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