From July 5th through July 9th, the Tall Ships Festival will be sailing into Newport.  There’s so much to do during this time, starting the 5th at the Tall Ships Reception, starting at 7pm.  The festival really begins on Friday, July 6th, when the vessels will be open to the public for boarding between 10am and 5pm Friday-Sunday.  The festival ends on Monday, July 9th after the Parade of Sail, which will take place at noon.  There will be various entertainment, food and exhibits throughout the weekend for everyone to enjoy.

The Ocean State Tall Ships Festival is part of the Tall Ships America Challenge Series.  The annual races and festivals started back in 2001 to inform the public about tall ships and their history.  They are here to educate people about the maritime history and the significance of sailing.

14 different ships will be in the Newport Harbor for this event.  The ships include: HMS Bounty, Mystic Whaler, Unicorn, Picton Castle, The Lynx, The Gazela, The Tree of Life, The Pride of Baltimore II, The Providence, Summerwind, The Sir Martin II, The Peacemaker, The Lark, and finally The Bowdoin.  These are all different types of ship with unique histories that can be boarded throughout the festival.

Newport is full of maritime history, and the Tall Ships Festival is a celebration of just that.