NavyWeek.org is an independent guide. Each fleet week is organized by its own local association, and we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by those organizers or the U.S. Navy. Dates and schedules are set by the organizers and can change at any time. Always confirm the current details on each event's official site before you travel.
FLEET WEEK
A city-by-city guide to U.S. Fleet Week. Each guide covers the dates, the air show schedule (including the Blue Angels where they fly), the Parade of Ships, free public ship tours, and the best free places to watch along the waterfront — then links you straight to the organizer's official site.
U.S. Fleet Week — Key Facts
- Cities catalogued (this guide)
- 15
- Typical cost
- Free from public areas; premium seats optional
- What to expect
- Air shows, Parade of Ships, free ship tours
- Best-known events
- San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles
- Organized by
- Local fleet week associations (not NavyWeek.org)
Last verified: June 10, 2026
SPRING
5 citiesSouthern California’s Memorial Day kickoff to summer — free ship tours and a waterfront expo beside the museum Battleship IOWA in San Pedro. No air show.
View guideOne of the country’s oldest fleet weeks — U.S., Coast Guard, and Royal Canadian Navy ships sail up the Willamette, lift the downtown bridges, and open for free tours at the waterfront. No air show.
View guideNew Orleans has no annual fleet week — but in 2026 the SAIL250 tall-ship flotilla visited the Mississippi riverfront for America’s 250th before sailing on to the East Coast.
View guideTexas’ first-ever fleet week — the inaugural Fleet Week Houston (April 2026) hosted USS Kearsarge and the fleet down the coast at Galveston for America’s 250th.
View guideThe Gulf-coast venue for Texas’ first fleet week — Galveston hosted the dawn Parade of Ships and the tours at Seawolf Park for Fleet Week Houston 2026 (same event).
View guideSUMMER
5 citiesFor America’s 250th, New York trades its Memorial Day Fleet Week for SAIL250 — a July 4 Parade of Sail up the Hudson, an international naval review, and a Blue Angels-led flyover over the harbor.
View guideSeattle’s summer classic — the Blue Angels over Lake Washington, a Parade of Ships into Elliott Bay, and free ship tours at Pier 46. Free from the lakeside parks; festival grounds ticketed.
View guideAt the world’s largest naval base, Hampton Roads hosts Sail250 Virginia in June — a Parade of Sail up the Elizabeth River, free ship tours, and a rare Naval Station Norfolk open house.
View guideThe air-show leg of the 2026 tall-ship flotilla — SAIL250 Maryland fills Baltimore’s Inner Harbor with ships while jet teams fly over the Patapsco off Fort McHenry.
View guideIn the home port of USS Constitution, Sail Boston brings the America-250 tall-ship flotilla into Boston Harbor in July — a Grand Parade of Sail and free ship tours. No air show.
View guideFALL
2 citiesThe West Coast’s biggest fleet week — Blue Angels over the bay, a Parade of Ships under the Golden Gate, and free ship tours along the Embarcadero.
View guideAmerica’s original fleet week, in the country’s biggest Navy town — free ship tours at Broadway Pier and a Sea & Air Parade across San Diego Bay. (The Blue Angels fly the separate Miramar show.)
View guideCITIES WITHOUT A STANDING FLEET WEEK
3 citiesPopular searches that don't have a traditional ship-tour fleet week. These guides give the honest picture — the Navy history, any air show, and where to find the nearest real fleet week.
No annual fleet week — but Philadelphia is the birthplace of the U.S. Navy and Marines, with the cruiser Olympia and submarine Becuna open year-round at Penn’s Landing.
View guideNo ship-tour fleet week in South Florida — the Memorial Day Hyundai Air & Sea Show over Miami Beach, headlined by the Thunderbirds, is the region’s military spectacle.
View guideNo fleet week in Chicago — but the region is home to the Navy’s only boot camp and the WWII Lake Michigan training carriers. The August Air & Water Show is the lakefront’s spectacle.
View guideFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Editorial policy
- Source priority. For each city we cite the official fleet week organizer's site and primary news coverage first. Dates, air-show schedules, and ship-tour details are quoted from those sources and dated on each guide.
- Independence. NavyWeek.org is not affiliated with the U.S. Navy, the Department of Defense, NAVCO, or any federal agency. We do not accept payment to recommend specific recruiters, schools, vendors, or services.
- Review cadence. Because organizers can change dates and schedules at any time, each guide is re-verified against the official site on a recurring basis and whenever a reader reports a change.
- Reviewer. The page is reviewed for accuracy by the reviewer named in the byline. The "Last reviewed" date at the top of the page reflects the most recent review pass.
- Corrections. Factual errors are corrected as soon as we can verify the issue against an official source. See the "Report an outdated fact" link below.
- Not advice. This page is informational only. For decisions about service, benefits, pay, or assignment, rely on official .mil sources and your chain of command, detailer, recruiter, or accredited representative.